Acclimating an Adult Dog to a Crate
Place the crate in the room where the family spends most of the time.
Put a comfy bed or blanket inside.
Either take the door off or fasten it open so it doesn’t accidentally swing closed in the early stages of the training.
If your crate is a wire mesh type – cover the top, back, and sides with a sheet so that it is more like a cave than a cage.
STEP 1
Several times a day - surreptitiously place VERY yummy treats (chunks of meat or cheese) inside the crate for your dog to find on their own. At first, place them just inside the door, and as things progress, place them farther and farther back.
STEP 2 - Play the “Crate Game”
DAY 1
Toss a treat near the crate opening (right outside).
Praise your dog when they move towards the crate to get the treat.
Do this 3-4 times and then end the session.
Do 3-4 sessions during this first day.
DAY 2
Toss the treat as in the previous session a few times (just outside the crate).
Toss a treat just INSIDE the door of the crate.
Praise your dog when they stick their head inside to get the treat.
Do this 3-4 times and then end the session.
Do 3-4 sessions during this second day.
DAY 3
Toss a treat a few inches farther back in the crate than yesterday and repeat the sessions as above.
DAY 4 and then as many days as needed
Continue like this until you can toss the treat all the way to the back of the crate, and your dog will go all the way in to get it.
Once they go all the way inside the crate to retrieve their treat – it’s time to add a verbal cue to the behavior. To do this, say “Kennel Up” or “Crate” (or whatever you want to call it) AS they are walking in. This will pair the word/s with the behavior.
Do not say it before they walk in – say it AS they are walking in (perhaps when their head is to the middle of the crate). You will have to do this pairing of the verbal cue with the behavior about a dozen times before they know the cue.
NEXT
Toss the treat in, but say your cue “Crate” BEFORE they go in to get the treat. Do this in several sessions for several days.
NEXT
Without tossing the treat inside – say your cue, “Crate,” and if they go inside – praise them and hand them the treat. Then, ask them to come out and repeat the exercise (if they don’t go in when asked – repeat the previous step a few more days).
Soon, they will be happily going into the crate when asked. Praise and treat every time you ask them to do so.
NEXT
To get them to spend more time in the crate, tie a Kong toy stuffed with yummy pasty food (peanut butter, liverwurst, spray cheese, canned dog or cat food, etc.) to the back of the crate (string a thin rope through the top hole and knot the rope)
Ask them to “Crate,” and when they go inside, they will find the stuffed Kong. They won’t be able to take the Kong out of the crate because it’s tied inside, so they should just lie down and lick all the yummy paste out of it. Do this every day.
NEXT
Once they are good with going in and licking all the stuff out of the Kong, you can start to shut the door while they are busy with the Kong. Do this every day - increasing the duration of time they are inside.
NEXT
Ask her to “crate” – give her the stuffed Kong and then sit in your chair to read or watch TV while they are inside eating the food out of the Kong.
*Additionally – at this point, you can start to feed her dinner inside the crate.
NEXT
Once you are at this stage, you can start to leave the room while they are eating the food out of the Kong or her dinner. At first, just leave and come right back. Then start wandering around the house, in and out of the room while they are eating.
Eventually, you should be able to leave the room the whole time they eat.
NEXT
Start to leave the house while they are in the crate with her Kong. At first, for only a few seconds, then a few minutes, then longer.
Things that can help during this process:
Adaptil (calming dog pheromone) spray – spray inside the crate before each session.
“Through a Dog’s Ear” CD – calming music played during the crate game.
Rescue Remedy – a natural calming remedy you can put in the dog’s food or on a treat for him to eat.
* The most important part of this program is to GO SLOWLY. If you rush the process, you will not be successful. It may take a month to get your dog to accept spending significant time in the crate. The hope is that this will become their comfort zone for when you are away or when there is a storm or whatever provokes anxiety in your dog.
