When the chaos gets to be too much and you don’t have time to actively supervise your dog, crate training will save your sanity time and time again. The crate is an area where your dog knows exactly what to do, and he can stay safe and out of trouble. In this blog post, we’ll go over how you can start setting your dog up for success with crate training.
1. Crate = Paradise for Paws
We tend to think of the crate as a glorified prison, but it’s truly not. Imagine if there was a place where you could escape the kid-induced chaos at your house, curl up with a favorite snack, and snooze the afternoon away with a giant Do Not Disturb sign over your head. Sadly, I don’t have a place like that for you (sooo sorry!) but that’s what a crate does for your dog. In the process you get a break from constantly managing your dog. Win, win!
2. Make it comfortable
If your dog is housetrained, put a nice comfy bed in the crate. It will help your dog settle in and relax.
3. Break out all the favorites
Always, always, give your dog something awesome to chew on while he’s crated. It will teach him that the BEST stuff happens in the crate. Some ideas include: stuffed Kong, Nylabone, bully stick, yak chew, you name it. Try putting something great in the crate with your dog on the outside and let him try to get in for a few minutes before opening the door. This will build his drive to get inside and stay inside the crate. You can also feed meals and give food puzzles to build even more positive vibes.
4. How long to use the crate
Start with just a few minutes, and slowly build up the amount of time. Your goal is to let your dog out BEFORE he’s ready to come out. If you teach him that the best stuff happens in the crate, he’ll want to be there more and more.
5. Best times to use a crate
Crates are great for when your kids have friends over, when you have a baby or toddler on the floor, naptime for the dog, or when you can’t actively supervise your kids and dog. These are just a few ideas. We bet you can come up with a lot more!
That’s your guide to creating a Paws Paradise for your dog. Dude. I just wish someone would crate train me!
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