Crate Training or Building a 'Dog Cave'

By and I are super fans of the Crate for dogs. Besides the fact that it harkens back to the wild where dogs like to be snug and confined in a safe space, it also gives her a place in the house that is hers alone and it makes her so happy to be in there! So when I was looking around the web and came across a woman having problems with crate training her dog. I realized that I hadn't posted anything here in Ages!! This is sad since every day with Lola is filled with not only moments of hilarity but also moments full of learning and education that By and I should be sharing more often! So, here's how we crate trained our pooch.

Now it took a while for all of this work to pay off, and we had to contend with parents and some friends who thought we were cruel and called it a cage and said "poor doggy!!" But this is because most people think of their dog like a person. She may occasionally act like a like a person in a little brown suit, but we know she's still a dog, and we were committed to doing what is best for her as a dog - a spoiled, but adored dog! The result is that now she ADORES her crate and can spend up to six or seven hours in there easily. Plus whenever something scary happens - like the vacuum cleaner or the blow dryer - she goes right to her crate where she knows nothing can hurt her. And we never force her out of it once she's in there.

We initially kept the crate in the living room, and started training by leaving the door open but putting treats inside all over, tucked under blankets and under the mat, so it was fun for her to go in and try to find them all. Whenever she would come out and left the room, we would bury a few more treats in there. We put in toys and a water dish that attaches to the bars near the door. So within only two days she associated the crate with fun and tasty treats. Then we started closing the door, but giving her treats that took longer to eat - rawhide or ice filled with bits of frozen chicken. And we had her in there overnight right from the beginning - but one of us would sleep in the living room near the crate - I know, a commitment, but long-term it gives you a far happier pooch!

Once she was OK in there when one of us was nearby, we started leaving her to run to the store, etc. Always with a few treats - but not rawhide. (If we're not home we don't leave rawhide in there. Rawhide can be dangerous if she chokes on a piece! But I'll do another post on that...) We even keep certain treats - Innova biscuits - that she only gets when she goes in the crate. Now when I pull one out, she RUNS into the crate!

Hey, no one ever said having a dog is easy!