How To Crate Train Your Puppy

It’s really important to get your puppy comfortable with their crate before you begin using it regularly. With a little patience and practice, it will become a safe space for your puppy. Somewhere they can go for a comforting break when they’re tired or overwhelmed.

Key Takeaways

• Crate training can be beneficial for puppies 
• Not all puppies will enjoy it (and it’s not suited to all of them)
• Making the crate positive and exciting is important 
• Use treats and toys to make it feel comfortable 
• Get plenty of plush bedding so they can build a relaxing den

Is Crate Training Beneficial For Your Puppy?

Crate training can be really beneficial for your puppy. It keeps them safe when you leave the house, and you don’t want them to chew through anything. It also gives them somewhere to sleep that keeps them calm and relaxed. Dogs love dens, and puppies need the warmth and comfort that comes with a crate nest. 

Not every puppy is going to enjoy crate training, and you should never force it. For those that do, you end up with a permanent space that’s comfortable for your puppy as they grow. Even adult dogs enjoy sleeping in their crates and having somewhere they can go when they need to get away from everything else in the house. 

How To Crate Train Your Puppy: 6 Tips

With the right motivation and plenty of positive reinforcement, teaching your puppy to get comfortable in their crate is actually easier than you might think.

1. Get The Crate Ready 

The crate should be large enough for your puppy to be able to stand up, turn around, and lay on their side with their limbs extended. If it’s much bigger than this, there’s more chance of them using half the space to sleep and the other half as a toilet. There’s a handy guide to crate sizes here.

You should set it up in a quiet part of the house that’s out of the way and easy to darken when required. Add their bed, blankets, and some of their favorite toys to make it especially appealing. 

2. Make The Crate Positive And Exciting 

Let your puppy explore the crate in their own time. They should be able to sniff around it and go inside freely without you closing it or making them feel pressured to go in. Add some of their favorite treats inside to make it more exciting, and use plenty of praise when they have a positive interaction. Positive reinforcement is everything here. 

3. Encourage Your Puppy To Go Inside

Once your puppy is relaxed around the crate, you can start enticing them to go inside. Start by dropping treats through the top of the crate and using gentle (but excited) words of encouragement to get them in the crate. It’s important you don’t close the door yet and you use this encouragement at different times of day to familiarise them with it. 

Once they are settled in the crate, you can give them a treat and praise them for being inside it. Try to keep the praise calm yet happy so they understand that they’re doing something good without getting too riled up. Offer them a toy they love as an additional reward and something to keep them occupied while they are in the crate. 

5. Close The Door (Or Leave It Open)

Once they are comfortable and happy, you can close the crate door and shut them inside. This helps them get used to being locked in while you are out or everyone is in bed. Other times, you can leave it open to show them that the crate is a bed they are welcome to use whenever they like and that it’s not always a place they are shut into. 

6. Step Away And Let Them Rest 

As soon as your puppy is relaxed with the crate door closed and occupied with their toy, you can step away and allow them to rest. Make sure you move away slowly and quietly; you don’t want to get them excited, and you definitely don’t want to make a big deal out of leaving. Let them relax and rest for a while, and let them out once they’ve rested. 

When To Use A Crate Or A Playpen 

All dogs have different needs, and your puppy is no exception to this rule. So, when do you use a playpen and when do you use a crate? They’re very similar things, which means it’s not always easy to know which one to get ready. I’ve got a few tips to help make the process easier for you. 

When to use a crate:

• Creating a den that will become a comfortable and positive bed 
• Ensuring they have a quiet space that can be darkened when needed
• Helping them feel relaxed when things become stressful for them
• Providing a safe, calm space that can be used while you’re out of the house or taken with you when you travel

When to use a playpen:

• Trying to help a puppy get used to a home environment in a larger space 
• Letting them run free while also restricting their access to areas of the home 
• Helping make introductions to other dogs and animals much easier 
• Making housetraining easier and keeping messes contained 

Final Thoughts 

Your puppy is going to have a great time in their crate. You’ve made them a comfortable place to sleep, relax, and restore their energy so they can get up and play again. It gives them somewhere that’s out of the way to decompress, and it also means that any older dogs in the home get a break when they’re asleep. 

Teaching them that the crate is comfortable also means they get plenty of treats and access to their favourite toys as an awesome reward that motivates them to stay in the crate. It makes the experience better for them, which increases the comfort levels within their crate. Overall, it’s a situation where everyone wins and you know your puppy is happy.