You’ll think that you don’t need to crate train your dog, because you never plan to put him into one. However, even the newest dog owner will shortly learn that there are times when it becomes necessary to do just that. After all, your new puppy isn’t going to understand the guidelines of your household, such as where he’s not intended to chew or where not to go potty, and until you can teach him, you aren’t going to need his mis-steps at behavior destroying your house. In addition, you will have times when you’ll need to take him to the vet for check-ups and shots, and it will be much easier to do so if he’s in a crate. As with all the other appropriate dog behaviors, crate training is an important ability to teach your dog.

So how should you go about teaching your dog to remain in a crate when he obviously would rather be out with the rest of the family? Start by buying a crate that is huge enough for your dog to both stand and turn around in. If he is going to get much larger, you may want to buy a bigger kennel right now to save having to get another one later. Put it in an area of your home where family members spend a lot of time so that he will remain with the family although penned up, and put a soft blanket or towel on the crate’s floor for him to lie on. Purchase a water dish that isn’t going to be spilled easily, and make sure he has water all the time he’s in the crate.

You naturally don’t want to teach your dog to dislike the crate by trying to cram him into it if he’s refusing to go. In order to get him to enter it willingly, place some dog treats within near the door, and when he follows the trail inside, you can secure the door. Do not get impatient with him if he continues to refuse to go into the kennel on his very own for a couple of days. Finally he will understand what it is that you’re desiring him to do, and he’ll obey.

Once your dog has become accustomed to spending short amounts of time in his crate you can begin feeding him balanced meals in there. At first you will need to allow him out immediately when he has finished eating, but then, to continue with his crate training, you need to stretch out the quantity of time you leave him in the kennel so that he gets used to extended times being shut up in case it becomes critical to keep him there.

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