Dog Training Tips: How to Stop Crate Training Blues!

Are you having difficulties getting your pup to love the crate? Does your canine howl or whine, or refuse to enter at all? Take a step back and slow down. There do exist steps that an owner can take to eliminate most, if not all, crate training woes.

Begin by re-introducing yourself to the topic of dog training with crates. Scout out a few high-quality, positive reinforcement-based books and give them a read. Your newfound struggles may also help you to interpret the texts in a different light. Plus, an extra dose of research can help a pet owner see any critical steps that they may have missed.

Now, get back to the basics. Start crate training again from the very beginning – give your pup a proper and positive introduction to the crate. Entice your dog with a fun toy and be sure to give plenty of tasty rewards each time your pet enters the crate on his own. Never force, but just take the process back a few steps each time your canine hits a roadblock. A proper crate introduction can also eliminate most dependency problems, one of the main reasons that dogs complain inside of the crate in the first place.

Pets should only be confined in the crate after their basic emotional, physical, and mental needs have been met for the day. Make sure that your pet has recently eliminated and has had an adequate amount of food, exercise, socialization, and companionship for the moment. The exercise issue is really important: it is not healthy or natural for dogs to be cooped up without it.

All healthy canines can learn to love their safe refuge. But it does take research, work, and lots of love. After all, there are no dog training substitutes for healthy, positive crate habits.