My Dog Is Afraid of His Crate, What Can I Do?
“Start Slowly & Let Your Dog Tell You How Fast To Move Forward.”
My Dog Is Afraid of His Crate, What Can I Do?
QUESTION:
My Dog Is Afraid of His Crate, What Can I Do?
ANSWER:
When introducing your dog to the crate it is important to make it a fun experience. So start slowly and let your dog tell you how fast to move forward.
Begin by sitting in front of the crate with the door open. Have your dog sit in front of it with you. If your dog is calm reward it with praise, a toy or a treat.
If your dog will not go anywhere near the crate, put the crate in a corner of the room. Let your dog just get used to it being in the room for a few days. With treats, coax your dog closer and closer to it until it is comfortable around it. Then move on in the training.
Next, put a few treats on the floor about 2-3 feet from the door. When he takes them, praise him. Continue moving them closer to the door opening slowly. If he “spooks” move back to the last place he took them reward him and stop the session.
As your dog becomes comfortable place a few treats just outside the open door. Then place a few inside the crate and so on. Your dog should be willingly to go in after them. If not, just revert back a step and begin again.
Once your dog is comfortable inside the crate ask him to “Sit” after he finds a treat. Reward him for it and release him from the “Sit”. Repeat this about 8-10 times. End the session. Do this for a few days slowly extending the amount of time you have your dog “Sit”.
Then move to the “Down” command. Repeat the previous training.
When your dog is comfortable laying down in the crate, close the door part of the way. Then half way, and so on. Repeat the training as before until you can close the door completely.
After you can close the door without your dog reacting, increase the amount of time the door is closed. Once your dog is comfortable with the door closed, face the crate so it can see you when you are anywhere in the room. It will help your dog relax and it will soon see the crate as a “relaxing” and “safe place”.
TRAINER’S NOTES:
The crate has to be a POSITIVE experience! The training process here can take from a few days to two or more weeks. It all depends on your dog.
After reverting back in the training, be sure you reward your dog for a correct response at the previous spot. Then stop the session. This allows your dog to end the session on a positive note.
Always end training sessions on a positive note.
Need Help?
Contact A Better Dog4U if you have any questions or if you need any help with your training. We will be glad to set up a personal consultation in order to help you any way that we can.
