It is common among dog owners who prefer crates, that their dog does not get used to them at all and they cry, moan or bark every night before going to sleep.
Training your dog to get used to using its crate may require a little time and patience, but it is something that can be achieved with these simple tips.
Choose The Right Crate.
There is a great variety of dog crates in the market; you just need to find the one that best suits your dog’s characteristics and needs. The most important thing is that the crate has enough space for the dog to stretch and lie down in different ways.
Choose A Suitable Place For The Crate.
Place the crate in a place where the family spends more time, like in the living room, this will prevent the dog from feeling separated from the other members of the family.
Make The Crate a Nice Place for Your Dog.
In order for the dog to feel encouraged to enter the crate, you should make it his happy zone, place a blanket or soft towel, some treats and its favorite toys inside, this way it will begin to associate its crate with positive things.
Don’t force it. If your dog refuses to go in at first, you’ll just need more positive reinforcement, such as putting on a shirt with your scent on it, as dogs are very much guided by smell. Let it go in and out of its crate without problems, don’t force it to be there or it will see it as some kind of punishment.
Close The Door Gradually.
Use intervals of 5 minutes or less at first, make sure you are around, gradually leave it longer with the door closed and walk away, so it understands that it is still safe.
Put the dog in the crate at night.
The best thing is to go for a walk with the dog before bedtime so that it finds its energy used up when it returns, this will make it refuse to sleep in the crate less.
Use a command that it associates with going to the crate as “go to the crate” or “crate”. It’s hard, but ignore if the dog cries or complains, as long as you know he doesn’t do it because he needs to go to the bathroom. If you give in, otherwise the dog will know that by crying it will get what it wants.
We hope these simple tricks will help your dog sleep in its crate.
Junior Watson
Junior is the DogTrainingBasics.com resident “Top Dog”. He enjoys walks in the park, chasing invisible cats, and of course… bacon strips!
