Everything You Need To Know About Crate Training - Pro Tips & Tricks, by Standing Stone Kennels on YouTube. 9 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 2 weeks of short daily session
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Start as soon as your puppy comes home, usually around 8 weeks old. Begin with short, happy sessions before any bad crate habits have a chance to form.
Pick a crate type that suits your home. Plastic travel crates feel snug and are handy in the car, while wire crates let the puppy see out and work well indoors.
Buy a crate your puppy can stand up in, turn around in and lie down flat in. Use the divider panel and move it back as the puppy grows.
Put the crate where the family spends time, not in a lonely corner. Keep a second spot in your bedroom for nights so the puppy is close to you.
Leave the door open at first. Toss treats inside, feed meals in the crate and let the puppy wander in and out with no pressure at all.
When the puppy goes in happily, close the door for a few seconds and open it before any fuss starts. Add a few seconds each session.
Take the puppy out to toilet right before crating and straight after every wake up. A young puppy can hold its bladder for about one hour per month of age.
Build up to longer stretches and keep the routine calm and boring. Stay consistent and only open the door once the puppy is quiet.
Tips and common mistakes
Never use the crate as punishment, or the puppy will learn to dread it.
Do not open the door while the puppy is whining, or it learns that whining works.
Feed meals and give chews inside the crate so good things happen there.
Skip long stints in the crate during the day, especially in warm weather.
Questions
How long can a puppy stay in a crate?
Roughly one hour per month of age during the day, with toilet breaks in between. Overnight stretches are usually a little longer because the puppy sleeps.
Should the crate be in my bedroom at night?
Yes, most puppies settle faster when they can hear and smell you nearby. Move the crate to a family area during the day.
What size crate should I buy for a puppy?
Buy for the adult size of your breed, then use the divider panel to shrink the space while the puppy grows. The puppy needs to stand, turn and lie flat.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
