How to Crate Train Your Pup

I’ve always introduced the crate as a comfort place. When I wanted her to go in her crate, I gave her a treat, one that she had to WORK on and take time to get to. For example, I would get the KONG and fill it with peanut butter that I had in the FREEZER. She LOVED it. Even when I was home and wanted to relax and watch a movie without the dog jumping on me, I would get the frozen peanut butter Kong out of the freezer and throw it in her crate, and she would hang out in the crate and eat her treat. Another great treat for the Kong is just some of your dog or puppy’s dog food kibbles. Put them in there for him/her to work on getting out. They LOVE IT! They will soon get the message that the crate is a great place to be.

Don’t ever feel bad putting your dog in the crate. They will soon find it a comfortable place to be (their own little den) and want to be in there when you’re not home or even when you are. Just make sure that you are using the correct size crate for your dog or puppy. It has to be big enough for them to stand up and turn around. Another great idea is to get a hamster or bunny water bottle to hang in there just in case your dog gets a little thirsty. You can try that if you feel your dog may be a bit thirsty. I don’t do it, but I know some people who do. Not a lot of water will come out, and they can just wet their whistle if need be. I would not advise putting a water bowl in there because it will probably end up being spilled.