The Importance of Crate Training

Crate Training the Say It Once Way

When getting a puppy, an absolutely necessary tool to buy beforehand is a dog cage. Crate training is vital during puppyhood, and having guidelines of how, when, where, and why to use it will give you a full understanding of the process. It’s common within a family to have someone, especially a first time dog owner or a child, to believe that crate training is mean, inhumane, or similar to a jail cell. However, it is extremely important to remember that dogs are naturally denning animals. They will seek refuge in a den, or den like area, for comfort, protection, and mothers who have had puppies (cough cough) will use a den for safety. Let’s take a dive into the pro’s of using a crate.


Having a dog properly acclimated to a crate will offer tremendous help when it comes to the following items:

House Breaking - House breaking a puppy is drastically easier when you are using a crate. By limiting the amount of space your dog has, it will cut back on the number of accidents. Additionally, dogs are less likely to pee or poo inside their crate.

Injury and ingestion prevention - Puppies and younger dogs who are given freedom before they are ready for it have the ability to hurt themselves. Whether there are jumping up on a stove, eating food left on the table and counters, or eating something toxic, puppies have lots of opportunities to injure themselves. Having your puppy comfortable in a safe environment like the crate will give you substantial peace of mind.

Safe space - Having a crate will give your dog a space that is 100% theirs, a space where they can feel comfortable and safe. Dogs can use the crate to just relax and take a nap, but it also gives them an option to go somewhere during a high stress time, such as thunderstorms and house parties.

Protecting your valuables - That’s a gorgeous $5,000 couch you have. In a span of only a few hours it can be a beautiful $5,000 couch with two seat cushions missing, an arm rest half eaten, and a broken reclining section.

A little piece of home everywhere - If you have to leave your dog with family members or a pet sitter (Say It Once Pet Services... duh), their crate gives them a sense of familiarity in that new place. It’s portable, giving your dog the ability to have that safe space even in a hotel room, groomers, or anywhere that you are going to take your pup.


Now that we understand all of the aspects of training our crate can help us in, lets take a look at how to turn it into a positive experience.



Where should I put the crate?

Similar to real estate, the first key to crate training is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Where you put the crate can make a huge difference, especially during the first few weeks. I am, and always will be, a huge believer in putting the crate right next to your bed during the night. If you leave the crate downstairs during the nighttime, you will see these typical behaviors: whining, barking, pacing, and panting. These behaviors occur because dogs do not leave each other when it comes time to sleep, instead, the pack always sleeps together. When a puppy wants to call out to bring their mother back to them, they use whining and whimpering as a distress call to come back. The easiest solution to this noise is to do what is most natural to your puppy, which is sleep in the same general area. Having the crate next to your bed will give your dog more comfort knowing you’re around, and makes the crate all together a more positive experience for the puppy and for you.

During the day, it’s common to move the crate downstairs while the family is away. Sometimes families will have two separate crates, one for upstairs at night time, and one downstairs for daytime. This is not necessary, but if you have a larger dog it is a heck of a lot easier! If you would like to have the crate downstairs during the day, and ideal location would be in a quiet corner somewhere, away from a lot of foot traffic and sunlight.


How do I make my puppy feel comfortable in the crate?

Now that you have your crate in the best possible location, you want your puppy to feel as comfortable as possible in their new setting. A few tips to make the crate a place your dog will go to more often are:

Randomly throughout the first few weeks of having your puppy, throw treats inside the crate while saying your command ( “crate”, ‘bed,” “kennel up” ). Four treats a few times a day will be more than sufficient.

When playing with a toy, toss it in the crate, with the same concept above. The more your puppy is walking in on their own now, the easier your life will be later.

Bones, chews, Kong’s with frozen peanut butter, and bully sticks are not only life savers for teething, but they are helpful with crate training as well. If your puppy enjoys chewing on these, take full advantage of it! Put the chew toy in the crate, have the puppy go in, and start closing the door while they are chewing on their bone. This will start to reinforce “alone time” without them really noticing. Basically we are Mr. Miyagi-ing them.


What Should I leave in the crate?

The best answer is as little as possible. Do not overcrowd the crate with items that are not necessary. For example, having too many blankets on top of a bed, with an old t - shirt, a slipper, and a sleeping dog that has a heartbeat would be too much. I recommend a bed, whether it is a dog bed, crate mat, or blanket. However, if you start to notice that your puppy is destroying the bed, its gone! You do not want to reinforce a bad habit while you are away. The plastic layer on the bottom of the crate isn’t going to hurt your dog, and they will eventually earn the right to have the bed in their crate when their behavior is good enough to handle it. You can add in 1 chew toy, as long as it’s not anything that could be harmful. Peanut butter Kong Toys or a strong chew toy tend to be families’ number one choice. Keep your crate very basic.


What type of crate should I get, Vinnie?

Great question, I’m glad you asked! There are a few different crate options to look at, so here are some quick notes on the most common:

Standard Wire Crate: Love it. Simple, basic, and if you get a puppy and go through all of the proper procedures, this crate will do you just fine. Easy to transport and very easy to keep clean. These will not do well with dogs who have a tendency to chew or try and escape their crates.

Soft Nylon Crates: In all honesty, I am not a huge fan of these crates. They tend to only work for dogs who are extremely mild mannered. However, these are great for small dogs and for travel!

Sky Kennels: These are the kennels that are approved by airlines. They are big, bulky, plastic crates with less ventilation, but they are more difficult for the dog to escape from. They offer more seclusion and comfort, but they are also a little harder to keep clean than the wire crates, and are by far the ugliest option. All in all, though, I do like these crates!

Heavy Duty: For dogs who are escaping the crate, bending the wires, or just opening the doors from inside, there are a few heavier duty options out there. Impact Dog Crate is a example of this style.


The X Factor!

This one seems like common sense, but when putting your dog in the crate, be sure that they have been sufficiently exercised, so that they will be tired when they are in the crate. This will require a change in your routine, as we don’t typically have much time in the morning before we leave for work to get our pups tired out, but guess what. Set your alarm an extra 30 minutes early to give your dog, the animal who loves you more than anything on this planet (can you say “guilt trip”) and give them what they want and need!


Size of the Crate

The goal here is to keep the crate as small as possible, while still allowing the dog enough space to stretch out and lay down comfortably. Too big of a crate and your dog has a better chance of having a potty mistake inside of their crate. Too small and your dog won’t fit!

Miscellaneous Tips

There are a few other options to make your dog feel more confident and comfortable inside the crate. One is to cover the crate with a blanket, completing the den area feel. Like mentioned above, if our dog starts chewing or pulling the blanket into the crate, remove it.You can also leave music on the radio or television to drown out any outside noise so your puppy can maintain a calmer state with limited distractions.


In Conclusion
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Buy a Crate!