Top 5 Reasons Your Dog Won’t Crate Train
I get a lot of questions either asked of me in person, online, via email etc.
And one of my biggest fixes for many things is utilizing a crate.
Crates help with potty training, they help with chewing, they help give your dog a haven when he needs to get away and they help to give you some sanity when you need a break from watching your puppy or dog.
They also keep you safe in your car, and allow you to stay in motels that otherwise don’t allow dogs.
In addition, they can keep friends and family happy when you visit; since they know your dog will be taken care of and well behaved at their home.
But one of the most common responses after I suggest crate training is:
“My dog won’t crate train” or “My dog hates the crate”
And, mostly likely either way; you are simply Doing It Wrong.
And, by doing it wrong you are allowing your dog to choose whether or not he wants to be in a crate; and let me tell you that in the beginning 96% of dogs would choose to skip the crate training even though they will also be happier in the end if they learn to love a crate.
Here are the top 5 reasons you think your dog won’t crate train.
You Only Crate Him When You Leave-
And one of my biggest fixes for many things is utilizing a crate.
Crates help with potty training, they help with chewing, they help give your dog a haven when he needs to get away and they help to give you some sanity when you need a break from watching your puppy or dog.
They also keep you safe in your car, and allow you to stay in motels that otherwise don’t allow dogs.
In addition, they can keep friends and family happy when you visit; since they know your dog will be taken care of and well behaved at their home.
But one of the most common responses after I suggest crate training is:
“My dog won’t crate train” or “My dog hates the crate”
And, mostly likely either way; you are simply Doing It Wrong.
And, by doing it wrong you are allowing your dog to choose whether or not he wants to be in a crate; and let me tell you that in the beginning 96% of dogs would choose to skip the crate training even though they will also be happier in the end if they learn to love a crate.
Here are the top 5 reasons you think your dog won’t crate train.
You Only Crate Him When You Leave-
You only crate your dog when you leave.
Think about this, crating becomes a precursor to what he hates the most… being separated from you.
Even if you crate him at night and then again only when you leave he begins to associate the two things… Plus chances are he is spending large amounts of time in his crate.
He needs to understand that he may only be in his crate for 15 minutes or less if he is good and quiet and you can’t always offer that to him when you leave.
In order to have successful crate training you must do it occasionally during the day while you are home.
And, in the beginning you need to do it several times a day in order to teach him and play with him appropriately in the crate.
The crate isn’t some kind of torture to be dealt when you leave, it needs to be his safe place and his house; but in order for him to think his house is cool he needs you to be around, needs to know he can be let out after short durations and needs to know you are not always going to leave him alone in his crate.
You Let Him Out When He ScreamsYou let him out when he screams, it is pretty simple if you think about it.
Trust me I understand; it is hard to listen to your puppy or your favorite furry family member scream or throw a fit. No one likes it!
But by letting him out when he screams or barks you are teaching him to scream and bark in his crate and this is counter intuitive to having a well behaved and crate trained dog.
Like many parents believe older babies (not tiny babies) need to get used to crying themselves to sleep and soothing themselves; so does your puppy or your dog.
He needs to understand he isn’t going to die when you put him in his crate and if you let him out when he squawks he is never going to overcome his fear or dislike of his crate.
And, in order to be let out, he needs to learn that being quiet in his kennel is what you want.
So if you are in the beginning stages of crate training then remember to let him out a few seconds after he is quiet.
HINT: If you tire him out by playing with him before you leave put him in his crate, he won’t scream as long, he will be tired so he will learn to nap in his crate.
I always exhaust my puppies before I put them in their crates so they learn to sleep when they are in there. They are way too tired to scream for more than a minute or two. Even if you have to get up an hour early or stay up a little later, make sure you put a tired puppy in the crate.
Think about this, crating becomes a precursor to what he hates the most… being separated from you.
Even if you crate him at night and then again only when you leave he begins to associate the two things… Plus chances are he is spending large amounts of time in his crate.
He needs to understand that he may only be in his crate for 15 minutes or less if he is good and quiet and you can’t always offer that to him when you leave.
In order to have successful crate training you must do it occasionally during the day while you are home.
And, in the beginning you need to do it several times a day in order to teach him and play with him appropriately in the crate.
The crate isn’t some kind of torture to be dealt when you leave, it needs to be his safe place and his house; but in order for him to think his house is cool he needs you to be around, needs to know he can be let out after short durations and needs to know you are not always going to leave him alone in his crate.
You Let Him Out When He ScreamsYou let him out when he screams, it is pretty simple if you think about it.
Trust me I understand; it is hard to listen to your puppy or your favorite furry family member scream or throw a fit. No one likes it!
But by letting him out when he screams or barks you are teaching him to scream and bark in his crate and this is counter intuitive to having a well behaved and crate trained dog.
Like many parents believe older babies (not tiny babies) need to get used to crying themselves to sleep and soothing themselves; so does your puppy or your dog.
He needs to understand he isn’t going to die when you put him in his crate and if you let him out when he squawks he is never going to overcome his fear or dislike of his crate.
And, in order to be let out, he needs to learn that being quiet in his kennel is what you want.
So if you are in the beginning stages of crate training then remember to let him out a few seconds after he is quiet.
HINT: If you tire him out by playing with him before you leave put him in his crate, he won’t scream as long, he will be tired so he will learn to nap in his crate.
I always exhaust my puppies before I put them in their crates so they learn to sleep when they are in there. They are way too tired to scream for more than a minute or two. Even if you have to get up an hour early or stay up a little later, make sure you put a tired puppy in the crate.
You Never Played Games with His CrateYou never played games in his crate with him, don’t worry most people don’t know this trick.
In order for your dog or your puppy to learn the true “gift” and “joy” of a crate he needs to have happy moments in there, not just barking and screaming himself to sleep.
You need to teach him that being in his crate is fun and that comes with crate interaction.
To learn more about crate games read The Joys of Crate Training
95% of the time I give my dog a big, magnificent cookie when they go in their crates, plus I often feed them in their crates so they run into their crates at least twice a day thinking they are going to get a great reward.
This helps to change the association with the crate from bad to good.
Heck I might consider going into a crate if someone gave me a brownie or a bag of Cheetos every time
You Locked Him in it With No TrainingYou locked him in his crate with no training or as mentioned earlier, no crate games.
Dogs need to learn how to control their environment to be successful and to be happy and for them to do that or feel like they can do that you need to teach them what you want or trick them into doing what YOU want them to do (otherwise they are training you).
For example, if you want your dog to enjoy his crate and learn to control when he is in it you must teach him that when he is quiet he can get out of his crate. If you only close him in his crate when you leave and let him out when you come home you aren’t teaching him anything but to dislike his confined space when you are gone.
Training requires you to be home and for him to be in his crate for short durations as long as he is quiet.
As with anything, crate training takes time and effort. In order to set your dog up for success, you must spend time training.
Spend time working on it several times during the day so you can change the way he feels about his crate and he learns to be quiet and take peaceful naps in there.
In order for your dog or your puppy to learn the true “gift” and “joy” of a crate he needs to have happy moments in there, not just barking and screaming himself to sleep.
You need to teach him that being in his crate is fun and that comes with crate interaction.
To learn more about crate games read The Joys of Crate Training
95% of the time I give my dog a big, magnificent cookie when they go in their crates, plus I often feed them in their crates so they run into their crates at least twice a day thinking they are going to get a great reward.
This helps to change the association with the crate from bad to good.
Heck I might consider going into a crate if someone gave me a brownie or a bag of Cheetos every time
You Locked Him in it With No TrainingYou locked him in his crate with no training or as mentioned earlier, no crate games.
Dogs need to learn how to control their environment to be successful and to be happy and for them to do that or feel like they can do that you need to teach them what you want or trick them into doing what YOU want them to do (otherwise they are training you).
For example, if you want your dog to enjoy his crate and learn to control when he is in it you must teach him that when he is quiet he can get out of his crate. If you only close him in his crate when you leave and let him out when you come home you aren’t teaching him anything but to dislike his confined space when you are gone.
Training requires you to be home and for him to be in his crate for short durations as long as he is quiet.
As with anything, crate training takes time and effort. In order to set your dog up for success, you must spend time training.
Spend time working on it several times during the day so you can change the way he feels about his crate and he learns to be quiet and take peaceful naps in there.
You Rarely Use ItThe other reason that a lot of dogs are not successful with crate training is because many people rarely use it.
People stay home with their dogs during the day or they put them in baby gated rooms because they think the dog likes that better (but dogs are den animals) and rarely get crated.
Or as the dog gets older the people move from using a crate to leaving the dog out in the house during the day; and so the crate is rarely used.
In order for a dog to stay current with his crate training, you have to do it periodically.
Even though 2 out of 3 of my dogs are able to stay loose in the house when I leave, I still occasionally put them in their crates.
I never know when I might need to train or go somewhere that they will need to be crated, so it is in my best interests and theirs to keep them up to date with their crates and their crate training.
People stay home with their dogs during the day or they put them in baby gated rooms because they think the dog likes that better (but dogs are den animals) and rarely get crated.
Or as the dog gets older the people move from using a crate to leaving the dog out in the house during the day; and so the crate is rarely used.
In order for a dog to stay current with his crate training, you have to do it periodically.
Even though 2 out of 3 of my dogs are able to stay loose in the house when I leave, I still occasionally put them in their crates.
I never know when I might need to train or go somewhere that they will need to be crated, so it is in my best interests and theirs to keep them up to date with their crates and their crate training.
Dog training: The trouble with punishment
Insufficient socialization and frequent and extreme punishment are the two major reasons why dogs become wary of people. Wary dogs stay away from people. Problems happen when people approach and try to handle, or pet, the dog.
Few people intend to make things unpleasant for their puppydog, with one notable exception: when punishing him. By definition, punishment is meant to be unpleasant. However, it is extremely disturbing that this unpleasantness is overly frequent and overly extreme. Sadly, many outdated trainers, and hence many owners who have read outdated training books, tend to focus on punishing untrained dogs for getting it wrong, for breaking rules they never knew existed. It is much quicker to teach your puppy the rules of the house-to show him what you want him to do and to reward him for doing it. Thus, your puppy learns to want to do what you want him to do. Frequent or extreme punishment is a major reason why many dogs dislike being handled, and why they dislike the handler.
Punishment means your training isn't working
Frequent punishment is an indication that your training philosophy is flawed. The dog still frequently misbehaves and, therefore, is frequently punished. Training is simply not working. Time to change to Plan B. Rather than punishing your puppy for mistakes he has made in the past, you should concentrate on teaching your puppy how he should act in the future. Remember, it is much more efficient and effective to reward your puppy for doing it your way-the one way you consider to be right-rather than trying to punish him for the many ways he could do it wrong.
Punishment sabotages the pet-owner relationship
Repeated punishment is the painful tip of a wedge that progressively divides and destroys the pet-owner relationship. Initially, you will lose off-leash control, and your dog will be slow to approach since he no longer wants to come close. Eventually he will become wary and apprehensive when approached and handled. The whole point of living with a dog is to enjoy his company. Surely you don't want to live with a dog that doesn't want your companionship. If you find yourself frequently reprimanding and punishing your puppy, seek help from a trainer.
Extreme punishment is an extreme indication that training isn't working. The dog still misbehaves and the severity of punishment is increased with the assumption that it will be more effective. If punishment is effective, the dog would no longer misbehave. If the dog continues to misbehave following an extreme punishment, it would be wise to question the validity of the punishment-training program rather than automatically upping the level of pain.
Extreme punishment is unnecessary and absolutely counterproductive. It creates more problems than it resolves. Even when extreme punishment eliminates an unwanted behavior, it trashes the dog-human relationship.
For example, your puppy may not jump up anymore following a severe punishment, but now he no longer likes you, nor wants to come close to you because you were extremely nasty to him the last time he jumped up to say hello. You have won the battle but lost the war. Your dog doesn't jump up, but you don't have a best friend anymore. Sadly, training has become adversarial and unpleasant.
If you ever feel the need to resort to severe punishment, IMMEDIATELY seek help from a trainer who uses more efficient and effective, dog-friendly, lure/reward training methods. The most successful obedience competition dogs, agility dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, bomb-detection dogs, seeing-eye dogs, hearing-ear dogs, and assistance dogs, are all trained using reward-based motivational methods, with few-if any-reprimands. Isn't it about time that we trained pet dogs the same way?
When you effectively use reward-training techniques, punishment is seldom necessary. However, a less-experienced trainer may feel the need to reprimand or punish more frequently in order to compensate for novice training skills. Even so, when punishing a dog there is no need to approach, loom over, glower, grab, shake, shout, scream, scare, or hurt him.
What to do instead
For a routine training mishap, an instructive reprimand is more than sufficient, such as, "Outside!" "Chew toy!" "Sit!" "Steady!" or "Hustle!" The slightly raised voice and change in tone indicates urgency, and in each case, the one-word instruction lets your puppy know what he should be doing to get back on track again.
Even for more serious transgressions, harsh punishment is UNNECESSARY. In fact, when you use fun and games, reward-based training methods, banishment is the all-time most effective punishment-a short timeout with no more training game, no more rewards, and no more you. Calmly and quietly instruct your dog to leave the room: "Rover, Exit!" Banishment need only last for a few seconds, or a couple of minutes at the most. Then always insist that the dog apologize and make up by dutifully coming, sitting, and lying down. When banishment (stopping training) becomes your best punishment, you have achieved the Holy Grail of Dog Training.
Giving the banishment order in a soft, sweet voice and pointing demonstratively to the door will help control your upset and emotions. On the first couple of occasions, you may have to shoo your puppy through the door but he will soon learn to leave promptly following your command. Moreover, after just a few banishments, your soft and sweet "Exit!" command will become a conditioned punishment, having an immediate and dramatic effect on your pup's behavior. At this stage in training, the "Exit!" command becomes an extremely effective warning. Observe your puppy's reaction when you sweetly inquire, "Rover, would you like to pay attention and take heed, or would you prefer to exit?" Most likely, your pup will wise up immediately. If so, ask him to lie down quietly and let him stay beside you. If not, say, "Exit!" in your best sweet and soft voice and demonstratively point to the door.
When banished, most dogs leave reluctantly and remain right outside the door looking in. However, when working with young puppies without much training it is better for you to leave promptly when the puppy misbehaves. In that case, play/train in your pup's long-term confinement area so that during his time-out your pup does not have the opportunity to get into further mischief. A ONE- or TWO-minute timeout is SUFFICIENT. Then return to the puppy's area and ask him To come, sitting, and lying down on request.
Few people intend to make things unpleasant for their puppydog, with one notable exception: when punishing him. By definition, punishment is meant to be unpleasant. However, it is extremely disturbing that this unpleasantness is overly frequent and overly extreme. Sadly, many outdated trainers, and hence many owners who have read outdated training books, tend to focus on punishing untrained dogs for getting it wrong, for breaking rules they never knew existed. It is much quicker to teach your puppy the rules of the house-to show him what you want him to do and to reward him for doing it. Thus, your puppy learns to want to do what you want him to do. Frequent or extreme punishment is a major reason why many dogs dislike being handled, and why they dislike the handler.
Punishment means your training isn't working
Frequent punishment is an indication that your training philosophy is flawed. The dog still frequently misbehaves and, therefore, is frequently punished. Training is simply not working. Time to change to Plan B. Rather than punishing your puppy for mistakes he has made in the past, you should concentrate on teaching your puppy how he should act in the future. Remember, it is much more efficient and effective to reward your puppy for doing it your way-the one way you consider to be right-rather than trying to punish him for the many ways he could do it wrong.
Punishment sabotages the pet-owner relationship
Repeated punishment is the painful tip of a wedge that progressively divides and destroys the pet-owner relationship. Initially, you will lose off-leash control, and your dog will be slow to approach since he no longer wants to come close. Eventually he will become wary and apprehensive when approached and handled. The whole point of living with a dog is to enjoy his company. Surely you don't want to live with a dog that doesn't want your companionship. If you find yourself frequently reprimanding and punishing your puppy, seek help from a trainer.
Extreme punishment is an extreme indication that training isn't working. The dog still misbehaves and the severity of punishment is increased with the assumption that it will be more effective. If punishment is effective, the dog would no longer misbehave. If the dog continues to misbehave following an extreme punishment, it would be wise to question the validity of the punishment-training program rather than automatically upping the level of pain.
Extreme punishment is unnecessary and absolutely counterproductive. It creates more problems than it resolves. Even when extreme punishment eliminates an unwanted behavior, it trashes the dog-human relationship.
For example, your puppy may not jump up anymore following a severe punishment, but now he no longer likes you, nor wants to come close to you because you were extremely nasty to him the last time he jumped up to say hello. You have won the battle but lost the war. Your dog doesn't jump up, but you don't have a best friend anymore. Sadly, training has become adversarial and unpleasant.
If you ever feel the need to resort to severe punishment, IMMEDIATELY seek help from a trainer who uses more efficient and effective, dog-friendly, lure/reward training methods. The most successful obedience competition dogs, agility dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, bomb-detection dogs, seeing-eye dogs, hearing-ear dogs, and assistance dogs, are all trained using reward-based motivational methods, with few-if any-reprimands. Isn't it about time that we trained pet dogs the same way?
When you effectively use reward-training techniques, punishment is seldom necessary. However, a less-experienced trainer may feel the need to reprimand or punish more frequently in order to compensate for novice training skills. Even so, when punishing a dog there is no need to approach, loom over, glower, grab, shake, shout, scream, scare, or hurt him.
What to do instead
For a routine training mishap, an instructive reprimand is more than sufficient, such as, "Outside!" "Chew toy!" "Sit!" "Steady!" or "Hustle!" The slightly raised voice and change in tone indicates urgency, and in each case, the one-word instruction lets your puppy know what he should be doing to get back on track again.
Even for more serious transgressions, harsh punishment is UNNECESSARY. In fact, when you use fun and games, reward-based training methods, banishment is the all-time most effective punishment-a short timeout with no more training game, no more rewards, and no more you. Calmly and quietly instruct your dog to leave the room: "Rover, Exit!" Banishment need only last for a few seconds, or a couple of minutes at the most. Then always insist that the dog apologize and make up by dutifully coming, sitting, and lying down. When banishment (stopping training) becomes your best punishment, you have achieved the Holy Grail of Dog Training.
Giving the banishment order in a soft, sweet voice and pointing demonstratively to the door will help control your upset and emotions. On the first couple of occasions, you may have to shoo your puppy through the door but he will soon learn to leave promptly following your command. Moreover, after just a few banishments, your soft and sweet "Exit!" command will become a conditioned punishment, having an immediate and dramatic effect on your pup's behavior. At this stage in training, the "Exit!" command becomes an extremely effective warning. Observe your puppy's reaction when you sweetly inquire, "Rover, would you like to pay attention and take heed, or would you prefer to exit?" Most likely, your pup will wise up immediately. If so, ask him to lie down quietly and let him stay beside you. If not, say, "Exit!" in your best sweet and soft voice and demonstratively point to the door.
When banished, most dogs leave reluctantly and remain right outside the door looking in. However, when working with young puppies without much training it is better for you to leave promptly when the puppy misbehaves. In that case, play/train in your pup's long-term confinement area so that during his time-out your pup does not have the opportunity to get into further mischief. A ONE- or TWO-minute timeout is SUFFICIENT. Then return to the puppy's area and ask him To come, sitting, and lying down on request.