Episode #156 Crate Training A New Dog

Are you ready to transform your dog’s behavior and build a loving bond? That's exactly what you'll accomplish as I, Amy Jensen, guide you through the ins and outs of crate training in this podcast episode. We'll dive into the multitude of benefits crate training can bring - from housebreaking aid to creating a safe, comforting space for your new dog. I'll share my top tips on how to make the crate a welcoming place, incorporating enjoyable activities, and maintaining consistency. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Puppy Training Podcast, episode 156, create Training a New Dog. This podcast is designed to help you on your journey of becoming best friends through love and learning, as you train your own dog from home, and I'm here to help you every step of the way. This is the Puppy Training Podcast, and I'm your host, amy Jensen. Hey everybody, welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for listening.

Speaker 1: 0:30

It is a holiday weekend this week in the US and so I won't keep you long today, but I wanted to jump on and talk about Create Training. In fact, create Training is something that is valuable for puppies, dogs and for even times of holiday. So when lots of people are coming to your house and you would like your puppy to settle, how nice would it be if they had a place where they could go settle right and they're happy to be there and they can just relax and chew their favorite thing and take a nap if they want, and they can relax. I mean, really that's key is how do we get our puppies to relax, even when maybe chaos is happening at our home? So I want to talk about Create Training today. This is a valuable tool. Again, it's giving your puppy a positive and secure environment. So, when done correctly, it not only aids in housebreaking, but also provides your dog with a safe space of their own, like their bedroom that's what I like to call it. It's my dog's bedroom. So today let's talk about the importance of Create Training methods to make the crate a more welcoming place, through games and tips on helping your puppy relax in the crate when you're away, all while using positive reinforcement techniques. That's the key To start off with.

Speaker 1: 1:36

Create Training serves various purposes, such as helping with housebreaking, preventing destructive behavior. Right, if my puppy's in a crate, they can't be chewing my furniture or peeing on my carpet or doing things that I don't want them to do. So it gives them a safe space to be unsupervised, and the crates ensure the safety and security of my dog. So a crate can become basically a sanctuary for my dog, offering a calm retreat in the midst of a bustling household Kids running around, guests coming in and out, doors opening and closing, especially on a holiday season that's coming up on us right Quickly we have Thanksgiving this week and Christmas is just around the corner. So Create Training our dogs proves beneficial during travel, whether people are coming to us or if I'm traveling to them. It makes for a nice place to put them in the car, and especially if they like the crate already, then transferring that to my car can help them like car rides better as well.

Speaker 1: 2:27

Vet visits if your dog ever has to go to the vet and they need to stay over for some reason, they will most likely be in a crate. And how great would it be that your dog's already comfortable in a crate before having that situation come about. Right, it would be a little bit sad for them if they're already nervous about being at the vet but then we put them in a crate and they don't know what a crate is. That could be maybe a little bit more scary for them. So let's just help them understand that a crate is a nice, safe space. Also, a well trained puppy is more adaptable to different situations. So again, I say this a lot, but no training you do with your dog is ever wasted. Anytime you spend teaching your dog a new skill, it's beneficial, and that goes for crate training as well. So crate training is a valuable skill we can teach our dogs.

Speaker 1: 3:11

My dogs love their crates and they seek them out now. So if I can't find them. I'm like, hey, where did Bruno go? Or where's Baxter? They're often in their crates. I'll find them napping. Or maybe my house is a little chaotic and they just saw it out because it's a little more quiet. Maybe they need to nap, maybe they're tired, right, and they just seek out their beds and go put themselves away in their crates. So at night they also do this. Sometimes I'll be like, okay, where's the dogs? And they got tired before I did and they put themselves to bed. All I had to do is shut the door. So it's a great thing when your dogs like their crates and we can help you get there.

Speaker 1: 3:45

Not all dogs love them at first and that's okay, but we can help it. Help them see that they're positive Again. It's their bedroom, it's their safe space where they can go and relax and not have to be worried or on guard or any of that. They can let their guard down and just relax. So to encourage our dogs to see the crate is a positive space, we can incorporate enjoyable activities. I start by placing treats and toys inside and I allow my dog to go in and out on their own. So it's voluntary. They get to go in. They get to come out whenever they want.

Speaker 1: 4:15

If you have a pen for your puppy, setting the crate inside the pen and leaving the door open allows your puppy to just go in and out on their own and they'll gradually associate positive experiences with the crate. I even like to feed their meals in it or near it, so that they see it, or they're inside of it and they're eating. Eating is obviously a positive thing for dogs, so that can create a good association with the crate. Oh, going in my crate means it's meal time. Going in my crate means my favorite Kong comes out Right. Going in my crate means my favorite chew gets to come out and I get to spend time chewing it. So consistency is key. Make the crate a part of your puppy's routine. Just use it throughout the day as needed.

Speaker 1: 4:52

Again, as I mentioned, the crate is the only place that your dog, your new puppy, can be unsupervised. So when we're first house training a dog, we train by spaces. We start with one room in our home and they get access to that one room and, as they're showing me that, they're able to hold it and make it outside before they relieve themselves, and they do that successfully from the one room, then I can open up the second room and once they're doing it successfully from the second room, I can open up the third room and so on. But in that first room if I need to go somewhere and I can't supervise my puppy, instead of leaving them in that open room I'm going to crate them until I get back. They're most likely to hold it in. That smaller space versus this room is huge. I could pee in this corner and play over here and be just fine, so crates are helpful in that area.

Speaker 1: 5:39

Something else I like to do to help my dogs like their crates in the beginning is to play games. So I'll engage my dog in all sorts of interactive games around the crate which can foster a positive connection. So, for example, toss some treats inside. Let your dog go inside to fetch those treats. Or create a scavenger hunt by hiding treats in the crate. That could be one of the hiding spots right. As your puppy explores and finds these food rewards, they'll form positive associations with the crate. Short, fun activities near the crate help build a sense of excitement rather than anxiety. So we're keeping things fun. We're keeping things short and light. When you do close the door, do so for short periods, even starting with seconds, then open it, practice a wait at the door, then release your dog to come out. That in and of itself is a fun game. The waiting to come out until Amy says the word okay, that anticipation and that unknown element creates fun for your dog. I do this throughout the day, so whenever you can just play a few of these little games 10 minutes here, two minutes there, literally 30 seconds is great too. Just random times where we get to interact with the crate, and it's a fun game.

Speaker 1: 6:42

Leaving our dogs alone in the crate can be a source of stress in the beginning, but we just gradually acclimate them to being in there for longer periods of time. It starts to become more comfortable. I like to watch for signs that my dog is starting to fall asleep in the crate. So in the beginning I'll turn on a movie, I'll watch a show and I'll put my dog in their crate right up on the sofa next to me. I'll sit right next to them so they can literally lick my arm or my leg. That's sitting next to the door of the crate, if needed, if they need a little bit of comfort. But they're starting to realize okay, I can relax in this Amy's right here. This is a safe space, and they start to feel comfortable in there. And then they can start to sleep. And as they're starting to fall asleep in their crates, I'm learning. Oh, they are to the point where they're feeling comfortable and more at ease in their crates. So once I notice that, that's when I can start leaving them right.

Speaker 1: 7:31

So the first few days I might spend a lot of time just reading a book next to the crate or watching a show, like I mentioned, or doing my emails on my laptop or whatever, and I'll move that crate around as needed. If I'm in my office, I'll bring the crate in my office. If I'm in the kitchen cooking dinner, I can bring the crate in the kitchen. So in the beginning your puppy's stressed because they don't know how to be alone. But teaching them to be alone is one of the best gifts you can give your dog, because in today's society they will have to be alone pretty much on a regular basis, right? So that'll vary from family to family and person to person, depending on your lifestyle and your work situation, but giving your dog the gift of them being able to soothe themselves and to handle. Being alone is just a wonderful gift you can teach them. So crates can help with that.

Speaker 1: 8:18

But we begin by leaving the room for short durations. Maybe I'll go outside and get the mail and I come back, or I go upstairs and make a sandwich and I come back, or I, you know, go on a walk around my house and I come back, and then we can build up to longer and longer periods of time. You're basically teaching your dog to trust you that she will be back. Right, she's coming back, don't worry. No problem, I can do this. I can be alone for a little while.

Speaker 1: 8:41

So when I leave and return, I just keep my departures and arrivals low key. I don't want to heighten any anxiety. So before leaving, I'll oftentimes just give my dog a chew or a puzzle toy or something to keep them occupied, and then, when I get back, I'll just greet them calmly. I usually wait for them to calm down. So if I walk in and they're kind of excited in their crates which is okay I'll just maybe stand next to them or sit next to them and again do a task like checking my emails or reading a part of a book, while I just wait for them to settle themselves and then I'll let them out. I just want them to learn that comings and goings they are exciting but we can still manage ourselves. And when the excitement settles down and they are able to control their impulses, then they can come out and it creates a much more calm puppy.

Speaker 1: 9:29

So there are a few tips for you. I know that's basically crate training in a nutshell. We have an entire crate training class. If you're interested inside of our program, it's included with your membership. We're also happy to answer any email questions you have or do one-on-one video or phone coaching sessions with you to answer your specific questions around crate training. All right, that's it for today. I hope you guys have a wonderful rest of your week. Happy training. If you have a question about anything you heard on this podcast or any other puppy training question, visit my site, backsterandbellacom to contact me.