Crate Games & Setup

Even if you do not plan on using a crate as part of your daily routine, your dog will most likely need to be confined at some point in his or her life, such as during or after veterinary treatment, including routine spay/neuter. If you do plan on using a crate as part of your housetraining, travel, or home containment setup, then it's even more important to create an early positive association through a series of games and low-stress setups.

Set up a crate with the door closed in the middle of a non-distracting training room. Let your puppy watch as you dice up delicious morsels of real meat. While she is begging around your feet, drop a single piece of meat into the crate. Let your puppy build up a little frustration before you open the door to let her in. Mark as soon as she steps in to take the treat that is already there, and scatter a few smaller treats into the crate. Introduce a release word, such as "okay", "release", "free", or "break", and toss a low-value treat, such as kibble, outside of the crate. Repeat.

Use a larger pen or puppy-safe playroom to confine your puppy for periods longer than one hour. Place your open-door crate into the pen with high-value chews, such as bully rings, tied to the inside. You can also scatter her kibble into the open crate for every meal, or place a filled KONG Wobbler weighted meal-dispensing toy into the back of the crate. This setup will entice your puppy to voluntarily spend time in the crate while forming long-lasting positive associations.