Sleeping in a cage seems unnatural and uncomfortable for we humans, but it’s actually very natural and comforting to dogs! Dogs are den animals and instinctively want to sleep in a small, cozy area. The great thing is that we can use that natural inclination as a tool to help with training a new puppy to understand their routine and boundaries!

The first thing to understand is that, although crates can work with natural instincts, a puppy still needs training for it. Crate training can take some time and a lot of effort, but once it’s established, you and your puppy will reap years of benefits.

Now, the crate needs to always be a positive, happy place for your puppy. Never use the crate as a punishment or for excessively long periods of time. Successfully crate training a puppy is all about teaching them to love their crate so they know it is a safe place for them to spend time in.

Setting up for success

Where you place the puppy’s crate and how you set it up will make a difference in the success of your training. The first question most people ask us is where to put the crate? Well, there are several factors to consider here.

Crate Placement

First, consider placing the crate close to the door that you’ll be taking the puppy outside to go potty. When a puppy needs to go, you need to act fast and being just a few steps from the appropriate potty place may save you a few messes.

Another thing to consider for crate placement is to place it somewhere where people will spend most of their time. Dogs are social creatures and they are the most comfortable around other living beings. If you place your puppy’s crate in an isolated room, they’ll get lonely and will resent the crate instead of appreciating it.

Putting the crate in your bedroom

Many people ask if they should put the crate in their bedroom and this is advisable with a young puppy so they don’t get lonely. They’ll sleep better at night with you nearby. However, consider what you would prefer your long term sleeping arrangements to be with your dog. If you don’t want them sleeping in your room ultimately, you will have to factor in extra training if you start with the puppy in your room.

Training a puppy to transition from sleeping in your room to somewhere else in the house isn’t too complicated, but it takes time. Basically, every night before going to bed, move the crate a few inches toward the door. Then, move the crate just outside the door of your bedroom and so on until you reach the final location you’d like for your puppy to sleep in.

Typically, a puppy should only need to sleep in your bedroom for a few weeks after moving to your home.

What if your bedroom is upstairs and you want the puppy to sleep upstairs at night and downstairs during the day?

This is fine to do as long as you are consistent with it. You may want to buy two crates so you don’t have to haul it up and down the stairs every day. I would also advise buying similar types of crates to reduce confusion.

Crate and Playpen

In addition to the crate, you may find it very useful to place a playpen around the crate for times when you won’t be home or can’t watch the puppy constantly.

Placing the crate inside the pen gives your puppy a definite sleeping space, which they’ll naturally want to keep clean. Next, put some puppy pads outside of the crate to give a definite pee space. You may also choose to place the puppy’s food bowl and water bowl as well as some toys in the playpen.

You should still try to train the puppy to go potty outside every opportunity you get since the playpen is a temporary training tool. To wean the puppy from the pen, gradually expand its borders until you are using the whole room instead of a pen.

Crate supplies

The crate should be a warm, comforting place for your puppy, and sometimes including a few special items can help your puppy enjoy time spent there.

The first thing you’ll want to include is bedding. It’s tempting to get a really fluffy bed for your puppy to snuggle into, but until you are sure he/she is potty trained, it’s best to use something small and washable. One of the worst things to have happen is for the puppy to have an accident in the crate and you not know it because it’s hidden in all the fluff. Then the puppy will get used to the smell and will think it’s ok to go potty in the crate. This causes a training nightmare down the road. The crate needs to be very clean and odor free at all times. 

For this reason, we prefer a white towel because it is obvious when it’s been peed on. The puppy will be perfectly comfortable on just a towel and you’ll be able to wash it easily.

Besides bedding, you may include a few special toys. We love the Snuggle Puppy because it simulates the heartbeat of the mom and is a huge comfort to the puppy. Try to limit the amount of toys to just one or two so the crate doesn’t become over crowded.

Giving your puppy something to chew one when they enter the crate is always a good reward and can help calm them down so they fall asleep. We usually use Bully sticks because they are safe for the puppy to chew on and last a long time. You can also use a stuffed Kong Toy or Lick mat.

Some people choose to cover the crate and this could help the puppy feel cozy and secure, however, you won’t be able to see the puppy from a distance which could pose a problem.

Finally, you may choose to give your puppy food and water in the crate to further establish it as a happy place to go to. There are special food and water bowls that attach to the side of the crate (just make sure they are placed low enough for the puppy to access easily). You should still have set meal times as this helps with potty training instead of allowing constant access to food.

The Crate Training Process

Now that we’ve gone over your crate set up and supplies, we’re finally ready to start talking about the actual process of training. The best time to work on crate training is when the puppy is tired out from a long play time and is ready to sleep anyway. Try to capitalize on daytime naps for crate training, since no one is in a good mood in the middle of the night.

Introducing the Crate

If your puppy isn’t familiar with a crate, you’ll need to introduce him to it in a positive way. Place the puppy near the crate and let him explore on his own first. Don’t just shove him into it or he may become afraid of it.

To encourage him to go into the crate by himself, place some treats inside the crate and use a verbal cue such as “Crate”, “Go Home”, or “Kennel Up”. If he goes in, leave the crate door open and let him come out if he wants.

Toss in some more treats and use the cue word again to encourage him to go inside again. Keep doing this until the puppy walks in willingly.

Closing the crate door

When the puppy is really tired or it’s meal time, cue him to go into the crate with a really great chew or his food bowl placed all the way in the back of the crate. If he goes all the way in, close the door behind him. When he is finished eating, or has lost interest in the chew, open the door up.

Do this again, but wait just a little bit longer to open the door.

Continue to increase the amount of time that the puppy sits in the crate with the door closed and you sitting next to him until he will sit in the crate happily for about 10 minutes.

If your puppy falls asleep in the crate with the door closed, sneak out of the room and let him have a great nap, though, this might not happen until after several training sessions.

Leaving the room

Once your puppy is able to sit quietly in the crate for about 10 minutes with the door closed, your next goal should be to leave the room while he sits quietly in his crate.

Start practicing this by giving him the cue to go in his crate and toss in a good chew or treat. Then close the door and leave the room for a minute or two. Return and open the door and let him know what a good boy he is.

Do this again, but wait a little longer. Continue this training by increasing the amount of time you leave by a few minutes each time.

Leaving the house

After your puppy is able to stay in his crate for 30 minutes or more without getting anxious or upset, you can start to leave him in the crate while you leave the house for short trips. Use your usual cue and treat to tell him to go into his crate and then leave the house. Don’t make it a long and prolonged farewell, but a matter of fact exit.

When you come home, try to keep things low key and quiet. Simply open the crate door and take him outside to go potty. 

Remember, young puppies cannot hold their bladder more than two hours and should never be left in the crate that long. If you need to leave for more than two hours, use the playpen with pee pads to give them a place to go potty when they need to.

Sleeping in the crate at night

Use your usual cue and treats to tell the puppy to go into the crate at night (make sure he’s gone to the bathroom first). He’ll probably need to go the the bathroom sometime during the night, so be ready to get up when he whines.

Troubleshooting

Even with the most diligent crate training, bumps, regressions, and issues will probably arise at some point. Don’t lose heart and keep working on it!

Whining

Most likely, a puppy will whine or cry in the crate at some point. He is either trying to get your attention or he needs to go to the bathroom. It’s up to you to figure out why he is whining.

First, make sure you are only putting the puppy in the crate after he’s already gone to the bathroom so you have plenty of time before he needs to go again. However, since some puppies seem to need to go constantly, you can test to see if he is whining because he needs to go by using your outside or potty cue word. If he gets really excited, then you can let him out to do his business.

If you’ve ruled out that he needs to go potty and find he is just trying to get your attention, the best thing to do is ignore him. Eventually, he’ll find out that his whining isn’t getting what he wants and he’ll stop.

Don’t yell at him or pound on the crate. This will make him fearful of the crate and, by addressing him at all, you’ve given him what he wants. 

If the whining and crying have become unmanageable, it could be that you progressed through the steps too quickly and need to go back to some more remedial crate training.

Spending too much time in the crate

If you expect your dog to spend all day in the crate while you are at work and then all night, you’ll encounter a multitude of problems, such as obesity, anxiety, and hyperactive. Dogs need to exercise in order to be healthy both mentally and emotionally. Puppies especially just can’t be expected to remain still for extended periods of time.

Conclusion

The crate can be a wonderful tool for training if used correctly. It does take some time and effort to get to the point of benefitting from it, but believe me, it is worth every second! Once you have a puppy that happily goes to his crate when you tell him to, you will be able to control different situations with him and keep your house a quieter, cleaner, happier place.