Crate Training 101

I remember a time well before my dog training days when I drove across the country, dropped off my two Shar-Peis in our new apartment, and went out to lunch. I returned to shredded door frames - something that neither dog had ever done before. I was mystified. The next day I went out and bought two big crates, then brought them home and put them each in a crate and left for a short period of time. Of course, I didn’t ask my dogs to compare their idea of a “short period of time” to mine, and apparently we didn’t agree, because I returned about an hour later to bent bars and bloody mouths. That was the end of our crate training venture.

Fast forward about 5 years and I brought home Gordo, the wild little Labra-Pei who wasn’t potty or chew trained. I did things a little differently with this pup - I fed him his meals in his crate, gave him special treats and toys in there, and made a point of putting him in his crate and staying in the same room. This pup learned to love his crate, and we’ve never had a problem with anxiety about being left alone.

This picture was taken a few days ago of Gordo and one of the other resident mutts in my home, Miles. These guys love going in their crate because the crate is a magical place where peanut butter filled kongs appear!

I’ve seen dogs who happily prance to their crate and wait for a special treat - here’s a shout out to Fez & Fiona! I’ve also seen dogs who have to be practically forced into their crates, and that breaks my heart. A crate isn’t a prison - it’s not something that should have to be reinforced with clips and ties and random objects so that it’s secure enough that your dog can’t escape. It’s simply a quiet place for him to hang out and relax until you get home, or until someone from the wonderful Mutton Chops team comes to take him for a walk!

If you'd like some help crate training your pup, contact Mutton Chops for more information!