Shaping your dog to love his crate - Clicker Training Tutorial

[milkytrashy]

should i leave the crate door open on the first few nights of crate training?

my puppy kept barking when i zip up the door and leave him in there for more than 3minutes. (im using a soft crate). i've tried treats and all, he's doing fine if i give him treats but not when i leave him in.

[pamelamarxsen]

@milkytrashy When you leave him in there at night, where are you? I put my puppies right next to me, close enough that I can put my hand in the crate and pet the pup to let him know I am right there. I think that sometimes people put the dog in another room and then the dog is scared to be in there all alone. In the beginning, I think it is important to make sure the puppy is comfortable and feels secure. You need to build up his confidence & prevent sep. anx. The crate is a great tool!

[ty99999returns]

SHould you use the create while you sleep so it doesnt do a ruin stuff and pee and poop all over? my dog is trained only when someone is watching it it will ask to go outside. i adopted it.

[pamelamarxsen]

@ty99999returns The crate is great as a house training tool, good for dogs to like in case they have to travel in one, stay in hotels, if they need to be in one at the vet office, at agility or dog sporting events, and great when working with one dog the other dog can wait his turn in a crate. They are great to use for so many reason. I think I have a lot of information in the video description. :) Also great to teach a dog to be alone to prevent separation anxiety.

[ty99999returns]

@pamelamarxsen I agree the cage has many uses. I got a question, my dog breaths of me when im holding it or what ever. It really bothers me. i shot him everytime he breaths on me within the two second limit, why doesnt my dog catch on?

[pamelamarxsen]

@ty99999returns I am sorry, I do not understand the questions and what you mean by "I shot him everytime he breaths" Dogs need to breath, so I am not sure why that bothers you. Please explain. Thanks.

[ty99999returns]

@pamelamarxsen well you see my dog gets an electric shock every time he breaths on my face cuz im shot and it can get on me kinda.

[pamelamarxsen]

@ty99999returns You really should not use electric shock. It is a very cruel way to train your dog. :( Sorry to hear that you do that.

[1PigfartsHereICome]

@ty99999returns

Wait, you give your dog electric shocks?

[srrkartracer95]

We both have to work as that is the only way we can pay for our house. We've asked everyone we know if they can come over to let out our german shepherd and everyone says they don't want the responsibility. We cannot quit our jobs or work shorter shifts so we can avoide leaving Bella in the crate for long duration periods. So what are people supposed to do when your job wants you there for 8-10 hours a day as part of a normal work schedule????

[pamelamarxsen]

@srrkartracer95 I can totally understand that. My husband and I both work full time jobs, but I am lucky to work really close to home. Is Bella in the crate because you are worried she will chew up something or potty inside? You could try a playpen with her crate inside, so that she can go in the crate to sleep and out of the crate in the playpen area to move around. Or block off the kitchen to give her more space. Cant quit jobs w/ this economy! :(

[piantada]

Hi Pamela,

I have a 12 week old pup and I've been training for 5 days. The crate is the perfect size and I reward every time he goes in. But he doesn;t go in on is own or use it as a resting place with the door open. I have to encourage it and does not want to stay inside either. He cries for a 10 minutes and stops. I have to admit it has gotten better but I wonder if you have any ideas as to what I can do to 1) Make him go into his bed on his own and 2) stay with the door open. Thanks!

[pamelamarxsen]

@piantada check out my video on barriers. You can open the door slightly and click him for staying in and slowly build it to where the entire door is wide open and he will stay. Increase the duration slowly and make sure to release him when he is allowed to come out. Do a few seconds of clicking and treating him with the door wide open then release him, wait until he goes in on his own to start the game again.

[piantada]

@pamelamarxsen Thank you so much for responding so quickly! I will work on this and will let you know how all went.

'Thank you so much:))

[pamelamarxsen]

@piantada You are very welcome! Best of luck to you!

[dsostringbean]

I did this exact thing with my dog (although I broke the steps down even farther because Fi was very nervous).  It has only taken us 5 days for her to lay down and let me close the door!

[pamelamarxsen]

@dsostringbean I just watched your video! It was awesome! I love seeing dogs learn to love things they were afraid of. It is a great example of how wonderful clicker training is! I would love it if you posted a video response! :)

[dsostringbean]

@pamelamarxsen Thank you! I wanted to include the link to my blog so you could see how I broke the behavior down, but it won't let me post it :(

[pinquiwoolf]

Thank you soooo much for your help, you have no idea how much it's appreciated : ) It's really helpful to know about twix's first night. last night was second night with pup in crate and he was fussing a bit at first but before it escalated i sung him a lullaby and he calmed right down immediately : ) The things you have to do! not a sound all night long.

[pamelamarxsen]

@pinquiwoolf That is awesome news!

[pinquiwoolf]

sorry to keep banging on about this pamela but it'a a bit urgent. i asume that this whole process that you describe takes time. i think i have probably gone too fast through the stages. the thing is what do you do meanwhile at nights? if the dog is still not ready for the door to be closed and left at night. the little pup is in the bedroom at night and not alone but even so seems to panic being confined. any suggestions in the meantime whilst we're working on this? love the twix crate videos.

[pamelamarxsen]

@pinquiwoolf It does take time, but not usually that much. I did not have time to do any crate training with Twix and when we got home that first night, he slept in his new crate which was probably scary to him for the very first time. So, I put him on top of a end table right next to my face and when he was anxious, I would put my hand in the crate to calm him. I took him out often to go potty and he was frantic at times. But we got through that first night and it only got better!

[dibassett]

It is perfectly fine to crate your dog while you are at work if the dog gets a decent potty and stretch break after 4-5 hours, and gets a great exercise session each day.

[pamelamarxsen]

@dibassett I agree! I like 3-4 hours but it is pretty much the same... :0

[biggles8058]

why have a dog if you want to cage her why not get abird?

[pamelamarxsen]

@biggles8058 Dogs are den animals and usually love their crates. Crates are great training tools for potty training and teaching calmness. In my house I leave the crate doors open and my dogs can choose where they want to sleep at night or durning the day when they nap and most times will just go in their crate with the door wide open. They love them! Not to mention if you need to take your dog to the vet due to a serious injury or to stay over night, they will be use to a crate.

[pamelamarxsen]

@biggles8058 Crates are also wonderful potty training tools and when used properly dogs will love them. Crates should never be used for punishment. Dogs should never be in a crate all day. Mine sleep in them all night, but they choose to sleep there! They have our bed, dog beds, couches, etc.. and they choose to sleep in their crates. Just to answer your question.

[mayakanthineela]

Latin bridals here **busizz4me.info**

[bluepetmusiclover]

How do I teach a dog that "okay" means that the trick is over and he can get up?

[pamelamarxsen]

I will do a video on that! Great question!

Pam

[bluepetmusiclover]

Thanks so much. :)

[kabrhill]

This video looks great! I can't wait to get started. We just bought the crate yesterday. We have a Tibetan Terrier that has seperation issues. I am hoping that she won't associate the crate with leaving so that she will go in and love it there. I did watch the entire video. I beleive that if a person is interested in a topic they will watch it regardless of the amount of time. Imagine if you had cut off at 5 minutes!!!

[pamelamarxsen]

Thanks! I am happy you liked it! I do actually try to keep most of my videos under 5 minutes, but sometimes I just can't. The information is too important some times! Thanks again!

Pam, Isabelle & Bandit

[bordergirlsmom]

FANTASTIC! And what a great skill to have -- I love your last message about not misusing the crate-I am so sad when I see dogs that live in their crates especially high drive puppies ;-(

[canidkeeper11]

What are other options for managing your dog while at work all day? Fortunately (well... not really) I only work part time so Tripp spends most of his days with me playing or hanging out outside in the country. On busy days I take him to daycare for a few hours, however when I get a full time job I'm worried I will have to crate him. Daycare gets very expensive (if you're poor already) but he's just too young to leave unattended and free to roam the house. What do you do?

[kikopup]

This video is the best crate training video ever!

I love that Kiko my chi is crate trained, as I can bring her soft crate to the vet, and ask them to put it into their cages, she sleeps calmly and warmly in a place she feels safest, instead of shivering and scared at the vet.

[tehrenberg]

Great video Pam, you are so good at laying out the steps in a way that is simple, easy to understand! 5*

[pamelamarxsen]

Thanks Tracy, It really is hard to get in so much in such a short amount of time. However, I usually feel that if it is over 5 minutes that people will not watch it all. So, I try to keep it short and to the point. Thanks for the awesome comment! Hope all is well with you! Take care! Pam

[kikopup]

THE BEST CRATE TRAINING VID IVE SEEN SO FAR!

Great job Pam. I like the warnings at the end of the video> I have seen so many dogs with behavioral problems because of being left in a crate all day. My dogs LOVE their crates! Even my new puppy! Crates are soo useful! The best is when I take my small chi to the vet- I bring her in her soft crate, and then they put her crate inside their cage, that way she has her very own bed at the vet, and will actually sleep rather than freaking out

[pamelamarxsen]

Thanks Emily,

It really means a lot when you post such amazing comments! I know what you mean. It is so awesome when our dogs love their crate. Bandit still sleeps in his with the door wide open at night. Have a nice evening! See ya! Pam

[jaguarlover21]

hey what do u do for a one yr. old dog that is scared of all loud noises? I try comforting her,but shes just so scared,what should I do for her?

[pamelamarxsen]

I will send you my desensitizing video on noise. I demonstrated it with a vacuum sound, but it could be done with any noise and multiple noises. However, when you are working with desensitizing your dog to noises, work on only ONE noise at a time. The process could take a week or months. Take your time and make sure your dog stays under his threshold. I will explain this more in the video I send you. I wish you the very best. Please send me a message if you have more questions! Pam

[jaguarlover21]

thanks so much!!!!

[MiraLeibsteinCPDT]

Love the GSD trying to paw target the crate!

[pamelamarxsen]

Thanks, she really likes to see if she can make me click. She loves to work! She loves to learn! Have a great day!

[zsianz1]

great video again Pam, your channel is SUCH a resource for anyone who wants to learn about dog training. fabulous!!

[pamelamarxsen]

Thank you Sian! I appreciate your comment it really means a lot to me. I hope all is well with you and your pups! Love your latest vid on cleaning the eyes! He is really looking great!

[RikUSlaVeY]

great video. my dog rikku the eskie doesnt particularly like her crate unless theres a treat involved. yumi the chihuahua mix loves to go it and protect it, but comes outband doesnt like staying in it so i'll definately do what you did in this video ^^;

[pamelamarxsen]

Good for you! If you get to a point where you need help, just send me a message. Have fun training your pups!

Pam, Isabelle, & Bandit

[newbear95]

Great video! My dog loves her cage since she was small. :)

[MultiAnimalcrackers]

Excellent vid. I just love crates. They are great tools for teaching the dog; what are acceptable things to chew and when i go out you chew this and settle down until i get back. Nice calm behaivour achieved:)

Dogs love their crates when introduced correctly like in the video.

After a year of this learnt behaviour my dogs are then allowed free access to the house and crates go away. I have had no inappropriate chewing at all with my dogs:)

[Adipatus]

Very nice and humane!