Cage Training

Hi Guys,

Well, 8 week old Chloe is settling in really well and is so cheeky, playful and a general joy to have

Apart from the rare accident, she is doing her 'toilets' outside when I take her. My question is:

I've just got a crate and would love some pointers/steps to help me help her. All advice is welcome as it's been such a long time since we had a puppy

Are we supposed to use it even when we don't need to?

Do we keep the door open at night?

Do we just put her bed and a teddy in?

The questions are endless!!

P.s. I will upload pics once I know how to do it

I haven't used a crate so I'm no help there! Hiya and welcome to the forum though, and looking forward to some pics

no i dont use a crate either. i always wondered what they were actualy for

Hi, Rocky goes in his crate when he "Wants to be alone ". He uses it as his little haven away from it all. He feels safe in there. He used to sleep in it at night, that was before he discovered a super king size bed in our bedroom.

as above i find them invaluable in the destructive puppy stage on a night
least you know they are safe when out as iv found electric cables had a certain atraction when mine was younger.
when there older the choice is yours whether to leave the door open during the night.

We used a crate for Billy when he was small. At night we made half into a bed and the other half into a toilet with newspaper, we put a toy in there for him to play with and locked the cage at night. You know that they are safe and will not bite any wires or anything.

During the day we kept it open and he would go in when he wanted a sleep or to get away from it all. We closed it during the day if we went out to the shops etc

Hope this helps

kathytake2 wrote:Hi, Rocky goes in his crate when he "Wants to be alone ". He uses it as his little haven away from it all. He feels safe in there. He used to sleep in it at night, that was before he discovered a super king size bed in our bedroom.

So should we be doing half bed/half loo, do you think, especially as we are only just starting to use it . . ?

P.S. I'm Mrs Chalky

I'd never used a crate before I got Dempsey - now I wouldn't be without one! Dempsey was (still is) a serial chewer! Anything that would fit between his teeth was fair game.

I used the crate (closed) at night & when he was left alone for any reason (shopping etc), and during the day it was left open for him to use as he liked. I've got 3 sides covered with an old curtain so that it's nice & snug & private for him. It's his den.

When I thought he could be trusted I started leaving the door open at night, and then later on during the day when he was on his own. I think it saved an awful lot of damage, and possibly some injuries.

I never seperated his crate into bed & toilet, though. I made sure that he was given the opportunity to relieve himself before he went to bed, and as my oh is on permanent early shift I'd get up at about 4am to let him out into the garden. Then I'd play with him to tire him out & he'd go back to bed quite happily.

Make sure it's comfortable & private (drape a curtain over it or some old material for privacy & to keep out draughts) & put a toy or two - indestructible ones of course - in there for her.

To get her used to it, once it's got a bed in it etc, just throw some treats or a toy in there and say "Go to bed", nice and cheerfully & she'll soon get the idea. Always make it a nice place for her to be - try not to use it as a punishment for bad behaviour.

had s taffs for 25 yrs never used a crate untill we got billy 3 yrs ago and cant believe how good there are kya is crate tained already leave the door open and they go in and out as they please .

Crates are great. They let your dog feel safe and let you not worry.

She seems to sleep ALL day too . . no wonder she's awake all night

We use a crate with Ty. He's 13 weeks now. Used it from day one. We leave the door open during the day so he can go in if he wants to be alone and we close it of a night and if we go out. He also has a big cushion in the lounge that he "lays down" on when we are home. We did have it half bed half wee mat but he never used it, just chewed it up, so we took it out. He goes to bed with his chew and his "mickey mouse" toy that the kids gave him. Good luck, hope this helps.

That's the thing with pups. They play hard & then sleep hard!

This has all been really helpful for me too, also considering crate training, just hope its not been left to late because not been done from the start!!

I'm also attacted to the idea because it means i can take him to stay places with me and Mum might be more willing to take him if required if he comes wiht his own little house!

I have a quiestion!! How big a crate do you use? i know they need to be able to turn around, but is a slightly bigger one than that better, or one that a snugger fit, shall we say?

mine is 42" by 28" and 28"high he loves it and got loads of room to stretch out in

Mine's just big enough for Dempsey to lay on his side, and to get up & turn around without his head hitting the top! I know that some people like to have a bigger crate, but Dempsey, nowadays, is purely for his den & he seems to like the 'closeness' of it.

Bella is in the crate most of the time as she loves it, she has been in it all night from a pup with only 2 days of whining and then it stopped. Put a throw or blanket over it as it makes them feel more secure. As a rule I have always used a crate with no bad side effects and I cant speak highly of them, but it is down to personal preference.

I have two crates, the only time i use them is when no one is in the house as i won't leave them together un-supervised, but they sleep upstairs with us.

I did use it more when Harvey was a pup it helped with toilet training and stopped him chewing up the house.

Hi there, looks like you've had some great advice already but I thought I'd put my 2 cents in about crate training.

Our basic technique was this:

After puppy eats or drinks, put them in their cage (hopefully you are giving puppy 3 meals a day). After 30 minutes, take them directly outside and keep them out their until they do their business. When they do, give praise (but not too much! going "happy-nuts" at your puppy might distract or confuse them a "good boy/girl" will suffice).

Until puppy reaches around 3 months (or until potty training is complete), keep taking them out every hour or so. If you ever have to leave them home alone for any length of time, put them in their cage. At bedtime, cage. Puppy stays in all night. This will prevent accidents, as dogs never want to go to the toilet where they stand. Make sure you take them out before bed and first thing in the morning. Remember - puppy bladders can't hold it for long! Soon puppy will ask to go out to do their business (standing by the door, whining, staring at you - all dogs have different ways of sending us messages ).

Another note - when puppy has accidents (and they will happen!) clean the spot THOROUGHLY. Boiling water, professional scent remover, etc, over and over until every trace is gone.

Here are some good articles from the web:

http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/puppy-crate-training.html

http://www.dogs-101.biz/crate-training-puppies-%E2%80%93-crate-training-schedule-and-process/

http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html

Hope this helps, best of luck to you!

Wow, thanks for the detailed version - it works best for me

I think me & Chalky will give that a try, so when you say put her in her cage, i'm presuming your meaning lock her in?

She has been doing little wee's in her cage past 2 days - could she be marking her scent ?

I'll look at those articles later, once little darlings (kids) are in bed!

Hi MrsS,

Yes, shut her in the cage. You can give her something to chew on to make her more comfortable.

As for her peeing in her cage - marking is a hormonal thing and young puppies don't usually mark scents. How big is the cage? It should be large enough for her to stand up and turn around comfortably, but no more than twice as big as her length-wise (that way she can't pee in one corner and go to the other).

We used a cat carrier for our staffy pup during potty training and until around 12 - 15 weeks of age!! It was the only thing small enough. Picked one up for about 20 quid at pets at home.

Just make sure to clean her cage out thoroughly and that there is no trace of scent left from her doing her business in there.

Glad to be of help, good luck!! Let us know how it's going

Bumbing this back up cos i got the crate and am trying it! iwanted to waittill a bit longerafter op but hes being distructive again!

was good when he first went in,then started whining and yelping. calmed down and i took him out. Left the dooropen with treats in the crate and round it so he couild go in and out. Put him in again, and it was horrific! so noisy trying to get out, even tho i put his toys in with him.

calmed down soi let him out. nowhes happilyon the floorchewing his nylabone, its like, why cant you do that in your housey!?!?!


Im gonna try him in and out agian a few more times tonight,but what are the opinions on bed time?? isit too soon to put himinthere over night or is it a good way to get himuse to it??

(my spacebar is being silly by the way, sppologise!)

Hi Loubop,

Yes I can understand it's probably more difficult to integrate a crate to an adult dog who isn't used to it as opposed to an impressionable puppy

The most important thing to remember when putting him in his cage is to create a positive association with the cage, and not to lock him in until he feels totally comfortable. This might be a bit time consuming, but worth it in the end.

Try this: Make him go in, and use the "stay" command to make him stay put. Stand or sit there next to the kennel making sure he stays in. If he stays calm during this, give him some affection as a reward. After about 5 minutes or so, or when he lays down on his own or gives a big sigh (signalling relaxation!) reward him with a chew toy or treat. When he starts enjoying the toy or treat, shut the door for about 5 seconds (not locking it) and then open it again - still making sure he stays in. If he doesn't react badly to the door being shut, reward him with another treat. (Better still to reward him WHILE the door is shut, through the cage, creating a positive association with the shut door). Gradually work up to shutting the door for longer, eventually locking the door, all the while rewarding with treats. This might take a couple or a few days, but keep the cage a positive thing and end the exercise in a reasonable amount of time before he gets too frustrated or bored with it

Another note: It's best to do this when he's tired, such as after a walk. Also, NEVER use the cage a a punishment, as this will create a bad association

After he's used to the kennel, go back to the original crate training plan I posted earlier in this topic.

As I mentioned in another topic on this forum, we are currently getting our furry son used to an aircrate as he will be spending about 12 hours in one in a matter of weeks! Getting him to stay in all night is quite a task, as he hasn't done this since his crate training as a pup. So I know what you're going through!!

Best of luck, keep us posted!!!

Thanks for the tips!!! The traing has been put on hold for a bit because he still has to keep his buster collar on. Hes still so swollen that the vet gave me sedaties for him! I haven't notived a difference tho,lol, still hyper as usual.

Got the crate up in the living room and hes beeg going in and out wiht encouragement,putting toys and treats in it, got the door closed for a few seconds and he was ok,but quick onthe exit ( obv done when supervising without collar, but cant really put himin and expect himtosettle with it on!)

So hopefully if all good after et on friday can spend weekend working on it!

Wowza,he getting to go on a plane!! what a lucky boy!!!