The world seems to have regained its pre-pandemic pace—or at least the people in it have. Driving from place to place, I notice cars speeding past as if I’m standing still—even when I’m going 5 miles over the posted speed limit. In the grocery store, people rush through the checkout line as if aiming for a personal record. At restaurants, I watch diners gobble their meals in a way that reminds me of my dog, who’s genetically wired to inhale any morsel of protein in sight without savoring a single bite. I’ve even caught myself starting conversations with, “Things have been busy…” when asked how I’ve been. While not untrue, it’s a red flag about my own behavior and its impact on those around me. It signals that I’m likely trying to do too much, too quickly. When I spread myself this thin, I often fail to bring my “A” game to anything I do, or any interaction I have. I become less mindful, miss out on genuine connections, frequently run late, and often skip necessary steps just to get everything checked off my list.
Are you noticing the pace of your life picking back up? Does it feel like it’s moving even faster than before the pandemic?
One thing I’ve observed in myself is that when I rush, I regularly lose my patience. I believe this happens to many of us when we feel something is slowing us down. Our patience wanes, not just with people, but also with our pets. Skipping steps during training due to impatience can slow our pups’ learning or, in some cases, cause our furry family members to develop a fear.
A prime example from my dog camp experience this summer highlights the importance of patience in crate training—a crucial aspect of responsible pup parenting. During camp, there was a segment where the children would eat a snack and learn something new about dogs, either through an activity with the camp director or a guest speaker. This was a perfectly timed and necessary part of the program, allowing the pups to rest after mentally and physically engaging for a few hours. However, I quickly noticed that 25-50% of the dogs at camp hadn’t been successfully crate trained. Instead of relaxing, these pups experienced significant stress during the “relaxation” portion of camp.
Your dog’s brain has the same structures as yours, though the cortex is smaller with fewer folds, leaving them with less capacity for higher thinking. While our human brain processes tasks relatively quickly and approaches them from an intellectual perspective, dogs process them from a sensory perspective. This difference can make crate training challenging. It takes significant patience and effort for us to break crate training down into micro-steps that help a dog feel “comfortable and in control” when entering an enclosed space. Like many novel experiences during puppy socialization, moving too quickly can lead to frustration for both you and your pup, and risk turning the crate into a scary place rather than a secure den where your dog willingly rests.
Successful crate training is a critical component of pet parenting. Even if your pup doesn’t require kenneling at home, they will undoubtedly encounter situations where they need to spend time in a crate for their safety and others’. Veterinarians, groomers, trainers, and daycare/boarding facilities often use kennels to keep dogs from interacting with each other and to help them rest or recover. Following natural disasters, accidents, fires, or other emergencies, pets are often housed in crates. By patiently teaching your dog that crates are safe and secure places, you’re setting them up for a less stressful experience when they need to be kenneled in the future.
Below are the general phases of crate training. It’s good to remember that every dog is different, and observing your dog’s behavior during each phase is important. This can be particularly true for rescue dogs that may have negative associations with being kenneled. It is important that you never force your pup to go further into the crate than they are comfortable.
Introducing Your Pup to the Crate
Begin by placing the crate in an area of your home that you spend a lot of time, even if this isn’t its final location. Ensure the door is open and secured so it won’t hit or close on the pup as they explore. Place something comforting inside, like a soft bed or a familiar-smelling blanket. Allow your pup to investigate the crate. Some dogs may enter on their own, while others might avoid it entirely. For those eager to explore, calmly reward them and consider moving to the next phase of training. For those hesitant, celebrate any forward movement toward the crate, even if it’s just a step. You might need to use treats or favorite toys to encourage exploration, but remember to be patient and not rush their progress. Get creative in supporting their natural “denning” instinct.
Feeding Meals in the Crate
Once your dog is comfortable exploring or entering the crate, feeding meals or providing food puzzles inside or near the crate can strengthen positive associations. Eventually, you can place the food or puzzle as far back in the crate as possible. If your dog moves the food outside the crate, consider ways to tether the item inside. Watch for signs of stress and avoid forcing your dog to move faster than they’re comfortable with. Once your dog is comfortably eating meals inside the crate, close the door for a short period while they eat. After they finish, open the door. As you repeat this process, gradually increase the time they stay in the crate after finishing their meal, starting with 30 seconds or a minute and working up to around 10 minutes.
Lengthening Crate Time
Call your pup to the crate, point inside, and begin using a command you want them to associate with entering the kennel. Common commands include “Crate,” “Kennel,” “Kennel up,” “Go in,” “Inside,” “Go to bed,” and “Night-night.” The specific word is less important than using it consistently with the desired action. As they enter the kennel, praise them, give a treat, and then close the door. Sit quietly near the crate for a short time, then open the kennel and use a release word like “Okay” to let them out. As you progress, sit farther from the kennel and eventually out of sight, slowly increasing the duration each time. Repeat this several times a day until your dog can comfortably stay in the crate for about 30 minutes while you’re out of sight.
Crating Your Dog When You Leave
Once your dog can stay in their crate for 30 minutes while you’re home, start crating them for short periods when you leave the house. To prevent separation anxiety, vary the timing of the crating during your departure routine. Sometimes ask them to go into the crate 5 minutes before you leave, other times 15 minutes before, and so on. Keep your departure routine calm and matter-of-fact, avoiding prolonged or emotional goodbyes. Dogs sense emotion and will mirror your anxiety or sadness.. Similarly, when you return, calmly release your dog from the crate rather than expressing excessive excitement. This is one of the toughest parts of crate training, and I often struggle to follow through, but I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of keeping dog greetings low-key.
Crating Your Dog at Night
Use the same method to crate your dog at night. If you have a young puppy, consider keeping the crate in your room during this phase to help with overnight potty needs. As your puppy grows and can make it through the night without accidents, gradually move the crate to its intended location. Leaving the crate door open throughout the day so your dog can enter at will helps them to consider it their safe space.
Maintaining Crate Behavior
Once your dog is comfortable in the crate for extended periods, you can allow them more freedom outside the crate as often as you like. Like all habits, it’s important to occasionally practice crate training to maintain your dog’s comfort level when they do encounter a situation where they are in a crate.
Additional Crate Training Tips
If your dog whines in the crate, it may indicate you’re moving too fast for them, and you might need to return to an earlier step. It could also mean you’ve inadvertently rewarded them for whining by letting them out of the crate. It’s important to ignore whining and wait for a calm moment before opening the door.
Never use the crate as a punishment, as this will undo all the hard work you’ve put in to create a positive association. As a side note, most “lessons” learned through punishment are not what we intend our dogs to learn—but that’s a topic for a future blog!
(Note: The process detailed above is not suitable for dogs with separation anxiety. Those challenges require desensitization and counterconditioning. In this situation, working with a professional animal behavior specialist is recommended to prevent potential injury to you or your dog.)
Remaining patient during this process, especially when progress is slow, can be difficult. Here are a few tips to help you stay patient during crate training or any other socialization or training challenges with your pup:
- Schedule Time for Training: Trying to squeeze training into an already full schedule is a recipe for frustration. Hint: Shorter, more frequent training sessions can help prevent both you and your pup from hitting your limits.
- Shift Your Perspective: Try to see the experience from your dog’s point of view. Consider what they’re experiencing based on what they already know, reflect on their previous experiences, or analyze your own behavioral cues. It can even be helpful to get down on all fours and use your sense of smell as your primary sense for a bit.
- Celebrate Small Wins: No matter how small the success, end your session on a high note. If you’re struggling with a step, finish with something different that you know you and your pup can accomplish.
- Ensure Enough Play and Rest: No one functions at their best if everything is all about work and they don’t get enough rest.
- Take Breaks When Needed: If you or your dog are getting frustrated, it’s okay to stop and return to it later. Training is a process, and sometimes a break is all you need to reset and approach the task with renewed patience and energy.
If you’d like personalized guidance in creating a plan tailored to you and your dog, I’m here to help. Reach out at sue@wavelengthwellbeing.com for a FREE 15-minute consultation to see if my services are right for you.
