If you visit a dog show, you'll see many dogs that are perfectly comfortable being confined to crates. They're resting, napping, or even showing interest in things going on outside their crates, but they are not whining, constantly barking or pawing at the door to get out. Wouldn't it be nice if your dog thought his crate was a delightful den instead of a dreadful dungeon?

The Benefits of Crate Training
The crate can become a safe refuge where your dog can feel comfortable even in uncomfortable surroundings. It can become his personal domain where he can find a quiet resting place to escape over stimulating or overwhelming situations. Your dog may even learn to associate it with travel, excitement and adventure when it is used consistently as a method of transport.

Crate training can make it easy and convenient for you to confine your dog for short periods of time, to assist with housebreaking, to transport and confine your dog while traveling, showing, or going to vet appointments, or to separate your pets at feeding time. It's no fun to have to pull your dog out from under the bed every time he sees the crate emerge from the closet!

Keep it Positive
If you want your dog to perceive the crate as a good thing, you must keep all associations with it positive. This means you should not confine your dog to his crate for long periods of time. If you must leave home for more than a few hours, confine your dog to a small, safe room or puppy pen that gives him enough space to move around.

Likewise, do not use the crate as a method of punishment. This will definitely give the crate a dungeon-like quality! But if you play with your dog in and around the crate, feed him in it and make it comfortable with bedding and toys, your dog will come to think of it as a delightful place to spend time!

How to Crate Train
The first step should be to purchase a crate of the appropriate size for your dog or puppy. The crate should be large enough for your puppy to stand, turn around and lay down comfortably. It should not be so large that the puppy can use a portion of it to do his duty. You do not want your puppy to get in the habit of soiling his crate, or it will not be much assistance in the process of housebreaking!

The crate should be placed in a quiet corner of a room that serves as the main hub of activity for your household. Soft, washable bedding should be placed inside and the door should be left open for your puppy to explore. To encourage your puppy to investigate the interior of his little "home," you can place treats or doggy toys just inside the door. As your puppy shows more confidence by putting his head inside without showing fear or apprehension, you can begin to coax him into the crate by putting treats or toys further inside. Do not force your puppy to enter the crate or push him too fast. Accepting the crate is something your puppy needs to do on his own terms, in his own time.

When your puppy willingly enters his crate, you can begin to issue the command kennel or crate each time he does it and reward him with a treat, toy, petting or praise so that he will eventually associate the command with his actions. Putting a chew toy or treat-releasing toy inside the crate may encourage your puppy to actually lie down in the crate and spend some time in it. When you puppy is showing this level of comfort in his crate, you can begin to shut the door for very brief periods of confinement.

To help with the transition to confinement, keep your pup busy while he's confined by providing a chew toy or feeding him inside the crate. As soon as he's done chewing or eating, open the crate door immediately. Eventually, you can leave the door shut for a few minutes after he's done and gradually increase the length of confinement time. To reduce the chance your puppy will fuss, you may need to leave the room. It is important not to release your puppy when he fusses, or you will be rewarding him for fussing when he is confined. When the puppy is quiet, you can return and release him.

The final stage of crate training involves leaving your puppy crated for an hour or two when you leave the home. Your puppy will be ready for this stage when he remains crated quietly for 15 minutes or more when you are present. Always make sure your puppy has a chance to relieve himself prior to crating, and that he has a favorite toy to keep him busy and happy. Coax your puppy into the crate while issuing the kennel command, and then leave quietly. Departures and returns should always be calm and businesslike. Fussing over your puppy before you leave may cause anxiety that can lead to behavior problems when your dog is left alone.

You do not want your puppy to associate the crate only with being left alone or he may begin to dread it. To avoid this problem, continue to play with your puppy around and inside the crate throughout the training process. Encourage your puppy to play, eat and sleep in his crate. Use the crate to transport your dog to the park for walks so he can associate it with wonderful things. He will eventually regard the crate as his personal, portable, cozy space, in which he will always feel safe and comfortable.