Crate Training Your Pup? Here are our Top 5 Puppy Crate Training Tips to get your puppy to love its crate
Making sure your puppy is crate trained is one of the most important things you can do when you bring home your new pup – here are our top 5 puppy crate training tips to help with a smooth and easy transition for both you and your pup.
1) Make Your Puppy’s Crate Nice and Comfortable This is something that we stress because it really worked for us. A lot of different advice we read has said to not use beds, pillows, or towels because the puppy will soil them but we have found that our golden retriever puppy is much more apt to go in her crate when there are towels and pillows inside. Use old towels so you don’t risk them being ruined. When your puppy is older and out of the chewing phase you can invest in a nice bed or crate pad to make the crate super comfortable.
2) Introduce Them to The Crate Slowly Make the crate seem like the coolest thing ever to your puppy. Dork out and get super excited. Even go in the crate yourself or put an old towel or t-shirt in there with your scent. Don’t force them in the crate at first and allow them time to explore.
3) Have Special Toys & Treats Your Puppy ONLY Gets When They Are in The Crate This is something that has really helped us with crate training our golden retriever puppy, Kona. We have special toys and treats that she only can play with in her crate. The brand we recommend is Kong toys. This stuff is like puppy crack. Kona has a Kong puppy toy and a Kong teething stick. We also have the Kong puppy “Stuff’N” Easy Treat snack which is basically like puppy cheese whiz. She loves it. Is it bribery? Possibly. But when you need to leave and your dog won’t stop whining, it’s comforting to have a toy that will keep them happy and preoccupied for at least a few minutes while you are gone.
4) Leave the door to the crate open when your puppy is not in it. Puppies are naturally curious and if they can explore their crate at their own free will they are less likely to feel like they are being forced into their crate when the time comes.
5) Praise your puppy when they are being good in the crate. When they are being good and quiet, praise them. Golden retrievers love to please their owners and there is nothing they love more than praise. This will teach them to build on their good behavior and not whine and bark when they are in their crate. Reinforce good behavior with praise and nip the not so good behavior in the butt.
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