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Having a dog or a cat or any pet for that matter, there may come a time when you need to get them into a crate or enclosed carrier. Like with everything else, early familiarisation goes a long way in making the experience easy and enjoyable.

Crate training is not about locking up your dog but providing them with a safe, comfortable and calm space where they can retreat.  Creating this positive association with the crate will also be helpful for other situations such as for travel - if you must relocate countries, if your groomer or daycare centre transports by vehicle in a crate, hospitalisation or in the event of an emergency.

By making the crate seen as a secure, happy place for your dog to hang out, you can achieve the goal of preparing your dog for a less stressful experience, in case they need to be placed in an enclosed crate for those longer periods such as travel.

Dogs are naturally den animals and most enjoy being in small, enclosed places so a crate provides them that option giving a feeling of security, and when trained to use them from an early age, crates can help calm anxiety. The crate can be left open at home so your dog can go in and out freely whenever it feels the need for a private retreat.

STEP 1 – GET THE CORRECT SIZE CRATE FOR YOUR DOG

The most important consideration is to get the right crate size for your dog. Your dog needs enough room to sit and stand without touching the roof, to be able to lie down comfortably with room at the back, front and sides, in order to be able to stand and turn around within the crate.

For puppies, consider a crate that can be expanded or divided, so that as your puppy grows, the crate at its biggest is the typical adult size of your dog’s breed.

How to Measure your dog for the Right Size Crate:

With your dog standing, measure from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet to determine height. Next, measure your dog from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail to determine length. Add 3 to 4 inches to each measurement to calculate the height and length of the dog crate you’ll need.  Snub nosed breeds need 10% larger. Remember to factor in their bed placed inside the crate when getting the height right.

STEP 2 – CHOOSE THE RIGHT TYPE OF CRATE FOR YOUR DOG

There are four types of crates: the wire crate, the plastic crate, the wood crate and the soft crate. Decide first which would be the best for your dog considering the purpose for your crate training.

The Wire Crate – good for dogs who don’t like to be enclosed but prefer to see out. Fabric covers can also be placed over to give your dog extra privacy and beautify these crates. They are portable, can fold flat when need to travel and bring along with you or put into storage.  Make sure the wire crate you choose is easy to assemble, durable, safe (rounded edges), secure and easy to clean. Note: Wire crates are not IATA certified for travelling.

The Plastic Crate – good for dogs who prefer some privacy and for dogs who need to travel whether by plane or car.  When searching for a plastic crate, pick a crate that’s sturdy, durable, well ventilated, secured with bolts, a secure door and most importantly is airline-approved (IATA) if you plan to fly.  Check with your pet relocator if they recommend more sturdy ones that you cannot find in general pet stores. Plastic crates are easy to clean.

The Wood Crate – these are often custom made to IATA standards when traveling overseas for bigger dogs that do not fit in the typical IATA approved plastic crates.  They are pricier.  They can also be made as an attractive piece of furniture inside your home to blend in with your decor. They are heavier than other types of dog crates, and are harder to clean.

The Soft Crate - Soft fabric crates are ideal for small breed dogs who aren’t going to chew on the material. Many of these soft crates can also be used as travel carriers including in the cabin of a plane if the size and weight meets the airlines requirements. They are lightweight, easy to assemble and most fold down for storage.

STEP 3 – SET UP A COMFORTABLE COSY INTERIOR OF THE CRATE

All dog crates require proper ventilation holes or mesh fabric on the sides for your dog to breathe properly. Flat nosed dogs should have crates that are 10% bigger in size.

For dogs who don’t regularly chew on fabric items, place a cosy soft bed and their favourite Loyal.D Pet blankie inside to make it a more inviting space where they can retreat to during the day or night. Create an environment that is best for your dog, consider what type of surface your dog prefers to lie on the most. Do they have a favourite blankie, towel or toy etc?

Place the crate in an area of the home where they tend more to like to be and just leave it there for them to sniff and explore without forcing anything. 

STEP 4 – CRATE TRAIN WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET

The goal is for your dog to associate the crate with a relaxed mind so they will see it as a place to rest and will ultimately enjoy chilling out there. So, it is important to introduce them when they’re calm not when they are in the middle of playing or eager to get outside for a walk.

Some dogs will automatically walk into a crate and make themselves at home, while others can be more reluctant – this could be due to a bad experience or simply just unsure what it’s all about. 

Some dogs may take to the crate better with the top off so you may need to start by leaving the top off where they can walk in easily in their own time. (This would only apply to plastic crates) When you start to see them becoming more relaxed going into sleep on their own, then you can add the top to enclose the crate.

Start by bringing them in for a few minutes at a time and work your way up from there.

Never use the crate as a punishment.

STEP 5 – REWARD YOUR DOG AFTER THEY GO INSIDE THE CRATE

Making an enriching environment inside the crate for your dog will help build up the positive association.  Give your dog a treat when they are inside the crate, hide a treat inside a toy like a Kong toy or give them a chew – something that stimulates them and keeps them hanging out inside their crate for a longer period of time. Doing an enjoyable activity inside the crate will build up a positive association.

To build up more time spent in the crate you could start to feed their meal inside (place the bowl at the back of the crate) and eventually close the door so they get used to being fully enclosed. Observe how they are, after they have finished their meal sit outside the closed crate door offer some treats to keep them in for a little longer each time.

STEP 6: PLAY CRATE GAMES WITH YOUR DOG

Your dog should never see the crate as a negative place to be. One way to do this, is to use the crate as part of a fun game where your dog can go in and out at their own will. If your dog likes fetch, throw their favourite toy or ball in the crate or hide treats inside for your dog to find.

STEP 7: PREPARE YOUR DOG FOR SUCCESSFUL CRATE TRAINING

Once you see your dog is ready to spend more time inside the crate, which is important for dogs who will spend hours in a crate if they have to relocate countries, do this in gradual steps.  Don’t go out for 8 hours and leave them inside but start going to make a cup of coffee and come back. Then gradually build up where you leave the home to go for a short walk, a quick shop and always give a reward when you come back.  Using a remote dog camera is a great way to see what your dog does while you’re gone. Are they anxious or calm?

For those dogs relocating countries, help them get used to the sounds of an airport environment by playing these sounds while they are in the crate. In the video below can be seen Singapore Special Shiro in his crate being taken to the cargo area where the dogs wait in their crates until it is time to be loaded on the plane. More about his journey and his two other siblings move to NZ from Singapore in our upcoming blog.

Also, when having to go to the vet for the health checks to fly, transport them in their crate so they also get used to be transported in their crate by car. Do this when you go on outings too.

For crate training for dogs about to fly in cargo, at home keep the crate door open and attach the water bowl to the door so they get used to drinking from it. Freezing the water in the bowl is also a good way to ensure there is no spillage when they are about to fly so getting them use to licking from a frozen bowl of water is also a good practice. This of course will melt over time but helps to avoid spillage when flying.

STEP 8: BE PATIENT

Prepare yourself for at least six months of consistent crate training. There will be ups and downs since dogs aren’t linear learners, as they learn more from association, so as long as you stay calm, consistent and create positive associations and rewards with the crate - success will come!