Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Introducing the Dog to the Crate
• Part 2 of 3: Learning to stay in a longer cage
• Part 3 of 3: Dealing with Bad Behavior

You may have heard that it’s impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, but it’s not. Despite the fact that adult dogs are a little more stubborn and sometimes they need to forget some of their usual behavior, an adult pet can be successfully trained to a crate, so that he will not bark or howl in it. First, try to understand your dog's mindset, find the right stimuli for it, and help it adopt the proper behavior to start using the crate effectively.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Introducing the Dog to the Crate

1. 1 Place the cage in a permanent place. This will help the dog understand that this particular place is his own place where he can feel comfortable. Place the cage where you spend a lot of time, such as in a gym or in your own room.
2. 2 Place a towel or blanket in the cage. The softer the litter, the better. Open the cage door and let your dog explore the crate for his own pleasure before locking it there. Dogs are naturally curious, and some of them start sleeping in the cage right away.
3. 3 Make your cage tempting with a treat. Encourage your dog to enter the crate on its own by dropping treats next to it. Then place the treat directly at the entrance to the cage. Finally, start tossing the treat deep into the cage itself, away from the door. If at first the dog refuses to go completely inside the cage, be patient and do not force it.
   • Continue tossing the treat into the crate until the dog calmly walks into the crate to eat. At first, do not lock the crate behind the dog when he decides to eat.
   • Choose a treat that your dog really likes. Despite the fact that some dogs are delighted with any food, some of them prefer especially tasty treats more. A good treat is usually something bacon-based.
4. 4 Make the cage attractive and without treats. Crate training is best done with a treat, but if you think you are overfeeding your dog, there are other ways to crate training. Take your dog to the crate and play or simply talk to him in a cheerful tone of voice. Make sure the cage door is open and locked beforehand so it doesn't accidentally hit or scare your dog.
   • Similar to a treat, try tossing your dog's favorite toy into the crate.
5. 5 Start feeding the dog in the cage. After your pet is first introduced to the crate, try feeding it in or near the cage. So the dog will have a positive associative relationship between the cage and nutrition, from which it will begin to relate to it with great confidence.
   • If the dog still refuses to enter the crate, place a bowl of food directly at the entrance to it. With each feed, gradually move the bowl further into the cage.
   • Once your dog is comfortable eating in the crate, start locking the door for the feeding period while the pet is engrossed in food. The first time, unlock the crate immediately after the dog has finished eating. Leave the cage locked for a little longer with each feed until you increase this time to 10–20 minutes after completing the feed.

Part 2 of 3: Learning to stay in a longer cage

1. 1 Motivate your dog to enter the crate regularly. Once you have effectively introduced your pet to your crate, you can start locking it in it for short periods of time while you are at home.Call the dog to the cage and give him a treat or give the command to go inside (for example, it could be the phrase: "Into the cage!"). When giving commands, be sure to speak in a firm, imperative tone of voice.
   • Sit silently next to the cage for 5-10 minutes, and then go to another room for a few more minutes. Come back, sit down again for a short time, and then release the pet from the cage. Repeat these steps several times a day, gradually increasing the time the dog stays in the cage.
   • Once your dog learns to sit quietly in the cage for about half an hour with your predominant absence in his field of vision, you can start leaving him alone in the cage when you leave the house for a short time, or let him sleep there at night.
2. 2 Start locking the dog in the cage when you leave the house. Once your dog has learned to sit quietly in the cage for half an hour without any anxiety or rampage, you can begin to lock it up for a short time when you leave the house. Don't make your departure an emotional or protracted event by telling your dog that you are leaving him alone and making him anxious. Just give a short compliment to the pet that enters the cage, and then quietly and quickly leave.
   • Encourage your pet to enter the cage with his usual command and give a treat. You can also leave him a couple of safe toys.
   • Vary those routine moments when you lock your dog in a crate and leave the house. Although it is necessary to avoid long-term confinement of the dog in the cage, it can be locked up 5-20 minutes before you actually leave.
   • When you get home, don't reward your dog's excitement with your enthusiastic greeting.
3. 3 Leave your dog in the crate overnight. Introduce your dog to the crate with your familiar command and treats. It may be a good idea to initially place a dog cage in your bedroom so that your pet stays with you while you sleep and does not see the crate as a means of social isolation.
   • Once the dog has learned to sleep peacefully in the cage all night without howling or barking, it will be possible to gradually move the cage to a more suitable location.

Part 3 of 3: Dealing with Bad Behavior

1. 1 Wean your dog to howl and bark in a cage. If your dog whines, howls and barks in a crate at night, it can be difficult to know if he wants to use the toilet or is just demanding to be released. If the dog is only trying to get out of the cage, he will probably be silent after a few minutes.
   • If the howling continues for more than a few minutes, use the command with which you usually take the dog to the toilet, for example: "Take a walk!" If the dog responds to the command and it evokes an emotional response in him, take him outside. Remember that in such a situation, you cannot reward the dog with play time and long walks.
   • Never give your dog a treat when it whines, otherwise it will howl every time it wants to feast on.
   • Never hit or kick your dog (not even lightly). This is offensive to the animal and the dog may develop anxiety or depression. Shaking the cell and screaming also cause anxiety and only create problems.
2. 2 Teach your dog to chew on the bars of the cage. Attempts to gnaw through the rods of the cage are perfectly normal for an anxious dog trying to get out, but they are bad for the pet's teeth and often annoy the owner. The fight against this behavior should be started with the help of the obedience commands that you have already learned with your pet. Try to say in an imperative tone of voice: "Ugh!" Repeat this until the dog turns its attention to you.
   • If verbal disapproval doesn't work, try a different method. Some dogs see verbal punishment as a kind of reward, since they still get the attention of the owner. For this reason, such punishments may be ineffective.
   • Place something else in the crate for your dog to chew on, such as a rubber toy or bone.
   • Try spraying the cage rods with Bitter Apple Spray. This is a special spray that is safe for animals and leaves behind an unpleasant taste that prevents attempts to nibble and lick the cage rods.
3. 3 Prevent the development of separation anxiety. Do not use the crate to combat separation anxiety in your pet. Potentially, the dog is capable of injuring itself while trying to get out of it. It is necessary to adequately prepare the pet so that he learns to remain alone for a while.
   • If you are going away for a few days, ask the person who will feed and walk the dog for you to also play with it (preferably long enough to wear out the animal and force him to sleep after he leaves). This will help reduce your dog's anxiety.
   • Try turning on the radio or TV for your dog so that he thinks that someone is at home. This will help her feel calmer.
   • Seek help from an animal behavior specialist if necessary.