Allsorts Dog Training
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • DOG BEHAVIOUR TRAINING
    • 1:1 Dog Training
    • Stay and Train
    • Pro Applied Behaviour Training
    • Pro Canine Mentorship Program
    • Reactive Dog Program
    • Reactive Dog Course
    • Less Stress at the Vets
    • Loose Lead Workshop
    • Recall to the Whistle Course
    • Distance Safety Workshop
    • BREED WORKSHOPS >
      • Terriers Workshop
      • Herding Breeds Workshop
      • Gundogs Workshop
      • German Shepherds Workshop
      • Rescue Dogs Workshop
    • Behaviour Seminars >
      • Separation Anxiety Seminar
      • Territorial Behaviour Seminar
      • Reactive Dog Seminar
    • Webinars
    • Training & Behaviour Videos
    • Hosting Allsorts
  • Adoption Dogs
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • FACEBOOK

BLOG SPOT

A reading corner for all things Allsorts

Positive Crate or Bed Training

8/3/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's natural for many species to have a home, den or nest in their territory. It serves as a safe place to retreat to when feeling under threat or wishing to relax. So even with pet dogs, it is critical that they have a safe place of their own to retreat when they feel insecure. An indoor crate is the perfect solution. This is particularly important for anxious, fearful or insecure dogs, especially rescue dogs, and puppies. Many people also find them very effective in house training a puppy/dog quickly, helping them to feel secure when travelling, or for any dog that is rehabilitating after surgery.

BUILDING A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION
  1. Ensure your crate is big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in
  2. Position it in your home away from the main entrance or where visitors may frequent regularly but where the dog feels comfortable.
  3. Ensure it is snug, with comfy bedding and a blanket over the top/sides.
  4. You may wish to put a non-spill water bowl in there too.
  5. Spend time with your dog in the room where the crate has been positioned with the door of the crate open to get your dog more familiar with the new object.
  6. Place something with your smell (an old unwashed jumper) in the crate and any toys they like.
  7. With your dog on lead and the crate door open, using a portion of your dogs dinner and some tasty treats (cooked chicken) mixed in, guide your dog in to the crate by luring them in with the food and placing/throwing it on the base of the crate. Verbally praise them if they step in. DO NOT shut the door.
  8. Now guide your dog back out of the crate.
  9. Repeat this at least 6-12 times ensuring you verbally praise your dog heavily as they go in, releasing more food if they get their whole body in to the crate.
  10. Give your dog a break for at least 20 minutes.
  11. Now repeat steps 6-8 but this time say ‘ON YOUR BED’ as you guide them in to the crate.
  12. Repeat step 10-11 but this time close the crate door behind the dog and continue dropping food in to the crate through the top, keeping the dog is in there for at least 10 -15 seconds.
  13. Now repeat step 12 but increase the length of time the dog remains in the crate with the door closed and drip feed food through to them over the period of time.
  14. Now repeat the exercise throughout the day to encourage your dog to go ‘ON YOUR BED’ on command, guiding them with the lead if necessary.
  15. Every dinner time they should be fed in their crate
  16. Any high value rewards (e.g raw bones/leftovers) should only be fed in their crate.
  17. We advise they sleep in there at night and any whining/attention seeking barking must be ignored completely unless you feel there is a desire for the dog to go to the toilet, which you'll know if you take it outside and it goes to the toilet.
​It is important that the dog understands that their crate is their ‘safe zone’ in their house where nobody, except the people it fully trusts, will approach them. It's the perfect way to teach children about giving a dog space too as it's very visual for them to understand.
If your dog at any stage seems anxious, fearful or reactive to anything, then you need to immediately guide them on lead (do not drag them by their collar) to their crate. Reward them verbally followed by a food reward if necessary. Once the ‘threat’ has passed which you have dealt with, and only when the dog is calm and relaxed, can the dog come out of the crate. This will help the dog understand that you deal with any threats and not them which is much safer for all.

The 'On Your Bed' training is invaluable for any dog and something we recommend you teach them, whether using a indoor crate or any dog bed.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Articles created by the team at Allsorts Dog Training, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

    Our Library

    All
    10 Things You Wish You Knew Earlier
    7 Reasons Recall Goes Wrong
    Advice For Summer
    Anticipation Is Prevention
    Any Dog Can Bite
    Appeasement Behaviours In Dogs
    A Problem With Poo
    Ball Play For Another Day
    Before The Cry For Help
    Bella's Bull Blunder
    Bella's Park Scare
    Cafe Dogs
    Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy
    Confidence Building
    Crate And Bed Training
    Digging Dog
    Dog Obesity
    Dogs Are Not Robots
    Dog Sports
    Doing Nothing Is Something
    Don't Give Up On Training
    Double Standards
    Fireworks Season Tips
    Give Yourself A Break
    Home Alone
    Interspecies Introductions
    Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
    Life On The Lifestyle Block
    Living With A Thief
    Long Lasting Chews
    Moving House
    Multidog Home Management
    Multidog Playtime
    Not Just Your Dog Trainer
    Outsourcing Is Okay
    Possessive Dog
    Predictability Is Stability
    Puppy Biting
    Puppy Development Stages
    Pups And Kids Tips
    Rainy Day Toileting
    Raising Kids And Dogs
    Rescue Dog Rule Of 3
    Silent Communication
    Sound Desensitisation
    Territory Manager
    The Beginners Bubble
    The Do's And Don'ts Of Training
    The Magnet Effect
    The Swiss Cheese Model
    'They'll Be Fine.'
    Three Pillars Of Happiness
    Time To Tune In!
    Too Much Freedom
    Trigger Stacking
    Trust Bank Account
    Trust Your Gut
    Undereducated And Underpaid
    Understanding Your Teenage Dog
    Waiting Until The Last Minute
    We Are The Aliens
    We Don't Need To See It To Believe It
    Wet Weather Walking Alternatives
    What Is A Marker?
    What Is A Toy To A Dog?
    Where To Start With A Reactive Dog
    Winter Considerations

    RSS Feed

Home

About

Dog Training

Blog

FAQs

Contact Us

© COPYRIGHT 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • DOG BEHAVIOUR TRAINING
    • 1:1 Dog Training
    • Stay and Train
    • Pro Applied Behaviour Training
    • Pro Canine Mentorship Program
    • Reactive Dog Program
    • Reactive Dog Course
    • Less Stress at the Vets
    • Loose Lead Workshop
    • Recall to the Whistle Course
    • Distance Safety Workshop
    • BREED WORKSHOPS >
      • Terriers Workshop
      • Herding Breeds Workshop
      • Gundogs Workshop
      • German Shepherds Workshop
      • Rescue Dogs Workshop
    • Behaviour Seminars >
      • Separation Anxiety Seminar
      • Territorial Behaviour Seminar
      • Reactive Dog Seminar
    • Webinars
    • Training & Behaviour Videos
    • Hosting Allsorts
  • Adoption Dogs
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • FACEBOOK