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Ask Pawfun’s Holistic Dog Trainer: Help! My puppy hates his crate!
By Anna Bettina Johnson
A Pawfun Blog reader asks: We have a four month-old Papillon. Is it normal for a puppy to go through fits and barking rants when crate training them? Is it something that changes with time or is it a breed problem?
Pawfun’s Holistic Dog Trainer, Anna Bettina Johnson, of Calling All Dogs says: Crates can be an invaluable tool for house-training, as well as a comfortable, safe place to leave your puppy during the day when he cannot be supervised. Some Puppies take to their crate right away & others need some help warming up to it. It’s important that you take the time to ensure your pup feels comfortable in their crate.
All good things happen here
Make sure that you never use the crate as punishment. Like I said before, this should be viewed as a comfortable, SAFE place for your pup.
Next, make sure that everything yummy & fun happens in the crate! You can toss a favorite toy in for your puppy to go in & fetch, or even small tasty treats.
Yummy treats happen here too
I also recommend that you feed your puppy in the crate. You can prepare the food & take it to the crate, place it inside, leave the crate door open & walk away. Let your puppy wander in on their own & eat the food. If he chooses to grab a couple of bites & run off with them, that’s okay too. Let him decide whats most comfortable.
Pull the crate out somewhere very visible when you are home with him & offer him a food reward any time he approaches the kennel, looks at the kennel, sniffs at the kennel or shows any interest at all. This will help him have a positive association with his kennel!
Calm Down Fido
One other thing I often recommend is a calming spray that you can use on the bedding on the kennel to help your pup relax. One of my favorites is Be Calm from Aspenbloom Pet Care. You would simply spray the bedding in your pup’s kennel lightly, let it dry before replacing it in the kennel. This can also help to ease stress from being confined in a kennel.
Good Luck!
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Tags: Anna Bettina Johnson, dog behavior, dog training
November 24, 2009
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RT @whatsnext Pawfun post by holistic dog trainer @happyhealthypup “Help! My Puppy Hates His Crate! [link to post]
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