By Jordan Horak

I strongly dislike confined spaces. I don't like sitting three across in the backseat of a vehicle, I like to have plenty of elbow room at the table, and I can't understand why spelunking is a thing that some people enjoy. I think it's likely that the majority of you can relate to these sentiments; so when we bring a new puppy home, it's easy to think that our puppy has the same feelings that we do about confined spaces. I've met plenty of dog owners that don't even own a crate; or if they do, it's tucked away in storage, unused. While it may seem virtuous to have never introduced our dogs to a crate, I'd argue that we're actually doing them a disservice by not making a crate a part of their accommodations from the first day we bring our dogs home.

Crates have many benefits - they are a place where your new puppy can rest and avoid stimulation; they make potty training easier; they make travel safer; and even for an adult dog, sometimes crate time is useful at home. But, if your puppy throws a fit, or your adult dog flat-out refuses to go into a crate, you're likely going to avoid utilizing this useful tool. For that reason, when I bring a puppy home, crate training starts from day one. It's not difficult to do, but I think it's the first "skill" that every puppy should learn.

After introducing hundreds of puppies to crate training, I've learned a few tricks that you might find useful. Crate training doesn't take a lot of skill on the human's part; but there are definitely a few things that will make it easier to do and leave you feeling like maybe you can do this dog training thing! In no particular order, here are several ideas for you to consider as you tackle crate training your new puppy.

WATCH: PURINA Sporting Dog Shorts — Crate Training

Use a Towel

Crates are great because they take away distractions and allow the puppy to shut it down and relax. However, if the puppy still has a full visual of the distractions, often it's hard for them to calm down in the crate. You can alleviate some of this by putting the crate in an out-of-the-way place, and that certainly helps; but the most effective way that I've found to help puppies relax is to simply put a towel over the crate. It's similar to closing the blinds when you are going to sleep - the towel blocks out light and diminishes noise. Your puppy will appreciate the more cave-like feel of the crate, and will likely calm down much more quickly than they would have otherwise.

Take Advantage of Feeding Time

I've seen a lot of adult dogs that seem to think the boogy man lives in the back of their crate. This is generally a learned behavior - maybe they were forced into the crate when they were younger, maybe it's completely unfamiliar, or maybe they have some other negative association with that space. In any case, it can be extremely difficult to get an adult dog past this aversion to the crate. This means that we want to make sure that our puppies create a positive association to crates early on in their lives. One way that I often do this is by giving them their meals inside of their crate. This is an easy way to give them a positive association with the crate; and as a bonus, it also makes them into better eaters since they aren't nearly as likely to get distracted while eating in a crate.

Setting up for Success at Bedtime

I rely on a crate heavily at night time, especially with a young pup. Since I'll be sleeping, it's impossible to give the puppy supervision; so the crate keeps the pup safe and helps it sleep. Nighttime is the longest stint that my puppy will be in a crate, so it does require a little forethought. I try to make sure that my puppy eats at least three hours prior to the time that it will go into the crate for the night, and I shut off their access to water an hour or two prior. This ensures that they aren't going into the crate with a full stomach or bladder, both of which will no doubt cause a disruptive night. It is important for puppies' bodies that they have access to fresh, clean water, so I want to make sure I'm not depriving them; but at the same time, if I allow them to go to bed with a full bladder, I'm not doing them any favors either. There is definitely a balance here, and each puppy is different; but at the very least, make sure they don't gulp down a bunch of water minutes before bedtime. And if they're having trouble staying clean at night, you may benefit from increasing the time between feeding/drinking and bedtime.

I also want to make sure the puppy is relatively tired prior to going into the crate at the end of the day. I don't want to make it hot and thirsty (see the prior paragraph), but generally if they can be out playing with the family and getting some stimulation immediately prior to bedtime, it will make it easier for them to sleep longer and more quietly in their crate at night.

Utilize Short Stints

The big question I often hear is how much time can a puppy be in a crate during the day. This question is particularly relevant to families that have busy work and school schedules. While nighttime is going to be the puppy's longest stint in the crate, I'll also periodically use the crate throughout the day. It might be immediately prior to or following a training session (I like to make sure they are eager to work when I am training; and after training, I want their brains to have a chance to index what they learned); it might be while I'm on a call; or while I'm running an errand. Although I can't tell you how much time YOUR puppy should be spending in a crate, I think it's important to think of the crate more as a tool than as a solution for a busy lifestyle. Puppies need to be out playing, learning, and enjoying life. If the crate is used intermittently for short stints throughout the day, it's likely your puppy will grow to like the space as a place to recoup and relax. If they're spending inordinate amounts of time in the crate, it's much more likely that they'll develop an aversion to it.

Don't Reward Noise

Nobody likes it when a dog is noisy in a crate. Often, I see owners inadvertently encouraging this behavior - their puppy verbally protests being in the crate, and they let the puppy out so that it will stop the noise. Inadvertently, they have just taught the puppy that they can get out of the crate by making noise, and this lesson is typically never forgotten. Instead, I want to make sure my puppy hasn't made noise in the crate for at least 30 seconds prior to when I let them out - this ensures that they don't make a connection with noise and the door opening. If they're having trouble being quiet, use the towel trick, or stand next to the crate as long as necessary for them to stop the noise.

Use the Right Size Crate

Big crates don't help a puppy calm down or stay clean. Instead, my puppies typically go through two or three crate sizes in their lifetime. I start with a small crate that may only last for a month (they grow quickly in the first few months of their lives!); then, if they are doing a great job staying clean and quiet in that crate, I switch to a more adult-sized crate. However, if at any point they start having issues with making a mess, I may move them down to a more intermediate size to make it easier for them. Regardless of the age or size of the puppy, I always want them to have room to stand up and turn around; but I don't want them to feel like they have room to have an accident in the back of the crate and sleep in the front.

Use the Right Type of Crate

There are a lot of crates on the market, and the choices can be a bit overwhelming. I'm not sure there is a "best" crate out there for every situation; but generally speaking, I like to use crates that are molded plastic on the sides/back/top. This helps to give the crate more of a "den" feel, and I believe it makes it easier to relax; it also makes it easier to block out light with a towel. Crates constructed exclusively from wire are great for airflow and they do have their place, but I don't think they help the puppy feel as secure. That being said, there's no doubt that every puppy is different, and yours may do just fine in a wire crate.

Don't Overthink It

When I brought home my first puppy and heard about "crate training," I was led to believe that it was a big deal and difficult to do. Really, it's not. Just make it a part of your daily routine, don't reward noise, do your part to set your puppy up for success in the crate, and you and the puppy will be just fine. And as with all things puppy - have fun and enjoy the process!

Want to learn more? View the entire Sporting Dog Shorts catalogue of educational episodes HERE.

Jordan Horak is the owner of Cato Outdoors and Juggernaut Gundogs. He has had a life-long obsession with hunting dogs that goes back 30 years, and in that time he has trained countless gundogs as well as trial dogs for Spaniel field trials. His most notable achievement was winning the Cocker National Open Championship and the Amateur Championship in the same year (2018) with two different dogs. While not currently running in field trials, Jordan spends the Fall chasing Pheasants in the Dakotas and Grouse in in Northern Wisconsin, and in the off-season he enjoys developing young dogs.