Is your puppy begging to get into their crate or begging to get out?

Most crate training is focused on achieving peaceful confinement. What if you started with a puppy that was begging to get inside? As with many of our training techniques we turn the whole experience upside down and start by looking at it from the dogs point of view. In this video we show you how to teach your new puppy that going into the crate is a privilege that requires both permission and an invitation. Then the same rules apply to getting out. We show you why the crate door doesn't need to be closed and why it doesn't matter whether it is open or closed. Your puppy is not staying inside because the door is closed, but rather because you have asked that they stay in. Open or closed, the puppy is waiting for information from you as to what to do next.

This technique is not just for puppies. It can be used to train older dogs too just as long as your dog has not been successfully anti-crate trained. That is to say, if your dog has already learned that all they have to do is panic and you will let them out then this technique is not enough to overcome what is commonly called separation anxiety. But it can be the beginning of recovery. This technique will help your dog learn that the crate is a lovely place and then you can get some help from a local trainer for thew rest. Check back for future lessons on overcoming separation anxiety in the crate.