An Easy to Follow Puppy Crate Training Schedule
A puppy crate training schedule will make it a lot easier to help your little dog get accustomed to their new sleeping area. You don't necessarily have to follow a specific one, but you need to find one and stick to it.
This puppy crate training schedule is the one that I have found to be the easiest for both my dogs and me to follow.
Remember, a crate is a really special place for a dog. They will view it as a place where they can sleep, relax, and feel safe. If they are an outside dog, the kennel or their house should work the same way.
The earlier that you get them used to their crate, the better off they'll be!
The main thing you want to keep in mind as you crate train your puppy is that you want them to "choose" the area. Your goal is to make it seem like the best place to be. If you force them in their crate, or put them there when you are mad at them, they will start to make a negative association with it in their mind.
If anything, the crate should be a reward!
With that said, you're ready to start with the crate training schedule for your puppy.
Puppy Crate Training Schedule - Day by Day
Day 1: Introducing Your Puppy to their CrateWhen your puppy first sees their crate, they won't know exactly what to make of it. They might be curious to check it out, or they might ignore it. To get them interested in it, you should put one of their favorite toys inside. Make sure they see you doing it, leave the door as wide open as you can. By doing this, your puppy will want to go inside.
When your puppy finally goes into their crate to get the toy, they will probably run right out with it. That's totally fine! Don't try to make them stay inside, because if you do they will feel like they are being held there against their will. Your goal is to get them to choose the crate for themselves.
Do this a couple of times the first day until your puppy feels totally comfortable around the crate.
Days 2 and 3: Making the Crate a Fun Place to Be
Now that your puppy is comfortable with the idea of the crate, your goal is to get them to feel good staying there for a longer period of time. To do this, you should tie a treat or one of their favorite toys to the inside of the crate. Allow your puppy to find this treat on their own, and they'll go inside and try to get it free.
While your puppy is working to get the toy or the treat, try to close the door behind them and see what they do. If they ignore it and it doesn't bother them, you can keep it closed as long as they are trying to get the toy or the treat free.
Some dogs don't like the door being closed already though, and will turn around and try to get out. If this happens, it's not a problem. Simply open the door when your puppy paws at it and let them out. Leave the door open, and let them go back to the toy or the treat at their leisure.
Repeat this a couple of times for a couple of days and your dog will slowly be starting to associate the crate with a place that has toys and treats.
Day 4: Puppy's Bed in the Crate
Now that your puppy is starting to look at their crate as a great place to be, you need to start helping them to see it as a place to sleep. Put their bed (or sheets, or whatever you are having them sleep with) in the crate and leave the door open. Encourage your puppy to go in their crate and praise them when they do! Give them a treat and tell them how good they are.
Try closing the door when your puppy is inside and give them a chance to lie down. Even if they only lie down for a short time, they are making excellent progress and you should be sure to praise them for it.
Since your puppy needs a lot of sleep, try to do this with them a couple of times each day. Be sure to take them outside to potty each time, as they can't hold it in for very long and when they wake up they are going to have to go really bad!
Day 5: Sleeping in the Crate at Night
Teaching your puppy to sleep in their crates at night is one of the most challenging parts for most people. The main reason why people have such a hard time with it is because they don't remember the fact that their puppy has to potty during the night. So while your puppy might wake you up with their whining, it is not necessarily because they want to come out of their crate.
To make sure that you are not rewarding your puppy for whining at night, make sure to let them potty at least two or three times during the night as a puppy. Since they are so young, they can't hold it much longer than that. If you do this without them having to whine and wake you up, they will never have any negative associations with their crate.
If you take your puppy out of their crate to potty at night and they are still whining, you should not let them out again. They need to go back to sleep. One little trick you can do is try lifting up on the back of the crate and tilting it. Your puppy will get the message that it is time to sleep and they need to be quiet.
Puppy Crate Training Schedule - Final Tips
Once you have your puppy used to sleeping in their crate at night, you will have successfully trained them! They will now start seeing the crate as their special spot where they can always go to relax and feel safe. It's a special spot for them, and it will benefit you to be able to put them there as well.
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