Why should you crate train your dog? Unlike people most dogs enjoy being in small enclosed places and so if crate training is done correctly your dog will see it as a great place to be - its own personal space.
For the dog a crate can be somewhere it can escape to if things are getting too much for it, for example noisy children or if you have a lot of people round.
For a dog owner the benefits of crate training your dog include the knowledge that while in your crate your dog is safe and not destroying anything, it can keep your dog out of the way while you are very busy.
If you are house training your dog crate training can be very useful too as most dogs with not want to wet or soil their living area.
For a dog which is aggressive towards strangers or some visitors a crate can act as a place which keeps both dog and visitors safe.
What type of crate should you choose? There are a variety of different crate options you can choose from the most common being plastic or metal.
If you choose a metal crate you may also want to purchase a crate cover to make the crate feel more enclosed and cosy for your dog.
Whichever type of crate you choose make sure there is enough room so that your dog can stand up and turn round easily.
If you are crate training a puppy try to bear in mind what size it will be as a full size dog.
If you intend leaving your dog in the crate for some time always make sure it has water available, special water bowls with hooks can be bought specifically to go onto a crate.
How to start crate training your dog Most dogs are naturally quite inquisitive so will probably be curious as to what this new "thing is".
Use this to your advantage and place a treat or your dog's favourite toy inside the crate so the dog ventures inside to get it, don't shut the door at this stage.
Keep hiding treats inside the crate until your dog is happy going inside it.
Crate training the next phase Once your dog is anticipating the treats being inside the crate and enjoying finding them in there close the door just for a second when your dog is in the crate.
Straight away re-open the crate door and let your dog come out.
Practice this a few more times, each time putting a treat in the crate and shutting the door but then build up the time that the dog is in the crate each time.
Praise your dog while it is in the crate.
Once your dog is confident with this try leaving it in the crate for five or ten minutes while you are doing something in the same room so it can see you, We don't want your dog to think that when it goes in the crate it means it is going to be left alone.
Build the time up again that the dog is in the crate but start spending a few minutes not in the room.
Crate training should be done gradually, your dog should see the crate as a good place to be and it should not be used as a form of punishment.
Only when your dog is totally at ease being in the crate should you even consider leaving it alone in the crate while you go out.
You don't want the dog to panic try and get out and injure itself.
A dog should not be left in its crate for too long a period at a time.