Crate Training a Dog – Power Tip #4: Bait Locker
Today’s Simpawtico Power Tip for crate training a dog will you take through the steps in our second crate training game along with our new little girl, Wednesday!
Crate training is an important and useful piece of raising a puppy or adopting a new adult dog. When we’re introducing the crate, even to an experienced dog in a new place, some work with habituating the crate is crucial. This game will help build some interest in the crate and make the initial movement in and out of the crate fun and dynamic.
My helper today is going to be our new bulldog, Wednesday. She was an impound dog from Rochester that was transported to our shelter down here due to overcrowding. Honestly, it only took me five minutes of mushing that face to decide she was gonna be mine.
Even though Wednesday isn’t a puppy, I still had no idea what her history with crates is. And our house is a new place, so we have to spend some time habituating her to her new surroundings, including her crate. The work you’ll see here is great for newly adopted dogs and puppies. First, though, there are a few other items on the agenda.
TOOLS & STRATEGIES
As always, your first-line strategy is praise. Like we’ve often said on this channel, your voice is your #1 training tool.
Second, timing is important here, just as it is in all training. You should be aligning your work according to your dog’s energy levels. Practice passive things like Stays and Crate Training when your dog is at a lower energy level; and when they’re revved up that’s a better time for active things like Come, Walking, and activities that require movement and energy.
If you’re not working to manage those energy levels, at least plan your crate training time for when they’re on the downside.
We also recommend using a consistent phrase as a prompt to enter the crate. Pairing a word or phrase will help directionalize their attention toward where it needs to be. You’ll also need a hollow toy for this game. We love Kongs and PetSafe Barnacles, but others out there will work well, too: Squirrel Dudes, Atomic Balls, Chewballs, Quizls, Buster Cubes, Goodie Ships, and even hollow Butcher Bones. We’ll use one of our Kongs (one of our interactive toys) for this video.
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As with our previous Power Tip training game, we will use a little positive frustration to build drive and motivation. Last time we used gentle restraint, and this time we will use a barrier.
THE GAME
So first, let’s create the bait. Back in our first Power Tip post, we showed you how to make liver powder. Mix a tablespoon of that with about a cup and a half of kibble. Shake it up. Now we have some supercharged kibble that’ll work great for this game.
- Show your dog the toy, and let them watch you putting a few goodies in it.
- Put the chew toy in the crate, and let your dog toddle in to harvest the goods from the toy. Praise your dog enthusiastically as they work with it. This will help build good motivation for moving into the crate and working at the toy.
- After a couple of reps like this, if your dog shows some good enthusiasm, put the toy in and shut the door for a few seconds. When your dog is ASKING to go into the crate to get their toy, open the door, use your consistent phrase, and let them in. Now we’re creating a real desire to move into the crate.
- Shut the door while they’re playing and eating. Then open it when they’re done. It’s easy to build duration in this. You can leave them in there a little bit as you work, feed through the holes, and then let them out.
- Later, you can use the toy for a full meal in the crate, and your duration inside will skyrocket.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Admittedly, this game won’t work with dogs with low frustration tolerance. These dogs will give up at the gate or won’t work at the toy. If this is problematic, you may need to improve their motivation and drive first. For starters, manage their hunger drive by ensuring they’re sufficiently hungry. You can also begin working by just scattering the food inside the crate and letting them forage for it. This is easier and more immediately gratifying. After a few reps you can do the work as before by closing the gate and waiting for them to really want in.
NOW GO PRACTICE!
If you’d like to see another fun variation on this game, check out our previous Power Tip post, and be sure to take a look at our big Crate Training post coming out soon. And we’ve talked about some more crate training methods in our Kong Training post. Give that one a watch for some ideas to get you going.
As always: keep learning, keep practicing, and we’ll see you again soon. Thanks for looking!
RESOURCES
The links below are affiliate links. These won’t cost you anything, but the commissions we may earn through them help offset the cost of dog treats. Thanks for your support! HOLLOW “WORK-to-EAT” TOYS WE RECOMMEND
Take a look at our full Crate Training playlist on YouTube!
