Gear And Supplies For Crate Training

To get started using the crate for your pup or dog, you need to get the right crate or crates and put them in the right location. Ideally, you have set your pup’s crate up BEFORE your pup comes home but, if not, do it now.

We also recommend you get an exercise pen or two since they are easier to move and set up, and will give your pup more space for longer periods of confinement. But let’s start with getting and setting up the crate.

What Kind of Crate to Get

Type: you can use a wire, plastic or a furniture crate but do not use a soft-sided crate or Sherpa.

Size: Unless your pup is already in the habit of urinating or defecating in the crate, get an adult-sized crate now. Your pup needs to be able to easily turn around, sit up, and lie on its side in the crate. (If your pup does potty in the crate, take our Puppy Potty Training Solution house-training class to resolve that problem.)

One or two crates? If your pup’s crate is too large to move regularly, consider getting two crates. Used crates are often available in yard sales, on Facebook Marketplace, etc. Once your pup is trained, you can then sell one of them.

Beneath the crate. Puppies can be quite messy, spilling water and dropping treats, so if the crate is going to be on good flooring or carpet, we recommend using a plastic sheet or water-proof surface until your pup is older.

Where to Put the Crate

Location: Where you put your crate matters. Do not isolate your pup in a closed room, the basement, or the garage. Isolation will increase vocalizations and anxiety in your pup. Instead, locate the crate somewhere in the living area of your home. At night, put the crate near your bed or, at a minimum, in your bedroom until the pup is housetrained and secure in the house.

During some crate-training lessons, you are going to need to be able to position the crate so you can walk behind it or so the pup can’t see the door to the room. Be prepared to adjust the crate’s location while you are training.

Room Temperature: Hot puppies are miserable puppies so keep the room temperature on the cool side. How cool that is will depend on the size of your pup and how much coat it has. If the room is hot and you can’t air condition it, put a fan blowing onto the crate to cool your pup down.

Noise: During the day, your pup will do better if you have a radio, TV, or white-noise machine playing near the crate. This will block out distracting noises and reduce barking.

Crate Accessories

When your puppy is confined to the crate, it needs a few things to be comfortable. It should have:

A crate mat or pad, relatively indestructible, such as:

• Primo Pads. These are some of the best crate pads around, and they are guaranteed for 30 days.
• You can use a simple mat or fake sheepskin as a pad but be sure that there is nothing that will harm your pup if it should eat the pad.
• Do not put a stuffed or expensive bed in the crate until you are sure your pup won’t destroy it, which may be many months.

a toy for the pup to snuggle with:

• Snuggle Puppy – we love these toys and use them to comfort all of our pups. Many Snuggle Pups are favorite toys throughout our dogs’ lives.
• Other favorite soft, stuffed animal

Chew items so the pup has something to do while crated.

• stuffed Kongs
• Farm Hounds Hide Rolls or Chips – we rarely recommend rawhide for dogs but Farmhounds chews are fabulous!
• marrow bones

Dark or opaque bed sheet large enough to cover all four sides of the crate to the ground when draped over it.

Water container You don’t have to include a water bowl unless your pup is going to be crated more than two hours. If you get one, be sure to attach it to the side of the crate to keep it from spilling.

Cardboard or wood top (optional) If your puppy reaches through the crate to grab the sheet or other items nearby, place a board or piece of cardboard that is a few inches larger than the top of the crate on top of the crate so the sheet drapes out of your pup’s reach.

Treats For Crate Training

Treats are ESSENTIAL for crate training! You won’t need them forever but for now, you’ll needs lots and lots of soft, yummy treats to crate train your pup. Here are some things to consider:

• Delicious Your pup must love the treats you use! Many pups love kibble enough for you to use that put also include really special treats like small pieces of steak, chicken, and cheese.
• Not too rich Your pup is going to get a lot of treats so be sure they aren’t too rich for your pup’s GI tract.
• Small. The size of your puppy will determine what size is correct but think about treats being about ½ the size of your little fingernail. They must be:
  - small enough so the pup can eat a lot and not get full.
  - large enough that they can be seen when tossed on the bottom of the crate floor.
• Color Your pups needs to be able to easily see the treats on the crate floor, so:
  - if you have black crate pans, use light-colored treats like pork or chicken
  - if you have white or silver crate pans, you use dark-colored treats like steak or jerky.

Setting Up the Crate