"Where happy Butterflies work:
Obedience, Rally Obedience & Therapy Dogs"

by Helen Dohrmann

The Crate Game:

A Painless Method of Crate-Training Your Pup or Dog

I played (and still do) the "crate game" with my Papillons.

It goes like this:

Toss a very tiny treat just inside the crate door. Dog sticks nose in, PRAISE NOW, grabs treat, backs out and eats it. Repeat this process. I haven't attached a cue word yet. (BTW, this works very well, and quickly, with clicker work.)

Dog will usually look at you (where's another treat?), or come toward you. When this happens, repeat tossing the treat just inside the door. When the dog is running to the crate, and popping their entire body in (doesn't matter if tail is outside), praise a lot, and hand-deliver a couple treats to the dog while in the crate (you'll have to be close for this, and quick).

Next step: Say your word for going in the crate - toss the treat to the BACK of the crate. Praise like the dickens when the dog goes in all the way, and before they're turned around.

Now the dog should be going in all the way, perhaps even waiting for the next treat while in the crate (this is good).

Say "wait" while the dog is in the crate, waiting for the next treat.... wait a second or two, and toss the next treat in to the dog. (Or use whatever word you want, for the dog to get the idea to pause in the crate, not run directly out.)

The next step is to quietly give praise, say "wait", close the door, and feed a treat through the door of the crate. Give another cue word for exiting the crate (I use "out")...open the door, call your Pap to you, praise, and play a game with a favorite toy. (This ends the crate game).

For lengthening the time your dog is in the crate, using a stuffed Kong is wonderful - they can be stuffed with a combination of cream cheese, string cheese, chicken, kibble, and other goodies the dog has to work at to get out! GIving a stuffed Kong at bedtime is a great way to settle a dog, and they usually go to sleep right after cleaning out the Kong.

I play this game on a bi-weekly basis with my crate trained kids...they love the game, and I have no problems getting them to go in the crate when I need them to.

I also make them sleep in their crates most of the time, and I have no problems with them not being comfortable in their crates, in hotels or at other people's homes.

Oh, and playing the Crate Game with multiple dogs gets to be contest between the dogs - whoever goes in a crate the quickest, gets the first treat!

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