The crate is not jail or exile; it needs to be dealt with like a human baby’s crib or playpen: short durations at first during the day, take brief naps in there, put a safe toy inside, make the crate a wonderful place. A couple more tips which are detailed in the book:
- Feed the dog in the crate, start by tossing treats around and inside
- Acclimate the dog to be left alone in the crate for short periods of time and then build up time slowly
- Come and go in and out of the room while the dog is in the crate
- Don’t make a big deal when you take your dog out of the crate.
If the dog has continuing negative associations with the crate, you may want to get a new crate which is a different type, such as an airline-style crate if he’s been in a wire crate like Kennedy.
