This is where it starts to click.
Most dogs learn to tolerate the crate. This teaches them to genuinely relax, and it works even if they've had a rough start.
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In most cases it's not that the dog hates the crate. It's that they were never taught how to genuinely settle. That's a completely different thing to fix, and it's fixable.
A rattling door. A noisy tray. Bedding that's too thick to reposition. For a dog that's already uncertain, these things create doubt before training even begins.
When your dog finally settles, the instinct is to reach over and reward them. But that physical interaction creates excitement, the opposite of what you're building.
Where you set up the crate matters more than most people realize. A dog that feels cut off from the family has a much harder time settling. Keep them close.
Once a dog genuinely learns how to relax, that ability doesn't stay in the crate. It shows up in the car, at the vet, in new environments, anywhere life asks them to settle.
If your dog already has negative associations with the crate, this process can still help. You just start smaller. The goal is a dog that chooses to rest there because it feels good.
I don't think about crate training as teaching dogs to tolerate confinement. I use it as an opportunity to teach dogs how to relax.
Alyssa Rose · Legends Dog TrainingReady to go further?
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