Crates are commonly used to house train puppies and to help manage unwanted behaviors. But the crate can also be used to play games and in the process, teach your dog to love his crate, tire him out and learn some impulse control in the process. The games described below were developed by well-known dog trainer Susan Garrett.
Preparing for crate work
A hard plastic or wire crate works best for training. The door should be easy to open and close. Schedule your sessions right before mealtime (so the dog is hungry) and use very high value treats as rewards. High value treats are important; staying in the crate for high value treats must override your dog’s desire to bolt out of the crate.
What does it look like?
To see what the beginner games look like, click on the following links:
To see what some of the advanced tasks look like, click here to go to Susan Garrett's website to view a video as well as purchase online access to the complete DVD titled "Crate games".
Game one - teaching your dog to love the crate
The goal of this game is to teach your dog that staying in the crate is more rewarding than running out of the crate.
The signal that the game is about to start is you touching the door. The dog must offer a sit before the door opens. If the dog breaks the sit, remove your hand from the door. Once your dog remains in a sit when you touch the door, open the door and quickly reward the dog.
Game two – adding distractions
The goal is the same; teaching your dog that staying in the (back of the) crate in a sit/stay is more rewarding then bolting out of the crate.
Additional games
There are many more games that you are now able to play once this foundation work is in place.
The “you’re out, you’re in” game encourages the dog to zoom out and back into the crate for a reward. (This is a great way to tire your dog out in a small space.)
The “collar grab” game uses the dog’s opposition reflex (a dog pulled in one direction will automatically pull back in the other direction) to build up the desire to run back into his crate. (This also teaches your dog that having his collar grabbed is fun.)
These games are described and demoed in Susan Garrett's "Crate games" DVD.