You are your dog’s most important influence. You have the ability to shape your dog’s behavior by teaching him new lessons and to reshape bad behaviors or habits that he may currently have into good ones. When a dog is displaying inappropriate house manners, one of the first things that I recommend doing is kennel training your dog. The kennel is a valuable management tool and can be a great place for your dog to relax.

You may not be thrilled with the idea of kenneling your dog, however do you like the idea of kenneling him better than waking up to valuable items chewed up or to the trash can tipped and its contents all over? How about finding hidden pee or poop treasures that your dog has left you? The kennel should not be thought of as a bad place for your dog. It should be thought of as his safe place and a place for relaxation and comfort. A place where he can take a break and provide a break for you as well. When your dog is in his kennel, you can have the peace of mind that he is not chewing on shoes, tables, or sofas. Other benefits of kennel training include:

·      Providing a place for your dog that is easy to clean up when he is ill.

·      Provides a place of quiet and comfort when your home is busy and full of activity; keeps him from being under foot.

·      Allows him to associate elimination with outdoor environments.

·      Allows him to be safely contained inside the house while you are away and out of inclement outdoor weather.

·      Provides him a familiar place to be while being cared for in another person’s home during times the family is on vacation.

Choosing a kennel

There are many types of crates and kennels including plastic crates, soft-sided crates, and wire kennels. I typically recommend a folding 2-door wire kennel. This is my preference because it has shown to be the most versatile. With two doors there are options on where and which way to put it, it can easily be broken down for travel or storage purposes, and it doesn’t get warm and stuffy inside of it. Temperature is a concern in hotter climates such as Arizona. If your dog has however shown to be insecure, the openness of a wire kennel may make him feel vulnerable and a plastic crate may be a better choice.

An appropriate sized kennel for a full grown dog should allow him to sit and stand up without hitting his head on the top of the kennel, turn around comfortably, and allow him to lay on his side without being cramped. For growing puppies, it is typically better to buy a smaller kennel and trade up to a bigger one as the puppy grows or to buy a larger kennel with a divider that offers the convenience of adjusting his living area as he grows. A kennel that is too large will allow your puppy to use one side as a resting place and the other side as his own personal area to soil.

Introducing the kennel

Introducing the kennel to your dog may take a little bit of time, however taking the time to make a positive association with the kennel is worth it. When introducing the kennel to your dog I recommend:

1. Initially placing the kennel in an area where you and your family spend a lot of time.

2. Toss some training treats around the outside of the kennel and encourage your dog to get the treats.

3. Once your dog is comfortably collecting the treats from the outside of the kennel, toss some treats inside the kennel. Do not close the door behind him and ensure that the door does not accidentally close startling him. When your dog is inside the kennel to retrieve the treat, praise him! Do a puppy party dance! It is perfectly okay if your dog goes in, grabs the treats, and gets out.

4. When he is comfortable getting treats from inside of the kennel, placing his kibble inside of it during a few feeding times can also assist him in feeling comfortable and safe inside. Begin closing the door as he eats and opening it and releasing him to exit just prior to him finishing his meal. This allows him to exit on a positive note.

5. Kennel for short periods of time. If your dog has never been kenneled before, begin with kenneling for 2-3 minutes at a time. If he has been kenneled before and does not have a negative experience with kenneling, do 10-15 minute kennel sessions. Make sure that your dog has released pent up energy and has used the restroom prior to being kenneled. Initially, it is best if your dog is tired before expecting him to spend time in his kennel. Gradually increase kennel times. Allow your dog to cool off and relax in his kennel after he is tired from play time.

This process may take several minutes or several days. Taking it at a pace comfortable for your dog will be well worth the time spent!

Setting your dog up for success

·      Keep kenneling a positive experience. Don’t use kenneling as a punishment and do not abuse it by keeping your dog in it for long periods of time.  

·      Place the kennel in your room at night, near you while you nap, while you are watching television or reading, or while you are working on your computer. Being close to you could help to relieve stress and allow your dog to feel more comfortable. This will also allow you to hear if he gets restless and need to be taken out to go potty.

·      Provide him an opportunity to potty at least every two to three hours and gradually increase the time to allow him to be successful with potty training. This is the case while in the kennel and while spending time outside of the kennel.

·      When kenneling while you are not home, try to leave a television or radio on for background noise and to drown out noise that may stimulate him to bark. Only do this if there is normally noise in your home. If your home is normally quiet, then turning on these items may turn into a cue that you are leaving which could excite him or cause anxiety.

·      Take your dog outside to potty before allowing him freedom to roam. When he is spending time out of his kennel keep things off of the floor that he can chew, keep enticing objects off of the counter that could tempt him to jump on it, and most importantly, keep him in sight to catch and correct him from doing anything inappropriate. 

·      Be cautious not to use the kennel as a storage container for your dog. Kennel time must be balanced with adequate amounts of socialization, exercise, and play time.

·      Use stuffed Kong’s to assist in keeping the kennel a great place to be. When you leave the house or when he will be in his kennel for a while. Provide him with a Kong stuffed with frozen kibble or other delicious treats. This will help him to associate you leaving or him being in his kennel with enjoyable treats. Visit the Kong website for fantastic ideas and recipes with Kong usage. The link to their website is: https://www.kongcompany.com/lets-play/recipes

I do not initially place bedding in the kennel with dogs when they are not going to be supervised. I do not want the dog to destroy the bedding or ingest it causing a bigger problem. I also do not want a puppy to pee on the bedding. I recommend only adding bedding when you can monitor your dog or when he has proven he can safely have with him. I do however allow my dogs to have safe toys, Kong’s, and Nylabones with them in their kennel; I encourage it. Again, their kennel should be a relaxing, fun, and a safe place for your dog. Keep in mind that not all dogs prefer bedding. Some dogs prefer the comfort of the cool kennel bottom floor.

Successfully Kennel Training Your Puppy at Night

If you have a new puppy or are about to get a new puppy, your life will be unbelievably better if the puppy’s breeder started the kennel training process for you. If not, then be aware that the first few nights of having your new puppy home are possibly going to be a challenge. Your puppy has a huge change happen to them. They are taken from their siblings and from possibly the only home they have ever known. During the day, for you puppy being with you may be an exciting experience for them. They are getting a lot of attention, smelling new scents, and are possibly playing with a ton of new toys. But then night sets in, the fun human presence diminishes, and they are placed in alone in a kennel. How can this not be a shocking experience for the puppy?

There are some things though that can be done make this transition easier on both you and your puppy.

·      Get the energy out of your puppy prior to bedtime. About a half hour before bedtime, get him moving and playing.

·      Stop all water about an hour to 1 ½ before you go to bed and give him the opportunity to go potty again just prior to placing him in his kennel.

·      After he has gone potty, place him in his kennel. Do not make this new nighttime routine a dramatic experience. Simply place him in his kennel and close the door. Resist the urge to talk to him or trying to soothe him as you are placing him in his kennel. He may whine or cry, but do not acknowledge him by talking to him or by going to him to coddle him. You may inadvertently teach him that whining and crying gets your attention.

·      Play some soothing music to calm him during bedtime. He will learn that this music means time to relax and rest.

·      He may also benefit from having a blanket or object with a familiar scent on it to soothe him. Just be sure he does not begin to destroy the item.

·      If in the middle of the night your puppy begins to whine and stir, take him immediately take him out to go potty, and then back in his kennel he goes until morning.

Again, the first couple of nights may be quite difficult. There may be screams and tears coming from both you and your puppy. You may begin to wonder if you made the right decision in getting a puppy and if will ever be able to sleep through the night again. Rest assured, your puppy will get into a routine and things will get better.