Many people don't have time to spend weeks crate-training a dog.  If you follow the prescribed steps here, and remain positive and patient with the dog, most animals can be conditioned to love the crate in a single weekend. Purchase your crate and place it in the desired location.   You can do this a few days ahead of time to get the dog used to the crate's presence.  Leave the door of the crate open so your dog can explore. Sneak a few treats into the crate on Friday evening, and replace them as your dog discovers them.  You can continue to sneak treats into your dog's crate after the initial training period is over to help maintain the positive association with the crate. Put your dog's evening meal in a bowl in the back of the crate.  If your dog is reluctant to enter the crate completely, slide the bowl closer to the door, but as the dog begins to eat, try to push it further into the crate.  If the dog seems comfortable, close the door until he is done eating, but only if things are going well. For the first training session, sit down next to the crate and call your dog.  Show the dog a treat, and give a command to enter the crate (for instance "go to bed" or "kennel up",) then toss the treat into the crate.  When the dog goes into the crate to get the treat, give him enthusiastic praise, and another treat while he is inside.  Give your dog another command (e.g. "come out" or "OK") to leave the crate, and then repeat. Repeat this process 10 times, then take a short break, and repeat another 10 times. Later Saturday morning, do another session.  Give the first few treats as before.  After a few times, instead of just throwing the treat into the crate, give the command and don't give the treat until your dog has entered the crate.  Then give the command to leave the crate and give your dog another treat when he comes out.  Repeat this about 10 times, or until your dog appears to understand what is happening. Take a short break, and then do another 10 repetitions. Begin by sending the dog into the crate and giving him a treat a few times as before.  After a few repetitions, send the dog into the crate, give him a treat, and then gently close the crate door.  Feed the dog a few treats through the door, and then open it.  Give your dog the command to come out, and repeat.  Do the exercise 10 times, leaving the door open a little longer each time.  Try to build up to 10, then 30 seconds. If your dog seems anxious, only close the door part way at first. Using lots of positive reinforcement throughout this process will minimize your dog's anxiety. Take a break, then repeat the above exercise.  This time, once you close the crate door, sit down near the crate for increasingly long intervals of time, until the dog is comfortable being in the crate for a minute at the time. On Saturday evening, begin practicing leaving the dog alone in the crate for short periods.  Begin with a few short stays in the crate as above.  Next, send the dog into the crate, and then walk across the room or out of sight before coming back and rewarding your dog.  Repeat this process 10 times.  Then take a half hour break, and do it all again. Get a chew bone, or a KONG toy stuffed with food, and ask your dog to enter the crate.  Then give him the toy, close the door, and then relax in the same room reading or watching TV for half an hour while the dog chews the toy.  When the time is up, give your dog the command to come out and open the door and take away the toy.  Repeat the process an hour or two later. It is best not to celebrate the dog coming out of the crate too much.  You want the dog to be excited going into the crate, not coming out. For the next session, you will want your dog to be well-exercised and ready to rest.  Take him out for a long walk or play session, and get him tired out. Send your dog into the crate, and give him his special chew toy.  Close the door and then leave the room for 10 minutes.  Come back and let him out for awhile, then repeat the process with increasingly longer times in the crate.  Make sure to give your dog play and bathroom breaks in between, and build up to an hour of crate time for your dog. On Sunday evening, it is time to try leaving the house.  Send your dog into the crate and give him his chew toy.  Then leave the house for 10 minutes.  When your return, let the dog out of the crate and go about your evening.  Do not celebrate or act excited about leaving or returning. You want to teach your dog that entering and exciting the crate is a totally normal event, and nothing to get excited about. After the weekend crate training, your dog should be ready to stay in the crate for several hours at a time, depending on the dog's age.  Exercise your dog thoroughly in the morning, and then send him to the crate and give him a chew toy. Be sure not to make a big fuss about leaving, and only stay gone for a few hours before returning to give your dog a midday break.  Remember to follow the age guidelines below, and don't leave your dog in the crate for too long:  Age 9-10 weeks: 30-60 minutes. Age 11-14 weeks: 1-3 hours. Age 15-16 weeks, 3-4 hours. Age 17+ weeks: 4+ hours (but never more than 6 hours!).
أعِّد جدولًا زمنيًا ودرِّب كلبك خلال عطلة نهاية الأسبوع. جهّز القفص في وقتٍ مبكرٍ. ابدأ في وضع المكافآت في القفص ليلة الجمعة. قدِّم عشاء ليلة الخميس في القفص. ابدأ التدريب الفعّال صباح يوم الجمعة. اطلب من كلبك أن يجني المكافأة. أغلق باب القفص بعد ظهيرة يوم الجمعة. قُم بزيادة الوقت في القفص. عَوِّد كلبك على البقاء في قفصه وحيدًا. مَارِس التدريب على القفص لفتراتٍ أطول في صباح السبت. أعطِ كلبك تدريبًا جيدًا. غادِر الغرفة. غادِر المنزل. اخرج في صباح يوم الأحد.