Dogs are very social animals. It's rare you'll find a pup that is
content sitting in his crate in the back bedroom while the family is in the
living room watching tv or socializing. You'll want to place the crate
somewhere that's out of the way, yet still close enough so the pup can
see the family's activities. A corner in the kitchen, dining room or
living room usually works well. Make sure that the pup will get a good
view of you while he's in his crate, as this will make him feel less
isolated. Once you have decided on a location for your crate, you 're ready
for the next step.
Time to introduce your pup to the crate
Start this in the morning of a day you have all day to work with him.
Take one of his favorite treats and place it right at the door of the
crate (the door should be left open at all times during this stage of
training). Don't force your pup to move close to the crate. Some pups are
bolder than others and will step right up to the crate for the treat.
Others are less bold and may take some time to become comfy around the
crate. Once your pup is treating the crate like just another piece of
furniture, it's time to introduce him to being inside it. Take the collar
off your pup so he doesn't hang it up on anything in the crate.
Don't
place any food or water in there-he won't be in for long for this first
session anyway. Quietly pick your puppy up and place him in the crate,
closing the door. Don't "baby talk" him or yell at him if he fusses.
Now let him sit in there for a while. He'll probably yelp, whimper, bark
and generally have a hissy fit. DO NOT reward him by letting him out.
Stay calm. Let him fuss and realize it's getting him nowhere. As soon as
he stops fussing (this could be 5 minutes, could be 30 minutes), calmly
open the door, pick him up and take him outside to his bathroom spot.
Don't make a fuss or say, "Good boy" or anything of the sort. Your goal
is to make the crate just a part of life. If he relieves himself once
you put him outside, THEN praise him! You've taken the first step-good
for you! Now, we move on to the next step.