Crate Training in a Furniture Crate

Furniture crates have one advantage over wire cages: they can live in the room where the family is. Use that.

1. Put it where you are

Beside the sofa, not in the laundry room. A den is only calming if the pack is nearby.

2. Doors open for three days

Leave both doors open, put a bed inside, drop treats in when the dog is not looking. No commands, no closing.

3. Feed meals inside

Bowl at the back of the crate. After a week, close the door during the meal and open it the moment the dog finishes.

4. Short closures, then longer

Five minutes while you are in the room, then thirty, then a quick errand. Open the door when the dog is calm, never when it is whining - waiting out one minute of whining saves weeks.

5. Two doors help

Crates with a front and a side door, like the Rolling Den, let you leave a door on the sofa side open during the day so the crate reads as a room, not a cage.

The two mistakes

Using the crate as punishment, and using it for longer than the dog's age in months plus one hour. Both teach the dog the den is a trap. Sizing matters too: see the size guide.