Video: The Key to Crate Training

We have a lot of dogs that come here that are crate trained, and crate training your dog is great. The one mistake some people make is using the crate as punishment. I'll go back to dogs and where they come from. They are den animals. They like to be in a den because their back is protected and they can see what's approaching them, and that's critical.

So that's their safe place. That's their happy place. If you turn that into a punishment, now you are adding to anxiety for your dog because they don't have that. They don't have that safe place. They don't have that, that place where I can chill and relax, and they know I'm safe, and that's really important for their mental health.

So don't use your crate as punishment for your dog. You can take other avenues to discipline your dog. Again, don't shout at your dog. Don't yell at your dog. Absolutely don't hit your dog. That's all negative. Dogs respond to positive reinforcement, and that's critical.