Before you can start using your crate for training, you need to know what to put in it to make it a comfortable, welcoming place where your dog will enjoy spending time.
This article will look at what should and shouldn’t be allowed in the crate to keep your dog as safe and comfortable as possible.
What Toys To Leave In A Dog Crate?
When many people consider what to put in a dog crate, they rightfully think to place in some toys. There are many benefits to leaving two or three tough chew toys in the crate with your puppy:
Please be aware that you should never leave soft stuffed teddy bears or easily chewed squeaky toys alone with your puppy.
These will likely get destroyed and your dog could ingest large pieces causing intestinal blockages.
The best toys to leave in the crate are strong, durable hollow toys that you can stuff with treats, perhaps even freeze so the fun lasts longer.
Kong toys are ideal and we at Labrador Training HQ highly recommend them!
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: Labs are heavy chewers so we recommend the KONG Extreme for our Labrador friends.
They’re highly durable and stuffed with peanut butter, part of their usual meal or some form of edible treats, dogs absolutely love working at getting the food out, keeping their minds and jaws occupied.
To see a selection of toys suitable for placing inside a crate with your puppy or dog, click here.
How Using A Crate Cover Benefits Your Dog
As previously mentioned, covering your dog’s crate offers many benefits for pet owners. But how about your dog?
Dogs need a den-like, happy space where they can relax and feel safe. That feeling of security is extremely important in preventing conditions such as separation anxiety and the general stress that many pups suffer when they are left at home alone.
You can increase that cozy, secure feeling by covering your dog’s crate to make the enclosed space darker, warmer, and more secluded, helping anxious pups to settle.
Some dogs struggle to settle down for the night, even in their safe space.
If you live in a busy household with lots of activity and the TV and lights on, covering your dog’s crate at night is a good idea, as that creates a quieter, more peaceful environment where your dog can sleep.
Often, covering your dog’s crate helps to keep your furry friend calm during stressful situations. For example, many dogs become upset during thunderstorms or when fireworks are being set off outside, and spending time in a covered crate can help.
Dog crate covers can be excellent tools for reducing visual stimuli that can prevent your dog from becoming overexcited and barking.
If your dog’s crate is covered, your pet won’t be able to see as much movement outside the crate, both inside your home and outside a window. That means fewer outbreaks of barking, creating a calmer environment for you, your pet, and your neighbors.
Many dog owners like to cover their pet’s crate at bedtime.
Covering your dog’s crate at night will help your pet settle down and sleep. If you leave the crate uncovered during the daytime and cover it at night, that gets your dog into the regular routine of sleeping when it’s dark and being more active when it’s light.
During the summer months when it becomes light early in the morning, using a crate cover can prevent your dog from waking you up too early.
Nervous, sound-sensitive dogs will benefit hugely from having their crates covered.
You can use a padded crate cover to reduce noise levels that are generated by passing traffic, storms, and the general comings and goings of your neighbors. That helps to reduce stress in nervous dogs and keeps them calmer.
It’s A Good Idea To Start Your Puppy Off Sleeping In Your Bedroom
If you have a young puppy, it can be a good idea to move the crate into your bedroom at night, or more likely to have a second crate as moving one around each night is a nuisance.
A puppy crated in a room on their own can feel stressed, abandoned and anything but secure which can lead to whining and crying.
They will get great comfort and a feeling of safety and security being able to sleep near their family, especially during your puppy’s first few days in a strange new home.
It isn’t essential you sleep them in your bedroom with you, but it is beneficial.
After a few days, you can begin to move the crate slowly to where you want them to sleep if it isn’t planned to use your bedroom as their final sleeping area.
Just move the crate further away every couple of nights. To the bedroom door, but still inside the room. Then outside the bedroom door, to the top of stairs, etc. until they are eventually where you want them to sleep.
If you’re still considering which crate(s) to buy, we’ve compiled a list of the most highly rated crates that you can find by clicking here.
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: As mentioned earlier our #1 recommendation for a crate is the Midwest Life Stages Wire Crate. We purchased our crate 14+ years ago and have crate trained over a dozen puppies with the same crate!
FAQ
Should you put a blanket over a puppy crate?
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