Start crate training with the door secured open, easy access and short practice while you stay nearby. Reward voluntary entry, then build comfortable time inside before introducing door movement and very brief closure. Progress depends on the puppy’s behaviour, not a fixed timetable. Being able to enter for food does not automatically mean a puppy is ready to be shut in or left alone.
Prepare a place the puppy can use comfortably
Choose a crate that lets your puppy stand, turn and lie comfortably. Place it somewhere quiet but not isolated from you for these first sessions. Check for sharp edges, unstable panels and anything that could snag. Remove collars, harnesses and attached leads before crate time. Use bedding appropriate to the puppy’s chewing habits and provide access to water.
Give the puppy a toilet opportunity first. Start when their basic needs have been met and they are awake but not in the middle of frantic play. Keep children and other animals from entering or disturbing the resting space. A crate is not a punishment or a substitute for supervision, exercise, social contact and toilet breaks.
Three separate skills to teach
1. Going in and coming out
Secure the door so it cannot swing against the puppy. Let them investigate without pushing them inside. Place a small reward where they can comfortably reach it; move it farther inside only when approaching is easy. Allow them to come out again. Do not use food to draw them in and then suddenly close the door behind them.
At this stage, your useful observation is whether the puppy chooses to return. Stretching in while keeping the back feet outside tells you to make entry easier, not to hurry the door closed. A few comfortable entries are more useful than a long session spent persuading a reluctant puppy.
2. Spending easy time inside
Stay beside the open crate and calmly reward brief moments inside. Deliver the reward where you want the puppy to remain, rather than repeatedly drawing them toward the exit. Do not require a long Down or Stay before they understand the space. Watch for comfortable movement, a loose body and willingness to remain without being physically blocked.
If you use our markers, Good supports duration. Yes is terminal: it ends the behaviour and signals a reward. Avoid saying Yes repeatedly while expecting the puppy to keep holding a position. Clear timing matters more than adding extra commands.
3. Accepting a moving door
Once open-door time is comfortable, move the door a little and return it to the open position. Keep your own position unchanged. If that is easy across repetitions, try a momentary closure and reopen while the puppy is still comfortable. Do not combine the first closure with standing up, walking away and disappearing.
Example: one practice might contain a small door movement, an easy open-door reward, and one brief closure while you remain beside the crate. That is an illustration, not a required sequence or a promise that all three steps belong in the first session.
Use a simple progress record
Write down the setup, what you changed and the puppy’s response. For example: “Door open, sitting beside crate, entered willingly”; or “Door moved halfway, puppy backed out.” That second observation tells you what to simplify next. Do not record only how many minutes the puppy stayed inside.
Keep duration, distance and distractions separate. Before adding time, repeat an easy version. Before moving away, keep the closure very familiar. Increase one element only when the current version is consistently comfortable across short sessions. Being quiet is one observation; it is not enough by itself to establish that the puppy is relaxed.
What if the puppy whines or tries to escape?
Check the situation rather than automatically labelling the puppy stubborn. They may need the toilet, be uncomfortable, or find the exercise too difficult. Do not wait for prolonged crying or panic to stop before helping. End the difficult setup safely, address needs and return to an easier stage later.
Persistent distress, frantic scratching, biting the bars, heavy drooling or attempts to escape require individual assessment. Stop using that setup and consider a safe puppy-proof area or pen the puppy actually tolerates while you obtain help. Sudden changes or signs of pain also warrant veterinary advice. A crate alone does not treat separation-related distress.
Make a plan for real life before you need it
These first sessions do not establish readiness for a workday absence or an entire night. Arrange supervision and toilet opportunities around the puppy’s needs. If you must leave before training is ready, plan suitable care rather than stretching a successful short exercise into a long confinement.
Your next goal is a comfortable, repeatable routine with you nearby. Brief distance and alone-time practice can follow when the puppy is ready. There is no universal completion date, and a pen or puppy-proof room may be a better fit for some dogs.
For help choosing the right starting point, explore our training programs for Montreal, Vaudreuil-Dorion and nearby communities or request a free discovery call. Tell us what the puppy does before, during and after the door moves so we can coach the next step.
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