Tommy's Canine Academy

Dog Won't Go Into the Crate? Here's What to Do

If your dog refuses to go into the crate, you are not alone. This is one of the most common crate training problems dog owners deal with, and the good news is it is very fixable with the right approach.

In the video above, I work with JJ, a dog who was extremely resistant to going into his crate. When I asked him to go in, he pulled away, braced against the floor, and wanted nothing to do with it. Sound familiar? Here is exactly what I did to turn that around.

Why Dogs Refuse the Crate

Before you can fix the problem you need to understand why it is happening. Most dogs that refuse the crate have learned to associate it with something negative. The moment they go in, the door shuts, the owner leaves, and they are stuck. That is not a fun experience from your dog's perspective.

Your job is to change that association. The crate needs to stop meaning confinement and start meaning good things happen in there. That shift is what this ent...