Helping a Puppy Get Over His Fear of the Kennel

For this Omaha puppy training session we did some kennel training with 5 month-old mixed-breed puppy Scooby, helping him get over his fear of the kennel.

Scooby is a very energetic dog who gets two walks a day, but he still needs more exercise. Check out his acrobatics at the 6:10 mark in the “Roadmap to Success” video below.

For high-energy dogs, shorter and more frequent exercise sessions throughout the day work better than longer sessions. I provided advice on how to exercise your dog and manage their behavior. I then discussed the main issue: the dog’s dislike for the kennel.

Tips to Start Kennel Training

Many dogs have a fear of the kennel for multiple reasons, but most often it’s due to a lack of practice in a positive way. This means making it enjoyable for the dog and not only kenneling the dog when you leave. Our dog trainer Dominique had come by a week before this session, going over some kennel games that really set Scooby up for success. These are easy ways for a dog to get over a fear of the kennel.

I gave my camera to a guardian, then I showed them a simple way to help a dog overcome its fear of the kennel. I took out some tasty treats. You can learn how to train a dog to be calm in a kennel by watching the free positive dog training video below.

As you can see in the video above, starting crate training effectively involves creating a strong desire in your puppy to want to go into the kennel. This process begins by making the crate a positive and rewarding place for your puppy. When you ensure that the crate is associated with good things—such as treats, toys, and praise—your puppy will start to view it as a pleasant and enjoyable space rather than something to be feared.

By giving your puppy positive experiences regularly, they will feel more comfortable and secure in their crate. This will help them feel less afraid of being left alone and will help them adjust to their new space.

The great thing about this tip to help dogs stop fearing the kennel is how easy it is. Training a dog successfully is possible for anyone.

You just need to follow the steps and build the dog’s confidence. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a professional trainer. I’ve successfully used this trick to stop dogs from fearing their crate hundreds of times.

Conquering Fear of the Kennel

It will be important for the guardian to go slow. Many people try to solve their dog’s fear of the crate quickly, but they often end up with a dog that still panics inside the crate. This happens because rushing the process can make the dog feel even more anxious.

It’s important to take the time to properly address the issue. Rushing can lead to the dog associating the crate with negative experiences. By progressively building up the duration, they can help Scooby practice being calm in the crate.

I’d like to see them do this positive crate training exercise 5 or more times a day to start. After the dog is calm in the crate for 5 minutes, they can practice less each day to see faster results.

Also, make sure Scooby gets some exercise and then give him at least 10 minutes to rest before starting the crate training exercise. This will help him succeed. It should also help with some of his other, less pressing dog behavior problems.

We made a roadmap to success video to help the guardians remember what we covered in this dog training session. You can check it out below.