Gentle crate training: the setup and the first week

Done right, a crate is not a cage. It is the dog's bedroom: door open by default, occupied by choice, and the safest place in the house when life gets loud.

The hardware

The Three-Door Dog Crate ($69) comes in four sizes from terrier to great dane. Three doors means it fits any room layout without the entrance ending up against a wall, it folds flat when you travel, and the tray slides out for cleaning. Size up so an adult dog can stand and turn.

Make it a bedroom, not a box

Line it with the fleece blanket ($25) and feed every meal inside with the door open for the first week. Treats get discovered in there "randomly". The crate becomes the place good things happen.

The first week

Days 1 to 3: door open always, meals inside. Days 4 to 5: door closed during meals, open straight after. Days 6 to 7: short closed-door rests while you are visibly nearby. Crying means slow down a step, not give up.

For open-plan homes, the exercise playpen ($129) does the same job with more floor space. Both ship from our Australian warehouse.