I’m a proponent of being prepared and prepare dogs for emergency situations and other life changes impacting their lives and I encourage all my clients to do the same.
One major life change is a move.
Many of my clients are fellow military families.
Moving from duty station to another happens regularly. Every 2-3 years!
Sometimes the moves occur within driving distance.
Many times, families like us, receive orders to move overseas.
Places like Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, Korea and the list of countries goes on that receive American families everyday.
Those families also include their pets!
Most likely, your pet will be required to fly in a crate in cargo since airlines are now less likely to accept ESA in the cabin.
Since moving is inevitable for many of us, preparing and teaching your dog to enjoy his crate is of utmost important!
If you’re lucky, knowing there is a time frame of when you’ll be in one location over another, then it’s time for crate training sooner than later!
Gradually exposing your dog to a crate will be worth his weight in yummy treats since doing so will make traveling less stressful and more relaxed for your dog.
Many of my clients are always preparing for their family’s life changes, regardless of their dogs ever needing these skills.
Crate training is also important for our world’s changing climate and the propensity for natural disasters like wildfires or severe weather.
Quickly moving out of an area to a safe place can be aided by your dog happily jumping into a crate so you can evacuate without chaos.
You never know!
Some tips!
- Use super duper high value rewards and pair those with the crate.
- Allow your dog to freely explore the crate area on his own. Mark and reward when he does.
- Help your dog to habituate to the sound and experience of the crate door squeaky sound of the springs to the sound of rubbing metal and plastic of the poles of the gate.
- Slowly build up your dog’s crate bit by bit only as your dog is showing comfortability in the previous step should you move to the next one.
- The more time you have before you move and the frequency of practice (for short bits of time) the better your dog will see the crate as a safe space.
Not sure where to start?
Set up your call and we can discuss: https://fourpawsandyoudogtraining.as.me/
