How to Crate Train a Shiba Inu Puppy

One of the most important attributes of your puppy's new crate is that it's welcoming. Be sure to add plenty of soft, warm blankets or bedding to the floor of the crate. You may choose to use a dog bed or even just some old towels. Whichever you choose your Shiba puppy will be thankful for the added warmth and plushness.

Now that the crate is feeling a lot more like a plush palace, add familiar scents by putting in their favorite toys. Items of your own clothing are great additions as well! Before going through the washer, these fabrics hold a wonderful scent your dog loves most: You!.

While a crate cover is optional, covering the crate will give it a more den-like feel. Simply use an old blanket or you may wish to buy a plastic tinted cover created especially for dog crates. This addition will help them feel more secure and cozy as well as block out any outside stimuli (birds or neighbors seen through a window) that may disturb them. This is an ideal step for any apartment-owners who worry about their puppy disturbing neighbors. And while Shiba Inus aren't known to be particularly mouthy like, say Huskies, they are known for their scream which can be very unsettling. Blocking movement from their view may help keep them subdued and quiet until you return home.

This is another optional step that mostly benefits the owner, you! If you're worried about your puppy having an accident or two in their crate and ruining all of those wonderful blankets or expensive dog bed you filled it with, we suggest starting out with foam padding. Foam squares can be bought at almost any store chain, typically in the camping or exercise aisles. These are easily cleaned off, sanitized, and returned to the crate after and if an accident should occur. (Resourceful DIY-ers rejoice! An old yoga mat can be easily cut to fit the proportion of a crate and are maintenance friendly as well.) Pee pads marketed specifically to puppies work as well, although they don't add as much insulation or padding as foam matting.

When training a puppy or dog, if you're ever in doubt, add food! Food is one of the top motivators in dogs, coming close to your love for them and chasing squirrels up trees. Shibas are not immune to a tasty treat or two! To make the crate feel positive and welcoming for your Shiba Inu, place their food and water bowl in the crate. Moving forward in your training process together, feed them all of their meals in the crate. Eventually they will come to associate their crate with meal time and love it even more!

Introducing a crate to your puppy should be done patiently. A big, new item in the household may scare them and as a Shiba, they're bound to be naturally curious. You can use to this to your advantage. When they go sniffing around the new item, boost their confidence about it by repeating "Good dog" in a soothing, happy voice. Show them that there's nothing to be afraid of by sitting or kneeling beside them and the crate and touching it.

After properly introduced, try instigating a game of catch around the crate. Throw a toy closer and closer by the crate after each retrieval. After awhile you may even try throwing the toy into the crate. You should in no way force your Shiba puppy to go into the crate; as an independent breed, this should be, or at least feel like, their choice. If they do go into the crate to retrieve the toy, reward them with a treat and several positive verbals.

Now that your puppy is at least familiar with the crate and understands that their curiosity in it is encouraged, add treats to the experience! Sit on the ground with your Shiba and their crate. Have treats in your hand or pocket, somewhere that they can see or smell them and know that some sort of training or rewarding is about to occur. Once you have their attention, have them sit or lie down, then reward your puppy with a treat. Next, hold a treat in your hand and let them sniff if through your fingers, guide your hand toward the crate and have them sit near it. Reward them for their bravery with the treat. Continue to do this, each time, getting closer and closer to he crate, as if making a trail. Your eventual goal is to get them into the crate. Even if they go into the crate to retrieve the food and quickly exit, that is okay. The point isn't to get them to stay inside, but to be comfortable going in and out.

After a successful practice of the above steps, join your puppy on the ground by the crate once more with plenty of yummy snacks. Go through the training routine explained in step three, this time, however, practice having them stay in the crate. Once they're inside, very slowly and gently close the crate door, without locking it. Your Shiba may press against it with its head or paws - let them. This step is to show them that they aren't trapped in the crate, further giving them a positive association with their new room. You can also use this moment to teach them obedience by requesting that they sit before being allowed to leave the crate. In the future, this will save you from potential bolting out of the crate as soon as they hear the lock mechanism.

Having graduated from an introduction to being in the crate with the door remotely open, try locking the door. Give commands to your puppy from outside the crate and feed them a treat through its bars. If your puppy seems scared, distracted, or disinterested in performing for you, simply feed them treats through the cage in order to express your approval. If they notice the door is locked and whine, give them more positive reinforcement with a soothing voice, but be careful that this isn't instigating whining or noise-making.

For the 'Final Test' method, you'll want to treat your puppy's crate as a new piece of furniture to your household - a piece of furniture that follows you virtually everywhere. Think of it as a new addition to the family, much like your Shiba Inu was the day you brought him or her home. From now on, wherever you're at in the house, the crate is too. Cooking up some dinner in the kitchen? Place your crate near you or near the kitchen. Put a handful of kibble or a few treats in the crate. Repeat this step when you're lying on the couch reading or watching television, by placing the crate beside the couch with plenty of treats or toys to entice your Shiba with. At night, set it up in your bedroom and practice a few of the steps from previous methods to get them acclimated to the new addition. Eventually, your Shiba will come to realize the crate is associated with you and become familiar with and even open to its presence.

Every time your puppy willingly goes into the crate, as it rests by your feet with toys and blankets and treats inside of it, speak to them in a positive, soothing voice, saying, "Good dog" or "Very good".

This step will vary owner to owner. Some may prefer to call the crate a kennel, cage, bed, or even room: Saying to their Shiba, "Go to your room" and having them go nicely and quietly into their crate may be an ultimate goal. The fun part to this step is that you could even call the crate "castle" or "house" and the dog would eventually learn to go into their crate every time you command, "Go to your house!" This simply comes from repetition of the command and consistency. Simply put, this task is a lot like teaching 'sit' or 'stay'. While crate training, consistently say and refer to the crate, using whichever word you prefer, and consistently reward them with a treat every time they follow your command.

After you've practiced walking in and out of the crate together, applying some steps from the 'Positive Association' method, it's time to practice leaving your Shiba alone in the crate. By now, they've come to realize the crate is a new part of their way of life. They've come to associate it with rewards and treats, and they may even be associating it with a specific word or command. This is an important step for anyone who may live in an apartment or have nearby neighbors, because it will give you an idea of whether or not your Shiba Inu will whine loudly while in their crate alone. Command or lead your puppy to their crate, lock them in, then walk just outside your home. Wait and listen. If they make a lot of noise, which most Shibas aren't known for, you can come back in and tell them "No!" or "Stop!" You may want to practice this a few times, before deciding to leave them for an extended period of time. The goal isn't necessarily to get them to be quiet in their crate, but to be comfortable resting in it while you're not near.