Crate Games Drive IN: Text Instruction

Goal: The desired outcome in this game is to create a dog who drives away from you when you send him forward of you. Equally important is you want the desired speed to be the same as if they were chasing a squirrel. What we affectionally call “squirrel speed”.

Equipment: Ideally you want to use a crate but you can use a bed with edges. Toys and food.

Suggested Training Area Size: 12 x 12 (4m x 4m) Indoor living space, back yard. As the game progresses, you want to build distance and have the room to accommodate the training.

Important Other Game Lessons: Crate Games and YerOutYerIn.

Step 1: YerOutYerIn: Stand beside the crate, touch the door and make sure your dog is in a sit.  Release your dog with their verbal cue. The dog should come out and go right back in, toss a cookie into crate when all four paws return inside the crate. It is very important to throw the cookie into the crate after the dog goes, not before. Stay nice and close to the crate/bed.

Step 2: Release the dog from crate, when they run out grab their collar, turn your dog to face the crate, rev them up with words like “Ready Ready?” and release the collar. They should go running into the crate, toss a cookie in. Stay close to the crate/bed.

Step 3: When you have speed and enthusiasm you can build distance by standing further away from the crate. The dog should be driving away from you to run to the crate.

Troubleshooting: 

If your dog doesn’t pull to get into his crate or get enthusiastic when you grab the collar try doing this part of the game to his dinner dish for a few sessions. He will learn that you taking his collar will equal dinner coming. Building value for having you restrain him.

If the dog doesn’t sit, close the door. When the dog sits, open the door and release using verbal cue.

If your dog is not loving your Crate Games. You evaluate the speed and you are just not happy with the speed revisit the YerOutYerIn game. Put value into your dog driving into the crate from a close distance.