How To Keep Dog Crate From Moving?

When I go to bed at night, my pup’s crate is in one corner of the room, but when I wake up it is moved atleast 2 feet away. How to keep dog crate from moving during the night? If you too have this question, read on to know what you can do about it.

If you have a pet dog, then you will know how difficult it is to make him settle down in your house. Putting your pet dog in a crate can solve this problem. But most dogs don’t like to stay inside a crate just because they feel strangled. 

To make your dog calm inside a crate, you need to train it properly, and there are also a few tricks that you can follow to prevent a dog from moving while it is inside the crate. 

As a dog owner, you can simply put your dog’s favorite treat in an adequate amount or the favorite stuffed toy of your dog inside of the crate, which will keep your dog engaged for a prolonged period. 

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How to Keep a Dog Crate From Moving?

How Do You Stabilize a Dog Crate?

Put the dog crate in your preferred position and while placing the crate, keep your dog’s preference in mind. Then reinforcement needs to be done. 

You can reinforce the crate by drilling tiny holes on every single corner. Finally, to stabilize it fully, attach zip ties with the crate. Do not drill any hole under the crate as it can cause leakage. 

What to put under the kennel to keep from moving?

The ideal material to put under your dog’s kennel to prevent any kind of movement is concrete. You can also go with options like pea gravel, and even high-density plastic will do the job. 

How to Teach Your Dog to Be Calm in a Dog Crate?

You need to look at ways to calm down your pup so that he doesn’t move around as much. Ensure that your dog is comfortable and happy in the crate.

Dog crates are a handy tool but keeping the dog calm inside of the crate can prove to be a difficult task to pull off, so if you think that your dog is being anxious inside the crate, then you can teach your dog how to remain calm inside the dog crate by the following ways. 

Puppies move a lot inside dog crates, but if you keep an adult dog in a crate then he can also do this. It depends a lot on the breed of dog you have in your house and the age of your pet. 

In this section, we will discuss how you can stop your dog from moving inside of a crate. 

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Make a fixed corner for the crate

Don’t change the location of the crate often. Just like humans, dogs also get used to their surroundings. If you change the crate’s location suddenly, you might notice sudden changes in your pet’s behavior. 

These changes usually occur when it is not comfortable in that place. If the change is necessary, try to keep things your pet dog likes close to the crate. Dogs are territorial by nature, so if you keep moving their location often they are not able to mark it properly

Keep taking your pup out of the crate

Don’t leave your dog too long in the crate. Dogs move in the crate when they need to pee or poop. So, keep visiting your pet friend from time to time while it is inside the crate to ensure whether it needs to go for peeing or pooping. 

As a rule of thumb, you should not keep a puppy for hours more than the months of his age plus one. So for a three-month-old pupper, you should not keep him longer than four hours, and for a five-month-old baby, you should not keep it in the crate for more than six hours.

Keep taking your dog out for walks

Having an active dog means if you don’t use their energy, they will keep moving while inside the crate. So, if you have one, take it for walks and make it exercise to prevent movement inside the crate. 

Make the Stay Comfortable

Dogs seek comfort in the place that they want to mark as their own. So you need to make the crate a comfortable place for your dog. 

Keep a cushion in the crate, and some dogs also prefer when the crate is kept under a cover. You can also do that if your dog feels comfortable under this condition. 

Keep Treats in the Crate

Dogs love to have treats. When you offer them treats for something productive, they will be happy. So, when your dog stays out of the crate, hide treats in the crate. Instead of treats, you can keep your dog’s favorite toy in the crate. 

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This will make your dog stay in the crate, and he will keep enjoying the treat. However, this is not a sustainable habit for the long term, so you should not do it in excess and once the pup is trained you should stop the habit.

Change the Dog Crate

If your dog does not like the dog crate, it will not like to stay inside it. So, as the pet owner, if you feel that the crate is not suitable for your dog and is getting anxious, simply bring a new crate for your furry friend. You can also consult a vet for advice while selecting the crate. 

Do Not Force Your Dog

Dogs are just like babies. If you force them to do anything, it makes them reluctant about that thing. You should never force your dog to get in the crate or not pull your pet dog out of the crate forcibly. Forcing your pet can be a roadblock in forming a bond between you and the dog. 

The Best Place For A Dog’s Crate 

Try to keep the crate close to you initially.

Whether you live in a small place or have a large space all to yourself, selecting the ideal place for the dog crate is always a difficult task. 

If you wonder what the best place to keep a dog crate is, it entirely depends on your dog’s likes and choices. Every dog and even puppies have their preferences. 

Irrespective of whether they are inside or outside the crate, they like to sit or lie down at a particular place. 

If your dog hasn’t decided his favorite corner of the home yet, you can do this:

• It is recommended that you keep your dog close to yourself inside the crate, as this will help you listen to your dog. You can understand what you are trying to say. 
• You should not move the crate often as most dogs don’t like too much movement. 
• During the day, keep the dog crate close to you no matter where you are and at night, keep the dog inside the crate and place it inside the bedroom. 
• If you have to leave your dog unattended for a few days, leave it inside a crate with someone you trust. 

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Will moving a crate around confuse a puppy?

Yes, moving the crate often confuses a dog and especially puppies. 

Puppies are usually put inside a crate to train them properly. The little ones need to be monitored continuously. 

So, to keep an eye on the puppy in your house, you might need to move the crate from one place to another, like in the morning, always keep them with you, and at night keep the dog crate in the bedroom. 

Other than that, avoid any unnecessary movement of the crate. If you keep moving the crate, it will confuse the puppy as the surroundings around the crate will keep on changing. 

To avoid confusion, you can keep your puppy’s favorite food or favorite stuffed toy inside of the crate. This will keep your dog busy for a long time, and it will forget about the change in the environment. 

The Dos and Donts of Crate Training Your Dog or Puppy

When you bring a new dog into your home, you need to keep it inside a crate until it gets used to the environment. You need to train your dog to stay inside of the crate. This training is beneficial, but while training, you need to follow certain dos and don’ts. 

Dos

• Select a crate with a tray under it and make sure that the crate can be pulled easily for cleaning purposes. 
• Choose the crate according to your dog’s size.
• Make the stay of your dog inside of the crate comfortable.
• Place the crate at a place where your dog feels comfortable. 
• Introduce the dog to your crate gradually. 
• Keep your dog’s stay inside of the crate attractive by filling it with favorite toys and food.

Donts

• Do not force your dog to get in or get out of the crate. 
• Don’t keep your dog longer than usual inside of the dog crate.
• Don’t let your dog out of the crate if it whines, as this will send a wrong message to your dog that making noises will set it free from the crate. 
• Don’t punish your dog when it is inside the crate, and use positive reinforcement methods.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

A Few Final Words

The most important thing that you need to understand is that you should never force the pet friend to stay in the crate or also for coming out of the crate. 

When the dog is inside, keep it happy, and don’t forget to secure the door of the crate for your dog’s safety and the safety of the valuable items in your house. 

Thank you for reading. You might want to read more about crate training, especially questions like when to move puppy crate out of the bedroom?