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Tips For Crate Training A Rescue Dog

March 1, 2021 by Mary Telesz

puppy that is being crate training a rescue dogIf you have recently adopted a rescue dog, you may likely have realized that caring for such a pet is challenging. Most rescue dogs have endured traumatic experiences and therefore need time to form a connection with a new owner. However, the process of training a rescue can appear less daunting if you follow a series of simple steps.

Tips For Crate Training A Rescue Dog

According to The Humane Society, of the 3 million dogs and cats euthanized in shelters in the U.S. each year, approximately 80% are healthy and treatable and can thus be adopted. Although there are several tips you can follow to crate-train your rescue dog, here are six especially helpful pieces of advice.

Choose The Right Size Crate

dog whos owner had help For Crate Training A Rescue DogBefore you begin to crate-train your rescue dog, you should verify that the crate you purchase is the correct size. If it helps, you can measure your pet. Your dog should be able to stand up and comfortably move around in his crate. If the crate is too small, your pet may easily become anxious or rambunctious.

Introduce The Crate

Once you have found the right crate, it’s important to allow your dog the opportunity to become accustomed to it. It is generally a good idea to place the crate in an area of your house you use frequently, such as the living room. If you leave the door open, your dog may enter the crate or exit it whenever he wants. If several days have passed and your pooch is still reluctant to use the crate, you can try coaxing him by speaking to him in a soft voice.

Make It Very Comfy

To make your dog’s crate feel comfortable, place a blanket, a towel, or any other type of bedding inside of it. You can try using different types of padding until you identify one that your pet looks comfortable sitting on. This is especially important if your dog fidgets frequently.

Use Treats And Toys Inside The Crate

Aside from bedding, treats and toys can make a dog feel happy inside a crate. You can begin by leaving treats near the crate to lure your pet into it, then place them inside once he has started to enter the crate without any help. If your dog does not appear to like treats, you can try using toys. In either case, just remember to patiently wait until your pet is ready to enter his crate. Don’t ever force him to go in.

Slowly Increase Crate Training

Once your dog has visibly become accustomed to being in the crate, you can gradually begin increasing the amount of time he spends in it. If he starts to rest in the crate for long periods of time, you can reward him with a treat. You can also try going in another room to see how long your dog can sit in the crate in your absence.

Have Your Dog Sleep In His Crate

It’s also important for your dog to learn to sleep in his crate. You can start by putting the crate in your bedroom so that you and your pet can be close when you sleep. Rescue dogs are especially prone to emotions such as anxiety and isolation. Therefore, it may not be a good idea to leave them alone for extended periods of time (at least not initially).

sleepy dog who has help with crate training a rescue dogThese are the most important tips to remember when crate training a rescue dog. If your pooch displays behavioral issues such as excessive whining, you can try using different keywords for commands or ignoring him. Regardless of your strategy, remember to be patient and never lash out at your dog, as this may cause him to feel anxious.

Work With Paw Pals For Dog Sitting Services For Tips On Crate Training A Rescue Dog

Reach out to the professionals at Paw Pals for more tips on crate training a rescue dog. We provide pet sitting and dog walking services to pet owners throughout Northern Virginia. We were founded by Mary Telesz, a local family woman and Australian Shepherd owner.

Paw Pals’ sitters are all licensed, bonded, and fully insured. They are also Pet Tech-certified in Pet CPR and First Aid. We offer regular (non-overnight) vacation visits, in-home overnight dog sitting, and bed & biscuit service. Our visits include walks, brushing, and treats, as well as fresh food, water, and medications (if required). We also provide additional services such as dog supply pick-up and dog taxi service.

Call Paw Pals today at (703) 345-1695 or contact us online to learn more about our dog sitting services.

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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