People Share Tips For Crate Training Your Dog And Dealing With Separation Anxiety
A Quora thread about crate training turned into a full-on debate the second someone compared a puppy’s “separation anxiety” to being locked in a bedroom while your door stays shut. People weren’t just trading cute tips, they were trying to explain what the dog is actually going through when you step out, even if it’s only for dinner or a quick errand.
In the middle of all that, one person laid out their exact routine: toy inside, a cookie or two when the door closes, potty time before leaving, and then lots of “good girl” energy when they come back. Another commenter flipped the whole perspective for the original poster, saying the pup is basically getting “adopted” by strangers who disappear for a couple hours, with no idea when the door will open again.
And once you hear that dinner-sized comparison, crate training stops being a simple routine and starts feeling like a tiny, daily negotiation.
Here's what the original Quora question said.
People were pretty helpful in their answers to this question.
Start with small steps. Put her in her crate. Tell her you will be home soon and leave for 5 or 10 minutes. When you get home and let her out, give her a treat and extra love and attention. Next time, stay a little longer and a little longer until she is confident you will be home soon, and give her a treat and love.
Just know that if you are leaving her in a crate for a long workday, this probably won't help, as puppies especially have a lot of energy and need exercise and attention throughout the day.
Dogs may eventually learn to love their crate, and that's what people are telling them.
That’s a good question. When we first get a puppy, the first thing we do is crate train them. The pup gets its own toy and a cookie or two whenever we leave her in the crate, including at bedtime. Be sure she has a nice blanket and maybe a soft toy she can cuddle with, but not eat.
Let her know when you are going somewhere that it’s good girl time, and take her out to go potty. When she returns, she goes into her cage to get her good girl cookie. Then leave her after telling her what a good girl she is, and happily tell her you will be home soon and to take a nap.
When you return, take her right outside, and maybe give her a good girl cookie for having been a good girl while you were gone. This always works for us. She heads right for her crate when she sees us getting ready to go out, even before we take her out to go potty first.
She loves her crate. Be sure it is warm and cozy, and cover it to keep the sun out so she feels safe in her ‘den.’
This guy definitely tried putting things into perspective for OP.
You, yourself, have just been “adopted” by a family. The family goes out for a couple of hours for dinner. They have left you, a relative stranger to them, in your bedroom. Your door is locked; you might have water or some food (you are young and still growing) and have nothing to occupy yourself.
How about a couple of toys? How about a nice piece of jerky to chew on? Are you scared to be in that still strange situation? I’ll bet you are. What are you going to do?
People were pretty helpful with their advice here.
Puppies are pack dogs and experience separation anxiety when left alone, especially while young. We give our puppy a Kong ball filled with treats (usually carrots, celery, and peanut butter) to keep her busy while we are gone. I will also turn the music on or the TV on for her, which seems to help.
That’s when the “start with 5 or 10 minutes” plan, complete with treats and a quick return, became the main argument in the thread.
That “punish the pet for not coming” plan echoes a dog owner’s nasty backlash after trying to punish their pet.
Then the puppy routine kicked in, with someone saying their dog runs to the crate the moment they see the family getting ready to go out.
But the whole vibe changed when the commenter basically asked OP to picture themselves left in a locked bedroom while the family went out for dinner.
So while people talked about cozy blankets, nap time, and “good girl cookie” rewards, the real fight was over whether the crate makes a dog feel safe or trapped.
We totally understand why dogs act this way when left in a crate, but hopefully, the OP can take some of this advice and keep their dog comfortable. It's a common issue to deal with, so asking a question about it here definitely was the right call.
The family dinner did not end well, not for the dog, and not for OP’s patience with the situation.
Want the “patience is key” playbook? Check out how dog owners built lasting bonds in this guide to sweet, long-term pet relationships.
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