Crate Training Your Cairn Terrier

The Basics of Crate Training Your Cairn Terrier

Crate training is an effective way to provide your Cairn Terrier with a safe and comfortable space while helping with house training and reducing destructive behaviors.

Why Crate Training is Important

All dogs should be prepared to spend time in a crate, as it is likely at some point in their lives they will be crated whether it is part of their daily routine or not. The preparation an owner puts in to this training can have a huge effect on the experience the dog has when it is necessary for them to be crated whether it is at the groomer, veterinarians, dog boarding, at home, or traveling. Crate training offers numerous benefits for both you and your Cairn Terrier. It helps with housebreaking by teaching your dog to hold their bladder, provides a safe space for your dog to retreat to, and can reduce anxiety by creating a den-like environment.

Choosing the Right Crate

Select a crate that is large enough for your Cairn Terrier to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably, but not so large that they have space to use one end as a bathroom. A well-sized crate ensures your dog feels secure and helps with the training process. (If you're raising a puppy they will outgrow their initial crate, plan to have 2-3 crates as they grow. This will help avoid accidents or to buy a crate with a partition that can be moved as they grow)

Training Steps

1. Feeding in the Crate: Start by feeding your Cairn Terrier their meals near the crate. This will create a positive association. Add a cue, mine is "KenneL" then food is given once the dog is in the crate and making eye contact or sitting.

2. Gradual Increase: Begin closing the door for short periods while your dog is inside eating. Gradually increase the time they spend in the crate with the door closed. If you leave the room do not re-enter the room if the dog is barking, howling, or digging at the crate. This is rewarding your presence (something the dog wants) with bad behavior. Only re-enter the room when the dog/puppy is calm and quiet. In training I will often stop outside the door and wait for a quiet moment before entering the room. Our puppies generally crate train very easily.

3. Making it comfortable: A solid sided crate, a crate cover, and white noise can all help make a crate more comfortable for a cairn terrier. Remember this is a breed meant to burrow underground, they love private/quiet dark places to sleep.

   
   

(All very typical steps for any breed, but these are of course tenacious and confident cairn terriers we are talking about! My puppies usually go home comfortable with a crate already and SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT their first night home in a crate. If you want to know how I do this step by step you can watch my Youtube)

General rule of thumb is a puppy can control their bowels 1 hour for every month old they are. So an 8 week old puppy can "hold it" for 2 hours. Anytime they play hard, nap, or eat they will need to eliminate shortly afterwards. We recommend feeding dinner at 5-6pm pulling food and water at this time, and doing a final potty walk at 9-10pm. This sets the puppy up for success to sleep through the night until about 6-7am. DO NOT get up at night with your puppy. The schedule you set is the schedule your cairn terrier puppy will keep you on.

Keep your crate within is easy walking distance to the door you will be exiting for potty training and keep easily put on shoes, leash, flashlight etc. where they are readily available.