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Crate Training for Puppies in Cincinnati, OH

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When introducing a new puppy to your home, crate training is one of the most important instructions for your pup. Though some dog owners initially question the idea of crate training, a crate gives you and your dog a sense of security when used properly. Read on to learn more about the benefits of enrolling in a crate training puppy program in Cincinnati, as well as important tips to keep in mind throughout the training process.

Puppy training with Dog Training Elite Cincinnati gives you all the skills and tools you need to help make your new puppy a part of the family, without using shock collars. Contact us today!

What is Crate Training?

Crate training is the practice of teaching a puppy that a metal, plastic, or fabric-covered cage (crate) is their safe place. This taps into the natural denning instincts of dogs, and they will learn that the crate is their personal spot that they can retreat to whenever they desire.

In addition to offering dogs a sense of peace and territory, crate training significantly speeds up the house breaking process. Once a puppy learns that their crate is a safe place, or 'den', they will instinctively want to keep this area clean. During house breaking, keeping your puppy inside the crate dramatically reduces accidents. Keep eyes and ears open to your puppy's bathroom signals and quickly bring him or her outside. This will help your puppy learn that outside is the place to go, not inside.

Dog Training Elite offers a professional puppy training program in Cincinnati that includes crate training services.

Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Cincinnati location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Gold Training Program

$2,145

Our Gold program offers all the basics of obedience/behavior training.

Training Equipment Included: E-Collar

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 5 Sessions
  • Group Training Sessions 12 Sessions
  • Ongoing Support
  • Come (come when called)
  • Heel (walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Get Into Car or Kennel
  • STOP Running Away
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Puppy Biting
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • STOP Chewing
  • STOP Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food

Platinum Training Program

$2,745

Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.

Training Equipment Included: E-Collar

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
  • Group Training Sessions Unlimited
  • Ongoing Support
  • Come (come when called)
  • Heel (walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Get Into Car or Kennel
  • STOP Running Away
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Puppy Biting
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • STOP Chewing
  • STOP Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Bolting Through Doors
  • Focus on either Anxiety or Aggression/Reactive
  • Choose to Address Advanced Concerns: - Calm Anxiety
    - Control Aggression
  • Or Choose One Tailored Skill Below: *Specialized training options based upon your dog's abilities. - Therapy dog training See Details - Emotional Support Dog Training (see details below) - Ride on a Golf Cart, or Wagon
    - Stay with You on Jog, Hike, or Bike Ride
    - Other Custom Command Approved by Trainer

Gold

$1,895

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 5 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 16 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)
  • Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
  • Manners, Safety & Boundaries
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Mouthing & Nipping
  • STOP Chewing & Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
  • STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
  • STOP Reactivity (dog & human)

Platinum

$2,495

Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions Unlimited Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)
  • Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
  • Manners, Safety & Boundaries
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Mouthing & Nipping
  • STOP Chewing & Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
  • STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
  • STOP Reactivity (dog & human)
  • *Stay With You on a Job or Bike Ride (off-leash)
  • *Emotional Support Dog Training(ESA)
  • *Control Aggression(dog & human)
  • *Calm Extreme Anxiety(behavioral modification)
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We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!

Alex is an outstanding dog trainer who worked wonders with our 6-month-old Bernedoodle, Snoopy! His kindness and patience were evident throughout the training sessions, and Snoopy responded positively to his techniques. Thanks to Alex, our family now and enjoys peaceful walks, and we no longer dread visitors at our front door. Alex’s expertise has greatly improved our relationship with Snoopy, and we highly recommend him for anyone seeking effective dog training. -The Fitch Family
— Little Rascals Photography
Posted April 9th 2024
google
Alex is a fantastic trainer. His love for dogs is easy to see. We loved how quickly he learned our puppy’s personality and adapted training to optimize her strengths. The whole experience was easy and delightful. Everyone in the company is friendly, professional and supportive. I absolutely will use them on our next dog and strongly recommend them to everyone.
— Jenna Meyer
Posted April 1st 2024
google
Our experience with Elite Dog Training was amazing! Alex our trainer was wonderful with my dogs. They have several physical limitations that he was respectful of and provided multiple options for them. I could tell each time that he thought about our dogs before each session and what might work best to help them. Above all I could tell that he loved what he does, which came through and helped to make our experience so successful. Not only are my dogs better behaved but I can see their confidence has increased. My dogs are both rescues who have bad cases of PTSD, so seeing them come into their own and feel comfortable has been the best part of my experience.
— Amanda Boeshart
Posted March 23rd 2024
google
Our sweet puppy is doing so well with her training! Thank you, Alex, for the excellent training!! She’s about to pass her service dog training certification test and we are so excited!! She’s gone to many restaurants, group therapy, counseling and COSI for the day!! It’s so great to have her with us all the time!! Thanks so much!!
— Sarah VanAs
Posted March 17th 2024
google
Excellent trainers. Friendly! Really cared about how my dog and I were progressing.
— Josh VanAs
Posted March 16th 2024
google
I would highly recommend working with Dog Training Elite. Our basset hound rescue, Harold, was highly reactive and would not let us take care of basic needs like getting a harness on to go outside, grooming or going to the vet. We knew he needed training, but could not take him out of the house to a trainer. Michelle, the office manager, was very helpful in getting us set up for an evaluation and training. Scott and Jenn came to our home, evaluated Harold, and over a period of six weeks taught us how to deal with Harold's idiosyncrasies. They gave us the tools that we needed to work with Harold, BUT we had to put in the day-to-day work to utilize those tools, which we did. Within six weeks, we had a new dog. Harold figured out that he could trust us and that changed all of our lives.
— Sue McFarland
Posted March 15th 2024
google
This company is amazing, if you are looking for dog training that works, then this is your company. We were thinking of re homing our dog due to his behavior. We thought he wasnt the right fit for our family, until Alex came out and after 5 weeks of training we now have a different dog. He responded to the training immediately, Alex.and this company really care about your dog and their progress. It has been the best decision we have made.
— Joe Tinker
Posted March 14th 2024
google
Alex has been so great to work with. We have gained the confidence to be able to train our dog and be able to take him anywhere with us. We are so grateful for Alex's patience and knowledge to walk us through the process!
— Shelly Buck
Posted March 7th 2024
google
Alex does a great job of listening to what you are trying to accomplish and uses proven techniques to help you train your furry friend. Training US was was the hardest part. 😁
— Andy Buck
Posted March 7th 2024
google
Alex was wonderful with our German Shepherd. He paid attention to Gunner’s cues and took it from there. If you need someone to help with an anxious big dog like ours, I would not hesitate to call him.
— Christy Westendorf
Posted February 12th 2024
google
We have a very reactive dog. Great with those she loves and aggressive with strangers. This includes pizza delivery, door dash drivers, or friends and neighbors! We’ve tried Very expensive dog training services in the past from specialized Behavioral Vets to those with many years of experience with reactive dogs. Scarlet received the meds she requires and we learned to read her behavior but her behavior didn’t really change. We decided to give “Dog Training Elite” a chance. Within 2-3 sessions with Alex, Scarlet became a different dog. The collar acts as gentle reminder to stop her crazy behavior and she then can focus on her commands. I’m confident Scarlet is a good dog with an extremely high amount of fear and anxiety. This training is helping her to calm her brain and organize her thoughts so she can control her behaviors. I highly recommend Alex and Dog Training Elite Cincinnati East. Alex genuinely cares for your pets and their success and is a highly motivated trainer. Run don’t walk if you are looking for dog training with a unique and effective system.
— Kathy Harrison
Posted February 11th 2024
google
Alex was great with our dogs!
— Julie Connell
Posted February 11th 2024
google
Alex did a great job with my Great Dane, she wasn’t awful before she just needed to learn some manners. He was detailed and took his time teaching her and myself all the tricks! Highly recommend.
— Lydia Turner
Posted January 31st 2024
google
Dog Training Elite has been the most effective tools I’ve had for training my dog. Alex VanWeeldon provided superior instruction for me and my toy Golden-doodle and I can’t wait to get started on my other dog. Within a day of her training the high pitched excessive barking was completely under control. I have a very busy schedule but working only 15 minutes a day on her training has addressed all concerns for raising a happy, and well-behaved dog. I was amazed with the results because at 1-1/2 years old she had established some pretty annoying habits. The training absolutely works and I highly recommend Dog Training Elite and Alex!l
— Bonnie Esposito
Posted January 19th 2024
google
Scott and Jen with Dog Training Elite are phenomenal! We have a 3-year-old mini Aussie/heeler mix named Mazie who is a big ball of anxiety and stubbornness, but is super sweet with the people she knows. When we started with DTE, Mazie was extremely reactive to new people in our house and when seeing dogs on walks. Scott and Jen have been tremendously patient working with us and Mazie and have guided us through numerous strategies to reduce Mazie's reactiveness. We are absolutely thrilled that Mazie is no longer reactive to people coming in our house! The in-home sessions were exactly what Mazie needed and she has started to join the group classes instead of watching from a distance while losing her mind. We are continuing to work with Mazie when she is around other dogs but she is miles ahead of where she was before we started the DTE program! We highly recommend Scott and Jen with DTE for anyone who struggles with a reactive dog :)
— Micah Garcia
Posted December 27th 2023
google
I highly recommend Dog Training Elite Cincinnati to train your puppy/dog or emotional support pup. I loved their specialized services they offer. The trainers are so caring, reliable and a joy to work with.
— Danielle Seymore
Posted December 18th 2023
facebook
They work wonders for your furry friends, excellent group of trainers!
— Steve Lane
Posted November 20th 2023
google
It has been wonderful working with Scott and Jen to address the problems (primarily fights exuberant puppy/older dog) we were having with our puppy dogs. We gained insight into both dogs behaviors and know what to watch for to prevent fights. Also, they equipped us with training aids and worked with us individually to lay the foundation of obedience. After several weeks we began group instruction to work on obedience with distraction of other dogs in local park/public settings. I highly recommend Scott and Jen at DTE Greater Cincinnati! They changed our pack dynamics in the best way.🐾🐾
— Emily Webb Miller
Posted July 14th 2023
facebook
It has been wonderful working with Scott and Jen to address the problems (primarily fights exuberant puppy/older dog) we were having with our puppy dogs. We gained insight into both dogs behaviors and know what to watch for to prevent fights. Also, they equipped us with training aids and worked with us individually to lay the foundation of obedience. After several weeks we began group instruction to work on obedience with distraction of other dogs in local park/public settings. I highly recommend Scott and Jen at DTE Greater Cincinnati!
— Emily Miller
Posted July 14th 2023
google
Dog Training Elite is very professional and personable. Within a week of attending a training session, which was offered at the house, we could see immediate results. Our dog loves the training sessions with other dogs as well, and is always excited to attend. I highly recommend this company, well worth your money and time. Your search is over, you won't regret it!
— Becky Lynn Bridgman
Posted June 26th 2023
google

All Reviews Set Up an Assessment Today!

Dog Training Elite offers expert in-home crate training puppy services near you in Cincinnati.

Why Should You Use Crate Training?

In addition to offering dogs a sense of peace and territory, crate training significantly speeds up the house-breaking process. Once a puppy learns that their crate is a safe place, or 'den', they will instinctively want to keep this area clean. During house-breaking, keeping your puppy inside the crate dramatically reduces accidents. Keep eyes and ears open to your puppy's bathroom signals and quickly bring him or her outside. This will help your puppy learn that outside is the place to go, not inside.

Crate training can also improve other aspects of your pet's life. A dog that is used to a crate will feel more comfortable when traveling and have a safe place to retreat during thunderstorms or noisy guests. At Dog Training Elite Cincinnati, we believe that crate training can enhance the lives of both dog and owner when done properly.

Additional benefits of crate training include:

  • General safety: Having your pup in their crate allows them to be alone while you are unable to watch them. Whether you are busy at home or out of the house, a crate training puppy can give you peace of mind that your pup is safe and secure.
  • Effective evacuation: In emergencies, crate training can save your dog’s life as a quick, low-stress way to evacuate.
  • Calmer vet visits: Should your pup be required to stay overnight at the vet’s, they will experience less stress and put up little resistance in their cage if they have been crate trained.

Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation

At Dog Training Elite Cincinnati, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite Cincinnati works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.

Learn More

Is Crate Training Your Puppy Necessary?

While crate training is not necessary for housebreaking, it undoubtedly makes the process easier. Owners who choose to housebreak without the use of a crate will need more time and more patience when it comes to cleaning up accidents.

Crate training is also the safest option for keeping your puppy safe when unattended, protecting them during traveling, and limiting household damage with restless puppies.

When Should You Start Crate Training?

Crate training young, starting at about 8 weeks, is the best option for most pups and their owners. Keep in mind, though, that puppies under the age of 6 months should not be confined to their crate for more than three or four hours at a time. Allowing them to stay in the crate for too long will lead to a messy space, as young puppies are unable to control their bladders or bowels for extended periods. This also applies to adult dogs who are being housetrained.

Dog Training Elite has an award winning puppy training program in Cincinnati, including crate training for puppies.

Crate Training for Puppies
Tips From Dog Training Elite in Cincinnati


  • While crating is an important dog training process, your dog should not spend most of their time in a crate. We advise you to never leave your dog locked in the crate for more than two hours at a time.
  • If you must be away from home all day, it's best to drop your dog off with a friend so the crate does not become overly dirty and your pup isn’t confined to a small space for too long.
  • Crates come in different sizes, and some options can be adjusted as your dog grows to keep them comfortable.
  • When possible, leave the crate door open so your dog feels free to come and go.
  • Add a doggie bed, soft blankets, and plush toys so your puppy feels comfortable inside the crate.
  • Never use crating as a punishment — this will only teach your dog to fear the crate.

Dog Training Elite has award winning puppy training in Cincinnati with crate training classes for your pup.

Dog Training Elite Cincinnati includes tips and tricks for crate training in our puppy training programs. Our unique techniques based on the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning") ensure our program is a success no matter how much crate training experience your pup has.

If you are searching for a crate training puppy program in your local area, contact us today.

Pricing Programs Free Assessment

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Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


  • Empowering Owners
    We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
  • Personalized
    We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
  • Environment Specific
    We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
  • Supportive
    We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
  • Involved
    We work with all members of the household.
  • Simplified & Customized
    We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
  • Continued Training
    Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
  • Lifetime Investment
    We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
  • Satisfaction Ratings
    Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.