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Crate Training

Dog Training Elite Indianapolis

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A young dog receiving puppy crate training in Indianapolis, IN from DTE.

Dog Training Elite

Puppy Crate Training in Indianapolis, IN

Crate training for puppies helps your dog develop a sense of security. Crates appeal to a dog’s natural instincts, offering them a safe, familiar area to relax and retreat when needed.

Crate training also plays a key role in housebreaking. 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.

At Dog Training Elite, we offer expert puppy crate training in Indianapolis, IN to help guide you through the process. Our trainers work with you to help your puppy become comfortable with their crate and use it as a positive training tool.

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Dog Training Elite Indianapolis

Crate Training Tips

Crate training is a valuable tool when done correctly, but it's important to follow best practices to ensure your dog remains comfortable and secure. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of crate training.

Avoid leaving your dog in the crate for more than two hours at a time to prevent discomfort and ensure they don’t associate the crate with confinement.
If you’re away for long periods, consider leaving your puppy with a friend or in a safe area where they have more room to move.
Choose a crate that fits your puppy’s size, or use an adjustable crate to accommodate their growth and ensure ongoing comfort.
Leave the crate door open when possible so your dog can enter and exit freely, helping them feel more at ease with the space.
Add a soft bed, blankets, and toys to make the crate a cozy, inviting space your puppy will enjoy spending time in.
Never use the crate for punishment—this can create fear and negative associations with the crate instead of security.
A puppy looking up at its owner during crate training in Indianapolis, IN with DTE.

Why Should You Use Crate Training?

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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, 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 trained 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.

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.

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Two well-behaved puppies after training in their crates.

Start Crate Training Today


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Crate training helps puppies feel secure by providing them with a safe and comfortable space of their own. It also speeds up housebreaking, reduces accidents, and prepares your puppy for situations like vet visits or travel. When done right, crate training fosters a sense of security and builds healthy routines.

At Dog Training Elite Indianapolis, we’re here to support you and your puppy throughout the crate training process. Contact us today for a free consultation and take the first step toward a well-trained and happy pup!

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You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

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Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Kaylene Graber
    Jun. 7, 2025
    Elijah did a wonderful job explaining all the steps in the process of training. He was thorough with what those steps look like he provided great examples of videos of the scent test and then he provided a real life example of the obedience training with his own dog Ash thank you for working with us and our family. We can’t wait to start training!
  • Jessica Beecher
    Jun. 6, 2025
    Dog training elite of Indianapolis has been amazing from the start. Every staff member has been polite and helpful. Elijah has been a god send. Having a child need a service dog presents many challenges. Elijah has not ony been amazing with the dog but with my child who is training the dog. His calm demeanor and patience is refreshing.
  • Corrie Marlowe
    May. 30, 2025
    The whole team and Our trainer Elijah is wonderful. He's a great problem solver at figuring out what your individual dog needs. He makes learning commands easy to understand. He has a passion for what he does and it comes through with each session. We couldn't have had a better trainer. It's obvious he loves what he does. We couldn't have picked a better company to help us train our DAD (Diabetic Alert Dog). Shadow is in the best hands.
  • Natalie Eden
    May. 30, 2025
    We are 2 sessions into training our dog, and the results are amazing. Eli is so knowledgeable and articulate. He really explains what we are doing, and also why we are doing it. The attention to detail is wonderful, and we have seen amazing changes in just one week. I am excited to see how well Murphy does in another month! I would absolutely recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone who wants to see change with their dog.
  • Jordyn Strong
    May. 23, 2025
    Josh has been absolutely incredible with our Duke. He explains each skill in detail, providing demonstrations, and having us demonstrate as well. He always takes the time to answer our questions, even beyond basic obedience skills.
  • Candace Harlan
    Apr. 22, 2025
    We were very happy with our trainer. He was very helpful and gave us a lot of information to help us with our training.
  • Evan Pulliam
    May. 21, 2025
    Having your dog trained can be a big step for owners. Whether that’s cost, time commitment, and questioning whether it’s successful or not. After sending my dog to Dog Elite Training I truly understood a different meaning to ownership and companionship. From the convenience of dropping off and picking up, to success from the trainings, and pure enthusiasm the staff brought everyday. I couldn’t recommend Dog Elite Training enough. As much as the training is for your pet, it’s more for their owner. Within 10 days of training I can no go about my day and enjoy every second with my dog without stress or worry. Having pure trust in my dog is now something I’ll have for a very long time.
  • Cat Coates
    May. 17, 2025
    Josh was absolutely amazing, every single time. He always showed professionalism, friendliness, compassion, expertise, communicativeness, patience, flexibility and humor. Our dog is a rescued pitbull who came from a bad situation and acted out in fear and confusion. We'd tried many techniques and even sent him for a weekend training on a remote farm with dog gurus - seriously, we tried everything! But some of his problematic behaviors just wouldn't stop. Josh helped us to understand our dog's actual needs and showed us how to meet them. With our dog's abundance of health issues when we took him on, we weren't surprised to see that he was also not the brightest dog out there. We always said "he's got no brain, but the biggest heart". Josh came along and trained us to train our dog. Turns out he's no dummy at all and within 1 session his behavior AND confidence were dramatically improved. Because of Josh and this training program we now have full confidence in our ability to guide our rescue pit through a safe, happy, fulfilling, and social life. People have commented on how well behaved he is and we're so proud that he is empowered to show others in public the sweet, loving boy we've always known him to be at home. Thanks, Josh!!!
  • Martina Gaughan
    May. 14, 2025
    Josh came to our home for an in home session following two weeks of day camp training. Douglas, our dog, was really excited to see him! He helped us practice with some of the triggers we encounter at home and encouraged us is the use of what was taught at camp!
  • Beriault Family
    May. 14, 2025
    Best money spent on this training. The care, the love, the details, and the outcome of our dog is mind blowing. Everyone is so wonderful and we are so happy to have found Dog Training Elite! It’s so worth every dollar. We have group training for life and will definitely recommend to everyone! Thank you all! Shout out to George. He’s fantastic!
  • Camellia Poplarski
    May. 13, 2025
    Elijah helped us address very specific issues with each of our dogs. He is so calm and very informative making for a great learning experience for our dogs and for us. He is a pro!
  • tracy cherba
    May. 9, 2025
    Dog Training Elite has been WONDERFUL and extremely helpful in getting my Bella girl ready to be my service dog. I would highly recommend them to anyone that is looking to train their service or therapy animal.
  • Holly Gullett
    May. 7, 2025
    Elijah did a great job, focusing on the problem behaviors I reported. I’ve always been impressed with DTE training staff, during one-on-one lessons and then during group classes. Elijah’s explanations, methods, instructions were clear and easy to follow. I’m confident our pup will catch on quickly with consistent practice and we’ll both be able to enjoy our walks again soon.
  • Hannah Shockey
    Apr. 30, 2025
    Elijah is great. He is really patient and it's so obvious he wants you and your dog to succeed. He is easy to relate to, very kind and great with my dog. I appreciate all of his help.
  • K Crosley
    Apr. 28, 2025
    I really appreciate Elijah from Dog Training Elite as he has helped me so much in training my puppy. I love the program DTE offered me and get so many compliments on how well mannered my puppy is. My neighbors have been very complimentary on my puppys progress too!!! Program well put together with concise directions from my trainer. If i have questions in between sessions I can reach out to my trainer which has been wonderful. They worked with me in personalizing sessions as needed to address any concerns or problems I had in training my puppy. Group classes review and reinforce what has been learned in individual sessions. A great help. Elijah is truly a dog whisperer!!!!
  • Thomas Korecki
    Apr. 25, 2025
    The team at Dog Training Elite did an amazing job training my sweet little girl, Olive! And providing me with the knowledge and tools to tame her rambunctious nature and calm her anxieties. A worthwhile investment in creating a happier and healthier dog!
  • Makaela Hudson
    Apr. 23, 2025
    Josh has been amazing. Have seen so much progress even with only a few sessions.
  • Chris Sargent
    Apr. 22, 2025
    My pup was very stubborn and had terrible recall. This dog training has made her one of the easiest pups to walk and call back. Worth every penny.
  • Brenda C Gordon
    Apr. 21, 2025
    My dog is a Cane Corso so proper training was a priority. I researched the available options before deciding to train with Dog Training Elite. I asked them lots of questions and let them know my expectations. The preliminary interview with the company owner, Doug, and our family (including our dog) satisfied my expectations. The first training session was great. Our trainer was Josh. We had the best first session learning how consistent and clear commands make for quick understanding. Our dog responded to Josh better than I anticipated.
  • Sarah Randall
    Apr. 18, 2025
    We had a great experience with Dog Training Elite and highly recommend them. Elijah was easy to work with, professional, knowledgeable and made training fun.