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Crate Training for Puppies in Wilmington, NC

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910-569-3647


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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 Wilmington, as well as important tips to keep in mind throughout the training process.

Puppy training with Dog Training Elite Wilmington 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 Wilmington that includes crate training services.

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


Silver

Pricing Coming Soon!

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 4 Sessions
  • Come
  • 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)

Gold

Pricing Coming Soon!

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 5 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 6 Months
  • Come
  • 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
  • Go home(go into kennel or dog house)
  • Wait
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP bolting through doors

Platinum

Pricing Coming Soon!

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 5 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 8 Months
  • Community Training SessionsOne-on-one with you & trainer 2 Sessions
  • Come
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Heel(walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Build Confidence
  • Get into Car or Kennel
  • STOP Running Away
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Puppy Biting
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • STOP Chewing
  • STOP Digging
  • Go home(go into kennel or dog house)
  • Wait
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP bolting through doors

  • Choose to Address Advanced Concerns: - Calm Anxiety
    - Control Aggression (dog & human)
  • Or Choose One Tailored Skill Below: *Specialized training options based upon your dog's abilities. - Therapy dog training See Details - Emotional Support Dog Training
    - Ride on a Golf Cart, Skateboard, or Wagon
    - Stay with You on Jog, Hike, or Bike Ride
    - Other Custom Command Approved by Trainer
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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!

Excellent professionalism and experienced trainer. Working together we accomplished a lot with my Frenchie. Highly recommend.
— Don Bullard
Posted September 20th 2024
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The training for my golden was a fantastic experience in all aspects ! I was dealing with a lovable, energetic, sweet 4 year old pup that would not walk on a leash and immediately would hide when I would bring the leash out. Katy immediately developed a bond with her and soon developed a trust with her. Katy was patient and knowledgeable in her techniques. It was surprising how fast my dog began to respond to her training. I highly recommend Elite to anyone with a dog in need of training. Katy provided excellent recommendations and was professional and pleasant to work with even for the owner who also may need training! 😃
— Paula Mazzoccante
Posted August 20th 2024
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This program was a wonderful fit for me and my dog, Finn. Our trainer, Katy, is excellent to work with. Katy is patient, kind, knowledgable and Finn loved her (and I did, too!)! I purchased the platinum plan which includes 10 in-home training sessions and then unlimited group classes. Katy came to our house each time on time and ready to work, and Finn really responded to the training techniques. I feel confident that I have better command of Finn now and he learned a few cool tricks, as well. I would absolutely recommend Dog Training Elite of Wilmington and we look forward to beginning our group classes on Saturday! Thank you, Katy! We will miss our Mondays with you!
— Laurie McGeoghegan
Posted June 3rd 2024
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My name is Shirley and my dog Brandy. We live in a suburb of Wilmington, N.C. 4 years ago, I rescued Brandy from a shelter. She was 10 months old. She has from day one, been a very energetic and friendly, loving dog. However, she displayed the following behavioral issues: 1) pulling on the leash (I had to stop walking her, 2) jumping on people, 3) not coming when called 4) Very aggressive when seeing other dogs. She now is 5yrs old and continues to be sweet and loving. But she had been far from obedient. I had enrolled her in a number of dog training classes including a 3week stay at a boot camp obedience program that all proved to be unsuccessful. At the boot camp. I was informed that she did well there. On her last day of training, I was given a demonstration of how obedient she was with the trainers. However, as the dog owner, I was provided with less than 2 hours of training instructions. After the amount of money that I had paid for what I thought would be “good training” turned out to be extremely disappointed. I had resigned myself to never having Brandy becoming an obedient pup. It was disheartening. And then I discovered while browsing the WEB, “ELITE AWARD WIINNING DOG TRAINING***** in Wilmington. After reading their positive reviews, their mission statements, and meeting with the Owner, I enrolled Brandy in their training program. Darren and Katy who I now refer to as “my Angels” provided the training and so much support. All training was done at my home where Brandy was the most comfortable. The results far exceeded my expectations for both Brandy and myself. Darren and Katy are phenomenal trainers. Their philosophy in training dogs is unique and uses gentle guidance. The training session were always fun and engaging for both Brandy and me. Every training session began with playing with Brandy and ending the session with play time again. She always looked forward to their visits. Katy and Darren were always patient and supportive, answering all my questions and addressing all concerns. Their support included checking in with me between training sessions and addressing any questions/concerns I had and providing recommendations as needed. This never occurred with any of the prior training programs. I was also given homework assignments and tips to practice at home and reinforce what was learned during each training session. After only a few weeks of training, Brandy is a completely different dog. She... • No longer pulls on her leash nor gets distracted. Our walks are longer and enjoyable. • Comes immediately when I call her. • Greets people without jumping on them. • Does not try to “escape” when someone comes to the door. • Has become sweeter and more loving. • Is a happier dog and I am a happier human. Darren and Katy helped me achieve all my goals. I am so very grateful for all their work and all their support.
— Shirley Tedesco
Posted February 1st 2024
google
Loved the service came out to my home and trained my 13 week old shi tzu zak the trainer was lovely and very helpful definitely recommend
— Cedric Green
Posted January 3rd 2024
google
I got a new puppy recently and Hayley came and helped me set her up for success! She provided awesome tips and was super friendly, I'm very satisfied and can't wait for another session in the future!
— Kathleen Gilliam
Posted December 31st 2023
google
I was having trouble walking my strong black lab who likes to take the lead and pull me down the street. He often gets distracted, and wants to follow a scent and would end up dragging me into bushes or the grass. It was painful to say the least. I tried using treats, a gentle leader leash and a pinch collar to keep him next to me without success. I called Dog Training Elite because I couldn’t take it anymore. Caden came to my house for a free consultation. After testing my dog’s ability to obey commands, Caden assured me the technique they use would train him to walk beside me on our walks. I CANNOT believe the difference the training has made! It took 3 sessions, with daily training from me in between. The trainer, Mark was very detailed and thorough as to what I needed to do to get the behavior I needed from my dog. He was patient with me and spelled out everything I need to know. I am beyond thankful! I now have a dog who walks beside me. I would give this company a 10 star review if I could!
— Leanne Young
Posted December 20th 2023
google
We had an amazing experience with the team and 2 of our pups we currently have under rescue. In the short time they worked with them, the difference was truly impressive. Thank you! #freedombridgeanimalrescuenc
— diana topjian
Posted December 20th 2023
google
We loved working with the Dog Training Elite team! We did their puppy training with our 3 month old Labrador Retriever. They gave us the tools to teach our puppy basic commands and laid the foundation for a well-behaved pup. It was super helpful to have access to the trainers via text or call if we had any questions or needed advice (even over a holiday weekend!). We can't wait to work with them more!
— Abby Ramsey
Posted December 6th 2023
google
Katy is the best and I cannot recommend her enough!! I loved working with her and my pups love her even more!!
— Alexandria Price
Posted November 10th 2023
google
Darren and Kati joined us and our pup this afternoon. It was a great experience with educational tips and tricks to help our dog listen and love to learn. 5 out of 5 stars! We will be booking more sessions.
— Averee Gerold Coley
Posted November 5th 2023
google
What a great experience this has been. We had a good dog and he’s only gotten better. The knowledge from the trainers goes beyond teaching our dog to be better, but has helped us be better owners for our dog. The difference in a few short weeks is nothing short of life changing for our family.
— Kiernan Berger
Posted October 31st 2023
google
I’d highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone. The dog trainers are fantastic and in just a couple of weeks we saw drastic improvements in our dog. We are so thankful for Dog Training Elite!
— Madison Berger
Posted October 30th 2023
google
Great attention to detail. Would highly recommend to friends and family.
— JAKE MOORE
Posted October 19th 2023
google
Very professional and knowledgeable in dog training. Their trainers were able to assist with training our Irish Setter with ease and ensure that we understood what was needed to be good dog parents and have a successful program. Highly recommended for anyone looking for top quality dog training and professional services! 🦮🐾
— Ramiro Rodriguez
Posted October 18th 2023
google

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

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 Wilmington, 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.

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 Wilmington, including crate training for puppies.

Crate Training for Puppies
Tips From Dog Training Elite in Wilmington


  • 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 Wilmington with crate training classes for your pup.

Dog Training Elite Wilmington 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.