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Crate Training

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan

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A young dog receiving puppy crate training in Metro Detroit, MI from DTE.

Dog Training Elite

Puppy Crate Training in Metro Detroit, MI

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 Metro Detroit, MI 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 Southeast Michigan

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 Metro Detroit, MI 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 Southeast Michigan, 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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Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Janell Tadajewski
    May. 10, 2025
    Dog Training Elite has been an invaluable partner in training our Scout to become a pet therapy dog. The in-home sessions focused on core skills with well thought out strategies personalized to her temperament. The group training brought out her confidence as she mastered commands amidst variable distractions and pressure. Our experience was heightened exponentially by our trainer Steve. He thoroughly explained the why behind the techniques and offered the puppy psychology to bring the concept home. He patiently weaved the lessons and tools into workable blocks which made practice more manageable. Additionally, he made himself available for texts and calls to troubleshoot issues or refresh my memory and adjust our approach. When we passed our certification exam, he was there to celebrate the accomplishment. I highly recommend Steve, Austin and all the trainers of Dog Training Elite….a magnificent organization making a difference for dogs and their families.
  • LouAnn Knaus
    Apr. 21, 2025
    The training is great! They work with you one on one your dog. Help you through the issues you may have. Great experience. Hailey is sweet, energetic and so helpful. She is a must if you want a well behaved dog. Thank you Hailey!
  • Thyra
    Apr. 18, 2025
    We had an amazing experience with Dog Training Elite and our trainer, Steven! He worked with my German Shepherd, Wolfgang, on obedience training and did a phenomenal job. Steven is not only professional and knowledgeable, but also incredibly skilled at explaining techniques clearly and reading both the dog and handler. What really stood out was his ability to pivot and adjust methods if something wasn’t clicking for us—no ego, just a real dedication to helping us succeed. His confidence and calm demeanor made Wolfgang feel comfortable and engaged, and I felt supported every step of the way. We just wrapped up our Platinum package and are really looking forward to starting the group classes soon. I highly recommend Steven and Dog Training Elite to anyone looking for effective, personalized dog training!
  • Jim Ashley
    Apr. 18, 2025
    Working with Austin was a great experience. His knowledge and patience is exceptional. He clearly explains the why, what and how of his training methods. He listens to what your goals are and tailors the training around that. They don't simply run a generic training playbook. I highly, highly recommend.
  • Cindy Warren
    Jan. 28, 2025
    I owned 4 previous dogs (labs) and trained them myself. But then I rescued a husky mix last April. I walk nearby trails everyday and I was struggling with my dog pulling, launching, and passing people and other dogs. Steven Dennison and Elite have helped me learn tips, tools, and training to allow my dog and I to enjoy our hikes without fear of falling, getting angry at her, having to get way off the trail in the poison ivy and tics when people and dogs pass, etc.. And with this new peaceful structure, my dog is more affectionate and attached to me! Steven was kind, understanding, helpful and positive in working with my dog and I. I am SO grateful!
  • Stephanie Shinkle
    Apr. 10, 2025
    Steven was amazing! We were struggling with training our very large puppy. We needed guidance from an expert in this field. Steven was knowledgeable, intuitive, creative and kind. He helped build our confidence and the results are fantastic. Our dog now has manners, doesn't jump on people and loves the "jobs" we give him. I highly recommend this company, Steven!
  • Anna Moreno
    Apr. 9, 2025
    We have used Dog Training Elite 2x now and find them to be amazing. Both our dogs are mini Australian shepherd poodle mixes and can be a handful. We have had both Austin and Hailey as Trainers, and both are exceptional. For our most recent pup,Merlin, we had Hailey as our trainer. She truly understood how worried I have been about not only the safety of our puppy but the safety of my elder mother who is home with him the most. She has made sure that my mom is comfortable using the different training techniques and even has helped us figure out a way for my mom to take merlin on walks while using her walker. Hailey has been a delight to work with. These trainers are amazing, and you are in good hands with them.
  • Mary Starr
    Apr. 7, 2025
    Chuva came home at 12 weeks and we muddled through some initial training attempts. Things weren't going that well and she knew that she ran the house. So we needed some help. Chuva is now 9 months old and we started working with Hailey a couple months ago. Chuva is a much more confident and well-behaved puppy now. The credit goes to Hailey for showing us how to help Chuva learn to pay attention, listen and settle. Hailey was kind and supported us while we learned and showed us great ways to interact with Chuva. Our puppy went from being an ok puppy to being a great, more well-behaved one over the course of about 7 weeks. Today we went out in the world and Chuva did amazing. We will keep working with her using the skills that Hailey taught us. I can't recommend Dog Training Elite and Hailey enough.
  • Anna Harris
    Mar. 28, 2025
    We didn’t know what to expect when we started this process but we are so happy that we did it. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite. We had the pleasure of working with Steve Dennison. He was absolutely fantastic. Always on time. Great communication. Really knows so much about how to train your fur baby. He shows a lot of compassion even when my dog wasn’t happy to see him. Our dog was an 8 year old Pit Terrier. My family was skeptical about her ability to change her behaviors at such a late stage in her life. Steve told us that she just wanted a job to do. She took to the training so well. She sits, place, heel, comes on command, and knows how to leave it. I can walk her on leash without her pulling. The last session was done at Home Depot. We were able to get her to sit and stay put while I walked up and down the aisle until I told her to come. My goal was for her to be able to coexist with my two small 5 lb. Yorkshire terriers. The goal was achieved and then some. Such a great sense of accomplishment. Marley is a very happy dog and so is her Mom and Aunt! Thank you Steve for everything!
  • Susie Garbacz
    Feb. 14, 2025
    Steven from Elite Dog Training was amazing. He helped train our sweet dog Gus and us to make Gus the best he could be. Steven was so kind, helped us understand how the dog thinks, and how we should respond to every situation that Gus is thrown into. We can’t thank Steven enough. I would highly recommend them and Steven!
  • Michelle Jonna
    Feb. 7, 2025
    I contacted Dog training Elite to training my four year old maltipoo to be therapy and service dog after many people told me Brady would be joy to others. We started working with Hailey and she guided myself to give me the proper tools so Brady can volunteer at medical, school, nursing homes and wherever someone might need some extra love. Even when Brady was being a bit stubborn Hailey never allowed me to give up and was so calm and loving. Words can’t express how highly I would recommend Hailey. Brady is always excited to see Hailey.. If your dog needs any training I highly recommend.
  • Kari Jones
    Feb. 7, 2025
    My 3 year old pup Zeus and I have been doing service dog training with Hailey for the past couple months. I could not be more happy with his progress! In around 10 weeks, he has gone from not really healing consistently — to today, when we went to DTW and practiced going through airport TSA. He healed, sat, and laid down on command, all the way through the airport, with flying colors. Hailey has made both Zeus and I feel more confident about taking the lessons we have learned and applying them in public settings. We’ve even had the opportunity to be around a couple other dogs from Dog Training Elite — including a second trainer (Steve?) bringing a dog to meet us at a store, so we could practice passing another dog in crowded store aisles. And they have group classes on the weekends, which we just haven’t been able to attend yet due to this crazy cold winter. Anyway, I rarely write reviews, but I am so happy with this company, and highly recommend Dog Training Elite! I have nothing but praise for the work Hailey has already done. Zeus adores her and is actively excited for our training sessions, and I feel confident that he will continue doing a great job moving forward, thanks to all the skills he has learned.
  • Jon Brown
    Feb. 3, 2025
    We could not be any happier making the decision to use Dog Training Elite to help train our dog, Pistachio! Steven is an amazing trainer and gave us very useful insight and tips on how to reinforce the training outside of the sessions. Even when our dog was challenged in the training sessions, Steven led the training in a way where our dog was still having fun and learning new things. We have noticed such a difference from when we began the training. Our walks and trips around town have become so much more enjoyable as the training has progressed. We look forward to working with Steven and the rest of the DTE staff in the future!
  • Pandy Arrieta
    Jan. 31, 2025
    I have a super energetic pup with an amazing personality and full of love. The way she makes people smile made me want to train her to be a therapy dog. I researched the different companies that offered the training and I am so happy that I have gone with Dog Training Elite because they come to my home to begin the training and use very humane methods. Holleigh is our trainer and she is fantastic! A great way of teaching both my pup and I. I’m so excited to know we will be able to visit places that will appreciate the joy and love she will bring them.
  • Kara Vuich
    Dec. 17, 2024
    What an amazing program! Hailey helped me not only train my dog but understand him on another level! She really impressed me on first day alone and nust got better with each visit. Hailey encouraged me a lot throughout and kept checking in which also helped me stay motivated.
  • Debbie DeborahM
    Dec. 16, 2024
    My five year old rescue pup, Whiskey, just completed training with Hailey Roovers. He was a reactive barker, he jumped on everyone that came in the house and was nervous around other dogs. I could not be any happier with the results of our sessions. Hailey worked through every issue with Whiskey and me. Through Hailey’s instruction he is now a very confident pup! I highly recommend Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan and Hailey Roovers.
  • Breann Shrock
    Dec. 16, 2024
    We started with Dog Training Elite of Southeast Michigan a few weeks after we brought Bailey home. We had not had a puppy in almost 16 years, and forgot how overwhelming & joyful it could be at the same time. Dachshunds are stubborn and not easy to train! We started working with Hailey right away as we knew we wanted to obtain a service dog certification and eventually volunteer at the children’s hospital and hospice floor of our local medical facilities. We are very happy with the results of the basic commands and how well behaved our pup is around other dogs, people of all ages & in various environments. We also love that we can continue to attend group training classes for reinforcement! The mental stimulation proved to be far more beneficial for the puppy energy than any amount of walks we could get her to go on:) Our Doxie is stubborn, but we continue to reinforce the fundamentals - it is a commitment from the owner if you want to maximize what is taught during the 1x1s and group classes, but greatly pays off. Hailey was easy to work with, accommodated our crazy schedule, and truly loves animals & treated Bailey like she was her own. Highly recommend!
  • Teddy
    Nov. 18, 2024
    Hailey was a fantastic trainer for our dog Winnie! She is knowledgeable, kind, funny, and really cares about Winnie’s training🐶 it’s been great working with her and the whole DTE team!
  • Lynn Staten
    Oct. 26, 2024
    We have had THE best experience with this company and their trainers. Ryann has been exceptional to work with. Every tip and trick she has given us has changed how our puppy Chase has been for us. She is full of knowledge and never lets us get down on ourselves when Chase doesn’t get the hang of something immediately, she always reminds us that he is young and new to all of this. Thank you Dog Training Elite for all of your exceptional work and a special thank you to Ryann for your patience with Chase and I.
  • Alyssa Loria
    Oct. 23, 2024
    We have been having a wonderful experience with Dog Training Elite! Both Hailey and Steven have been great to work with and have been helping us understand how to best work with our dog. We have been loving our weekly training sessions with Hailey and our dog has been excelling throughout the training!