Rewarding a dog in the crate with salmon bits

Salmon treats for crate training are handed over with you in the room, one small bit at a time, for stepping in and for settling inside. The bag says: "Provide fresh water and supervise while feeding." That line shapes the page: no pieces left behind in the crate when you leave, and every bit counted inside the day's allowance.

How do you use salmon treats for crate training?

One way to start: the crate door stays open, a bit goes in, the dog follows it, and another bit arrives while the dog is inside. Nothing about this is special to salmon. The product facts in play are the piece size, which the listing describes as medium sized and breaking into small, quick rewards, and the feeding lines printed on the bag.

Here is one round, start to finish:

1. Break a few pieces into bits and set them in a dish within reach of the crate.
2. Toss one bit inside and wait.
3. When the dog steps in, hand over a second bit through the door.
4. If the dog lies down or stays put, another bit, delivered inside the crate.
5. Finish, let the dog come out, and put the dish away.
6. Wash your hands, and close the pouch if it is out. The bag says: "Reseal the pouch once it is open and store it cool and dry."

That is the whole round. Crate training rewards do not need a special pouch or a special method. If the dog will not follow the bit in, skip ahead to the last question on this page.

Where do you put the pieces in the crate?

Far enough in that the dog has to step all the way inside to reach them. Later in the same round, the bit comes from your hand at the door. That is placement, not theory. This page is not going to tell you what the dog thinks about the crate, the bit or you.

For a dog that lies down inside, the bit can go between the front paws, where the dog can take it without getting up. For a dog that stands, hand it over at nose height through the open door. If you want several rewards in one round, the listing's small, quick rewards fit that plan.

Crumbs count too. The crumbs left from breaking a piece can be a crate reward as well, sprinkled on the tray where the dog is lying. It comes out of the same allowance as a whole bit.

Can you leave salmon in the crate when you go out?

No. The bag says: "Provide fresh water and supervise while feeding." That rules out a piece left on the tray, a stuffed toy left behind, or a handful tucked under a blanket for later. Treats in the crate happen while you are there to watch, and the round ends when you leave the room.

Salmon for a crate toy is a different matter when you are present. Loading a toy or a snuffle mat is covered in our blog on salmon treats for puzzle toys, and the same supervision line applies there. Whether a crated dog should have a water bowl between feeding times is a question for your veterinarian or trainer; the bag's line is about feeding time.

How much salmon goes into a day of crate practice?

The bag does not give a count and neither do we. The number we can give is the label's: about 85.6 kcal per ounce, with 1.5 oz in the pouch. On our product page there is a treat budget calculator. Its default setting is 10 percent of the daily calories you type in, and it shows that share as salmon by weight, never as pieces. The percent and the daily calorie number are your veterinarian's to set; the calculator only does the arithmetic.

A day with several crate rounds is still one allowance. Weigh the day's share into the dish in the morning, and when the dish is empty, the day's salmon is done. The bag says: "Not intended as a complete diet." Meals stay meals, and crate practice runs on the treat share. More of our guides are on the guides hub.