Crate training trips up new owners quickly. Getting the puppy inside is rarely the hard part; staying calm once the door shuts is. Most videos in this pack demonstrate the easy introduction using a cooperative dog and skip what happens when yours starts screaming — the rankings below weight each video on how well it handles both halves of the problem.
Short verdict
Start with McCann Dog Training's 'Biggest Mistake' video. It is the only resource here that addresses all three phases — building value, maintaining a daily schedule, and knowing when the dog is ready to leave the crate — so you can follow one resource from day one to graduation. If your puppy already resists going in or barks from the moment the door closes, skip ahead to Will Atherton Canine Training or McCann's separate whining video. Both are ranked below.
The ranking
1
Best overall
The BIGGEST Mistake People Make With Crate Training A Puppy
McCann Dog Training · 16:01 · Jun 2020
Ken Steepe of McCann Dog Training opens by naming the central mistake that makes crate training harder than it needs to be: putting a dog straight in and closing the door before the crate holds any positive value. He demonstrates with two dogs — a puppy learning the basics and Mac, a competition sheepdog — showing how to run an 'offering game' where every treat lands inside the crate, never at the door 2:07–2:47. Separate chapters then cover the daily schedule, the exercise step most owners skip, what to do after an accident in the crate, and a specific sequence for graduating the puppy out of it altogether.
Why it ranks here: No other ranked video addresses the graduation question: when can the crate door finally stay open? That is what most owners need to know from the start. The chapter structure means you can return to the exact section you need — accidents at 9:08, graduation at 13:06 — rather than re-watching the whole thing. A commenter reports a six-week-old puppy calm after just eight barking episodes using the quiet-praise technique described around 4:38. The divider guidance 12:21–12:54 is also the clearest here, spelling out precisely why an oversized crate causes toilet accidents.
~16 min · intermediate · wire or plastic crate with a divider recommended
2
Best foundations
Stop Crate Training Mistakes Before They Start!
Simpawtico Dog Training · 14:21 · Feb 2018
Simpawtico Dog Training opens by addressing the objection that crates are cruel, grounding the counter-argument in canine denning behaviour rather than opinion 0:34–1:50. The video works methodically through every practical decision a new owner faces: which of five crate types suits the dog and home 4:51–7:27, how to size the crate correctly, a full habituation sequence timed to the dog's energy level 8:52, and the age-based duration formula at 11:29. It is the only ranked video to recommend keeping two crates — one in the living area and one in the bedroom 13:01.
Why it ranks here: Watch this before you buy anything. The crate-types section compares plastic, wire, soft-sided, fashion and heavy-duty options in enough depth to make a sensible purchase. The explicit statement that crates provide no outlet for pent-up energy 4:26 is a point other videos leave implied; getting this wrong is the most common reason crating feels cruel when it need not be. The two-crate recommendation 13:01 also explains why many owners find a puppy settles in one room but falls apart in another. There are no product placements.
~14 min · introductory · best watched before buying a crate
3
Best when the puppy resists
The ULTIMATE Crate Training Guide For Your New Dog
Will Atherton Canine Training · 8:50 · Jun 2023
Will Atherton presents as a canine behaviourist and opens with two concrete tools: a frozen Kong stuffed with the dog's food — what he calls a 'frozen meatical' — available exclusively inside the crate 0:34–0:52, and a tapping technique on top of the crate 3:31–3:36 to interrupt barking without reinforcing it. He then builds duration gradually by adding time and distance 5:14, and at 7:39 introduces a long line attached to the crate for proofing the behaviour once the owner moves out of sight.
Why it ranks here: The tapping technique fills a gap the other ranked videos leave open. Several commenters report dogs settling within ten minutes of a first attempt, including one whose puppy had been 'ripping at' the crate beforehand. The frozen Kong gives even a stressed dog something to focus on from the very first session. Both tools require no specialist equipment. At under nine minutes this is also the fastest route through the resistance problem without skipping meaningful steps.
~9 min · easy · Kong toy and frozen wet food needed
4
Best for whining and barking
Stop Your Dog From Whining In Their Crate
McCann Dog Training · 12:07 · Oct 2022
Kayl McCann works with Nico, a dog whose owners describe constant crate barking. She begins by checking that the dog has no valid reason to whine — toilet, hunger, thirst — before treating it as a training issue 0:12–0:59. The three-step method progresses from a calm verbal 'quiet' cue, to a physical distraction, to a long line for dogs that do not respond to sound alone 5:34–6:47. The video also covers crate placement and demonstrates covering the crate with a blanket to reduce visual stimulation 10:14.
Why it ranks here: This is the only ranked video that starts from 'the dog is already barking' rather than 'here is the introduction.' Timing is the core lesson: Kayl states clearly that the reward or correction must land within one second of the noise stopping 5:14. The principle she identifies at 8:02 — the dog only sees her when it is quiet — is simple but easy to get backwards under pressure. Multiple commenters report the barking stopped within five minutes of a first attempt.
~12 min · easy · some crate introduction already in place
5
Quickest introduction
How to Crate Train a Puppy
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution · 8:06 · Nov 2016
Zak George introduces crate training with a Cocker Spaniel puppy named Magnolia, framing the crate as 'a bedroom for Magnolia' 4:54. The technique is gradual: let the dog sniff and walk around the crate first 4:02, throw small pieces of meat inside, then close the door only once the dog is calm 5:25. The video gives particular weight to exercising the dog thoroughly before any crating session 6:43 and notes that leash and collar should come off inside the crate 5:13. The video is sponsored by Midwest Homes for Pets.
Why it ranks here: The exercise-before-crating principle is stated more plainly here than anywhere else in the pack. Short. The leash-off point at 5:13 is a genuine safety detail that the other ranked videos skip entirely. The main limitation — noted directly in the comments — is that Magnolia is a calm, willing puppy; the video does not show what to do if the dog panics when the door closes. Pair it with the McCann or Will Atherton videos for that scenario.
~8 min · introductory · no prior training needed
6
Best for the first night
FIRST NIGHT: Crate Training 5 Easy Steps 🐶
Rachel Fusaro · 12:37 · Jun 2020
Rachel Fusaro presents five steps aimed at the first night home, starting with crate placement: the crate goes in the bedroom wherever you sleep, so the puppy can sense your presence 0:22–0:28. The sequence moves from sitting near the crate without interacting, to doing light training beside it, to physical exercise before settling 4:27. The first-night section covers a proactive potty schedule — going out before the puppy signals distress 7:37 — and a method for moving the crate towards its permanent location twelve inches at a time 10:54.
Why it ranks here: The bedroom placement advice and the twelve-inches-at-a-time relocation technique 10:54 are unique to this video. Both address something the other videos ignore: a puppy can settle with the crate in one spot and then fall apart entirely when it moves. The proactive potty guidance — anticipate the need rather than wait for crying — is clearer here than anywhere else in the pack.
~12 min · introductory · aimed specifically at the first night home
Where the videos disagree
How do you stop barking once it starts — verbal cue or tapping?
McCann Dog Training (Kayl, 'Stop Your Dog From Whining') uses a calm verbal 'quiet' cue first, then a physical distraction, and reserves a long line for persistent cases. Will Atherton Canine Training ('Ultimate Crate Training Guide 2023') leads with tapping on top of the crate to interrupt the behaviour, with no initial verbal cue.
Our read: Both approaches have strong commenter evidence of working quickly. The McCann method is more granular — three steps in order — and better suited to owners who want to understand the logic. The tapping method is faster to learn and commenters on the Will Atherton video report success with dogs that were already failing to respond to verbal cues. Try McCann first; if the dog is not responding, add the tap.
How long can a puppy stay in the crate per session?
Simpawtico states 'age in months plus one' equals the maximum number of hours 11:29, giving three hours for a two-month-old. Chewy's Chewtorial states one hour per month of age with a cap of four hours 2:21, giving two hours for the same puppy.
Our read: Both figures come from the same general guideline but read it differently. The Simpawtico formula is more generous; Chewy's is more conservative. For puppies under four months, err towards the shorter figure. Both videos agree that overnight and when-at-work are the main exceptions to daytime limits, and that four hours is an absolute ceiling.
