Crate Training Your Frenchie Puppy: A Two-Week Plan

Crate training is one of those topics where people have strong opinions. Done well, the crate becomes a frenchie's favorite spot — a quiet, dark, contained space that suits a breed that genuinely loves to nap. Done badly, it's a stressful confinement that nobody wins.

The difference is mostly in how you introduce it.

Pick the right crate

For an adult frenchie (around 24 lb), a 30-inch crate is usually right. Big enough to stand up, turn around, and lie stretched out. Bigger than that and a puppy might use one end as a bathroom.

I prefer wire crates with a removable tray for cleaning. Plastic carriers feel more like a den but are harder to ventilate, which matters for a flat-faced breed.

The two-week plan

Days 1–3: introduction. Leave the crate door open in the room where your puppy spends most of their time. Toss high-value treats (small, soft) inside throughout the day. Don't close the door, don't force entry. Let curiosity do the work.

Days 4–6: meals inside. Start feeding meals inside the crate. The first day, leave the door open. The next, close it during the meal and open it the moment they finish. Build up to keeping the door closed for 5 minutes after meals.

Days 7–10: short stays. Practice 10–15 minute stays while you're in the room, doing something boring. A stuffed kong with frozen yogurt or peanut butter (xylitol-free) makes the crate the most interesting place to be. Build up from 10 minutes to 30.

Days 11–14: leaving the room. Step out of sight for 1 minute, return calmly. Then 3, then 5, then 10. The goal isn't to disappear for hours — it's to teach that you always come back.

What NOT to do

• Don't use the crate as punishment. It needs to stay a positive space.
• Don't release a puppy who's whining. Wait for a quiet moment, however brief, then open the door. Otherwise you're training "whining = freedom."
• Don't leave a puppy crated for more than their age-in-months hours during the day (a 3-month-old shouldn't be crated for more than 3 hours straight).
• Don't leave water in the crate during long stays — accidents will happen and the crate will become a place to avoid.

When it goes well

Within two weeks, most puppies will nap in their crate voluntarily with the door open. They'll have a place that's theirs, you'll have a contained space when you need one, and house-training will be dramatically easier because dogs naturally avoid soiling their sleeping area.

Patience is the only secret.