When choosing the right crate for your Frenchie, always take into account what their adult size will be, which is about 11-13 inches tall. You know it’s the right fit when your puppy can comfortably stand up and turn around in it. It’s important not to buy one that’s too big for them; it will not only take up a lot of space but your Frenchie will not feel safe in it either.
Choose a spot in the house where you usually spend a lot of time like the living room and put the crate there so that it can be easily spotted. Leave its door open and place a soft blanket inside, preferably one that has your puppy’s scent on it. This is so your Frenchie gets completely used to its presence. If your Frenchie goes near the crate and sniffs it, you should praise them by giving treats, petting, playing, or in any way you’d like. The next step is that you play with your puppy multiple times a day near the crate, occasionally throwing a ball or toy inside. If they go and get it, or even just go near the crate, you should immediately praise them. In most cases, puppies don’t even notice the crate in the room so it’s a good idea to make a trail of dry dog food which is leading to the crate. Before feeding times, when your Frenchie is already hungry, you can put 1-2 pieces of dry food at the entrance of the crate. Again, you should praise your Frenchie as soon as they sniff it, especially when they eat it as well. Every time, you should gradually place the food deeper and deeper in the crate. This can take a couple of weeks.
Once your Frenchie is completely comfortable with the crate and even goes in by themselves, you can put their food bowl inside and let them have their dinner in there every day for at least 1-2 weeks! When they get used to the situation, you can slowly close the door of the crate while they are eating, but not entirely so that they can still come out. Later on, you can start locking it for a couple of minutes first, gradually increasing the amount of time they spend inside. It’s very important to mention that you should never lock the crate at the beginning of training. You should even make sure that it doesn’t close by accident by putting something by the door. They should associate the crate with something pleasant like playtime, food, and lots of praise.
You should stay very patient and show every time how happy you are even when they make the slightest progress! Once your Frenchie feels completely comfortable with the crate in your home to the point where they even go inside on their own, it’s time to take them out for a drive! Put the crate in the car with your Frenchie in it, and take them around the block for a short drive first. When you get home, take them out and give your Frenchie lots of praise. Next time, you can even take them for a short shopping spree and so on, keeping everything smooth and gradual. If you are patient and consistent, your puppy won’t mind being in their crate at all.
In the first few months, while your French Bulldog is not potty trained, we don’t recommend putting them in a crate for the night as they can’t hold their pee for long and will have no other choice but to do their business there. We know it’s hard work, but the best solution is to wake up and take them out at least three times at the beginning, you can gradually reduce that number as your baby gets older. Accidents can and probably will happen still, that’s why they should have their bed in a carpet-free room which you can easily mop, a safe space where you leave them during the day as well.