Crate Training a Finnish Spitz in a Muddy Farmhouse

Crate training works really well when the crate becomes a genuinely positive space — but the right size and type matters more than most people realise, as does how you introduce it. A Finnish Spitz at one year old is still very trainable, though they do have that independent Spitz streak, so the approach needs to be thoughtful. Before I point you in the right direction: are you starting from scratch with the crate, or trying to undo a bad association? And is the crate mainly for inside the house — I'm guessing somewhere you can keep an eye on muddy paws?

Perfect — starting fresh with a one-year-old is very manageable. Finnish Spitz are clever and a bit wilful, so you want a crate that feels den-like enough to appeal to that instinct, not something flimsy that rattles or feels insecure. For a rural, muddy farmhouse situation, the practical side is just as important as the training side. Can I ask how big she is? Finnish Spitz vary — some are quite compact, others a solid medium size — and I want to make sure the crate size I suggest actually fits her properly.

That's really helpful. At 14kg she'll need something in the 36-inch range — enough to stand, turn, and settle comfortably without it being so large she treats one end as a toilet. For your situation — indoor use, heavy mud, farmhouse life — I'd go straight to the Songmics 36-inch heavy-duty metal dog crate. It's a solid double-door metal crate with a deep removable plastic tray at the bottom, which is genuinely the key feature for you. Mud, wet paws, the odd accident — you just slide the tray out, rinse it off, slide it back. The metal frame wipes clean easily too. It folds flat for moving around the house if you need to reposition it, and it's sturdy enough that a determined Spitz won't rattle it apart. The double-door setup also helps with training — you can position it so she approaches from whichever angle feels less intimidating at first. It's widely available on Amazon UK and solidly reviewed for exactly this kind of working-dog, real-life use.

Yes — and this is where Spitz breeds need a slightly different approach. Don't push her in. Open both doors, put something she loves right at the back — a stuffed Kong or a particularly good chew — and let her make the choice to go in entirely on her own terms for the first few days. No closing the door at all initially. She needs to feel like the crate is her idea. Once she's walking in comfortably, start closing the door for thirty seconds while she's eating something, then immediately open it again. Build up slowly over a week or two. The mistake most people make with independent breeds is rushing to the closed-door stage — patience in the first two weeks saves weeks of undoing resistance later.

You're in a good position — starting fresh, sensible setup, and the right size. The removable tray will genuinely make your life easier through a muddy winter. Give her time at the early stages and she'll get there. Finnish Spitz are independent but they do like a secure spot once they decide it's theirs. Good luck with her.