The Dos and Don'ts for Crate Training Your Puppy
Left on their own, puppies have the tendency to show the devious sides of their personalities using the couch cushions as chew toys and soiling the carpet. Lets be honest, puppies are kids. Good inside-the-home behavior is a learning process, and your new friend needs some coaching.
Training your puppy is an important part of being a dog owner. And part of that process involves crate training. Crating your puppy while youre away from home or even while youre home, busy with a project that keeps your attention away from your dog, is beneficial for each of you. For you and your family, it helps with house training and provides peace of mind that you wont return to a destroyed home after a day at the office. For your puppy, the crate provides a safe spacea bedroom of sortswhich alleviates anxiety when youre away, and establishes routine and expectations.
Follow these dos and donts for successful crate training.
Follow a schedule:Establishing a schedule for feeding time, taking your puppy outside (more than once) and crating him is especially important in the mornings before you leave the house. In the evenings, try not to feed your puppy past 6:30 p.m., so that it leaves plenty of time to take him outside a few times before bedtime.
Remember key times:Puppies generally need to go outside right when you wake up in the morning, 20-30 minutes after eating, after napping and after playtime.
Pay attention to the signs:If youre home, be sure to observe your puppys behavior. When he begins to circle around an area, thats a sure sign its time to take a trip outside.
Take your puppy to the same spot:Returning to the same area outside helps your puppy to understand why hes there. Once your puppy relieves himself, be sure to give him a little praise to reinforce this action. The routine, once learned, becomes habit.
Remove your puppys collar or harness when inside the crate:Removing your puppys collar or harness when inside his crate is for his own safety.
5 Things You Should Never Do
Never use the crate as a punishment:In order to establish the crate as a safe and positive place, never put your puppy inside of it as a punishment. This action will give the crate a negative association.
If he begins to bark when you put him in the crate, dont give in:In the beginning, your puppy may bark or cry when placed in the crate. This is normal. Comforting him or letting him back out will only prolong the process for your puppy to get used to his crate.
Dont put the crate in an isolated space:This is especially important when youre home. Puppies feel more comfortable when their owners are nearby. Try to place the crate in an area of your home where your puppy can see you.
Dont leave him out of the crate if youre not there to supervise:Until your puppy is grown and good behavior inside the home is learned, refrain from allowing your puppy to roam your house without supervision. This allows more opportunities for mishaps.
Dont leave him in the crate all day:Puppies just cant hold it. Though puppies dont like to urinate where they sleep, if theyre neglected and left inside the crate for too long, its not their fault.
Crate training is a process, and one that requires routine and dedication. Accidents will happen, and its important not to overreact. As your puppy gets older, time outside the crate can increase. And with positive association with the crate, your dog will have a safe haven to retreat to when needed.
For more tips on crate training your puppy and information about obedience training classes, dog boarding and more, contactK9 Country Club.
(Photo: fotojagodka/123RF Stock Photo)
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