Crate Training a Little Dog.
October 14th, 2009
crate training a puppy makes all the other steps in dog’s training go so much smoother, much like a solid foundation makes for a superior wall.
Establishing you as the Alpha member of his “pack” is one very good reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very young.
Another reason for crate training is that dogs love predictability.
To be able to predict what is going to happen in any given situation makes him/her happy, and better equipped to be the best-behaved dog s/he can possibly be.
A strong crate is the very basis of good puppy training. The best kind are wire crates with a safety lock. Make sure it is large enough for him/her to stand up and turn around. But not so large that it can roam and wander around. A too-large crate will inhibit house breaking.
A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as its “den”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you do not turn it into a prison.
Do not leave a puppy under 8 weeks, longer than one hour in its crate. It will soil it, after fighting and suffering as long as he can.
Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start by placing a tasty treat in there, it will go in and get it. Do this repeatedly for some time without closing the door, let him/her come in and out freely for an hour or so. Praise him/her highly every time s/he goes in; make it all very pleasant.
Close the door only when its attention is on its treat.Praise him/her quietly, “What a good boy/girl, it’s ok, such a good boy/girl!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let it out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, but do not give him/her a chance to get upset. You can do this several times the first day.
It is crucial to end every training session on a happy note.
Once it sees the crate is his/her own private territory, he/she will go in there on his/her own, expecting treats and your attention. When he/she does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his/her treats. Start leaving it in there on its own as from 2 minutes, increasing the time gradually. When you come back, avoid making a fuss, simply walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he/she will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left alone for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him/her gradually longer, slowly and carefully.
Why do I want a crate for my puppy? Because they love it is the best reason.
They feel very safe and secure in there.
When you leave a puppy alone, |it[he/she] always suffer from separation anxiety to a certain extent.This leads him/herhim to any behavior that brings it comfort, which is chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding its bowels.
When placed in a crate, he/she feels safe because nothing can get to him/her, nothing can harm him/her.It will sleep and chew and wait for you to come back. When leaving it overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained it will cry the whole time, feeling lost and abandoned.
With crate training, he/she is sure you will return, you always do. Needless to say, the vet’s office is strange and will cause it some anxiety, but nothing compared to the sheer terror he/she will feel without having experienced being locked in.
When you crate train a dog, do not make a prison of its crate. Never use it as punishment. Do not leave it there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time. After that, he/she may cry. Do not remove it while he is crying. This will make it think he has to cry to get out. No matter what, make sure he/she is being good when you open the door. It will learn it has to be quiet to get out. Do not make a fuss when you are letting it out, just quietly open the door and take it out to potty. When he/she potties, praise him/her to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but it might happen. Do not scold, simply clean it out with a bland face. He/She will learn the lesson. If you can, try cleaning it while he/she is outside so it returns to a clean crate.
crate training your puppyis critical for a dog’s well-being.
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