Crate Training a Puppy.
kennel 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 know what is going to happen in any given situation makes him/her happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog it can possibly be.
A strong crate is the very basis of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is the best kind. Check that 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 “nest”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you don’t make a prison out of it.
Do not leave a dog under 8 weeks old, longer than one hour in its crate. He/She will soil it, after fighting and moaning as long as he can.
Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he/she will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let it 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 when you check that 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 him/her out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, without giving it a chance to get upset. This can be done several times the very first day.
Make sure every training session ends on a happy note, this is extremely important.
Once it understands that the crate is his/her own private territory, he/she will go in there on his/her own, expecting treats as well as your attention. When he/she does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his/her treats. Start leaving it in there by itself as from 2 minutes, increasing the time gradually. When you return, do not make a fuss, just 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 should I get a crate for my puppy? Because they love it is the best reason.
They feel very safe and confident in there.
When you leave a puppy alone, |it[he/she] always suffer from separation anxiety to a certain extent.This leads ithim to any behavior that brings him/her comfort, which is chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding its bowels.
When placed in a crate, he/she will feel safe because nothing can get to him/her, nothing can harm him/her. It will sleep and chew and wait for you to return. When leaving him/her overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained he/she will cry the entire 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 him/her some anxiety, but nothing compared to the sheer terror he/she will feel without having experienced being locked in.
When you crate train a puppy, make sure you do not make a prison of its crate. Never use it for punishing it. Do not leave it there for more than 2 hours, just time for some sleep and some chew time. After that, it will cry. Don’t remove him/her while he is crying. This will make it think he has to cry to get out. No matter what, make sure it is being good when you open the door. It will learn he/she that crying won’t get him/herout. Don’t make a fuss when you are letting him/her out, just quietly open the door and take him/her out to potty. When he/she potties, praise it to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but sometimes it happens. Don’t scold, just clean it out with a bland face. The lesson will have been learnt. If you can, try to clean it while he/she is outside so it returns to a clean crate.
crate training a puppy is critical for a dog’s well-being.
Mail this post
Tags: crate dog training, crate training, crate training a puppy, puppy training