Crate training is a valuable training tool that is beneficial for training young puppies and adult dogs alike. No matter what age your dog is, you will come to find that a crate can be used for many purposes.
A crate acts like a private "den" for your dog, a safe and secure place that he can go to anytime of the day. For you, the dog owner, the crate is a safe and secure place for you to keep him when you are away from home.
A crate is a safe place to keep your dog when you need to leave the house. If you do not place him in a crate, your dog will not know what to do or how to act.
Therefore, he will become anxious and nervous and will take this nervous energy out on your rugs, plants, furniture, etc. He will do all of those bad habits that a dog does when he is scared or bored: dig, bark, chew, destroy, attempt to escape, pace back and forth, etc.
Your dog's response to the crate will all depend on how you introduce him to it.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS TO CRATE TRAINING
You"ve already learned that crate training is a safe place for your dog.
Other benefits include:
• A crate can help prevent behaviors such as digging and chewing, because it will serve as a "time out" spot.
• A crate provides as a safe sleeping environment for your dog so he stays put in one place at night.
• A crate can be used when you can"t watch a puppy for a certain amount of time.
• A crate is helpful in your dog"s house training, which you will learn about in the next chapter.
• A crate helps your dog adjust to a regular schedule for sleeping, going outside, etc.
• A crate is transportable so it can be moved from room to room, so your dog can always be with the rest of the family no matter where they are.
• A crate can be easily transported in a car or airplane.
In order for a crate to be beneficial in any of these ways, you need to help your dog adjust to it.
Your dog's first experience with a crate should be positive. Once you bring him home, you will introduce him to his crate.
Have some treats and toys waiting inside, with the door closed. Walk him to his crate and he will see the goodies inside. Once he is pawing at the crate, open it up and say "yes, good boy" and let him walk inside.
Don't close the crate door yet, just praise him for walking inside. When he exits the crate, don't praise him. You don't want him to think that being outside of the crate is better than being inside the crate.
Never force your dog inside the crate. He will interpret that as a form of punishment. So if you need to, toss in more treats.
Repeat the exercise a few times, each time increasing the amount of time that your dog is inside the crate. Continue to praise him. Then, start shutting the door behind him.
He may whine or bark and try to get out. If he does this, wait until he stops, then open the door to let him out. If you let him out while he is still whining or barking, he will think that you are rewarding his bad behavior. Let him in again, but this time for a shorter amount of time.
Once your dog is comfortable walking in and out of the crate, start adding the word "crate." Then, practice the command from farther distances and keep him in for longer periods of time.
For the first few days of crate training, you should increase time by short increments, but never over 30 minutes. The only time that he should be in the crate longer is when it is time for him to go to sleep.
OK, so we have touched on the idea of "crate training" and there is still so much you should really know to best maximize you use of a crate.
Crate training is an excellent tool for dog owners, and many dog owners have made use of this technique to improve the quality of both their lives and the lives of their dogs. The last thing any dog owner wants is to come home from work only to find that their dog has defecated on the couch or chewed up their favourite pair of shoes. This is where crate training with a dog cage or dog crate comes in.
The speed and efficiency of crate training differs greatly from one dog to the next. Some dogs are extremely easy to crate train while some are extraordinarily difficult to crate train. The universal rule to remember is that dogs should always associate their dog cage or dog crate with pleasant things, and that dog owners should take crate training one step at a time.
The first thing to do is to acquaint your dog with its crate. Dog owners can do this by placing their dog crate or dog cage in an area of the house that their dog is usually comfortable in, such as the living room or kitchen. Line the inside of the dog crate or dog cage with soft towels or cushions. Then set your dog down near the crate and attempt to coax it into the crate. You might find that you need to make use of some treats or toys in order to get your dog to enter the crate.
Then you need to get your dog used to the idea of eating its meals in the crate. If your dog refuses to go into its crate to eat, start by placing its food near the crate, then gradually moving it further and further into the crate. While your dog is eating in the crate, you can close the door behind it, then open it when your dog finishes its meal. Then, you can start to leave the door closed for longer periods of time after your dog has finished eating.
Once your dog is comfortable in its dog crate or dog cage for up to half an hour after eating, it is time for their owners to start leaving them alone in their crates. Simply move away to another part of the house after placing your dog in its crate, staying out of its sight. If you find that your dog is whining or crying when you place it in its crate and move away, you should wait until the whining or crying is over before you let your dog out of its crate. Otherwise, it might learn that whining or crying is an effective way to get you to let it out of its crate.
With proper crate training, you will be much more at ease leaving your dog at home, as you will be able to keep it secure inside its dog cage or dog crate.
Both John Hinkle & Vikram Kumar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
John Hinkle has sinced written about articles on various topics from Allergies, Medical Insurance and Anger Management. For a complete , visit us at SitStayFetch. For. John Hinkle's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Vikram Kumar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Teeth Whitening, Astrology Predictions and Family. If you need or in order to. Vikram Kumar's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.