Crate training is one of the most effective method that you can use to train your puppy to eliminate according to the schedule that you want. Of course, an animal still makes mistakes sometimes. But with commitment and discipline, you can save yourself a lot of hassle. Your puppy will never inconvenience unnecessarily again. Here is how you can setup crate training for your puppy.
Step 1: Choose the right crate size.
Puppies are very small creatures. The whole goal of using a crate is to force your pet to learn how to control its bladder. Dogs don't like to dirty its own resting place naturally. So when in a crate, it tends not to urinate. So you have to be choose the right crate size in order for the training to be effective. A crate that is too huge defeats the purpose. The dog will just eliminate in one corner, and go rest and play in another corner. Too small, and it's not good for the dog either. The crate is a training tool. It's not meant to be a prison. It has to be comfortable enough for the puppy.
Step 2: Setting up your crate.
Note that your puppy will be spending several hours each day in the crate. Therefore, you need to make it as comfortable as possible for the pet. Otherwise, you will have problems getting it to go into the crate later on. Place some used blankets, paper or soft materials in the crate. Line the crate with some toys to keep the puppy occupied. It doesn't has to know that it is undergoing training. Also, remember to include some water in the crate so that the dog can drink whenever it wants to. You need to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for crate training to work.
Step 3: Starting the actual training.
If your puppy is still very young, start the training by keeping it in the crate for 1 to 2 hours max. You, or a family member, should be around the puppy in the beginning to prevent any separation anxiety. Let the dog know that someone is around. If the puppy starts protesting, don't give in immediately. It just needs some time to adjust itself. As the dog grows older, you can increase the duration of keeping the dog in the crate. This is because older dogs have better ability to control their bladders, and they don't eliminate as frequently.
Final tip: pay attention to timing!
Your dog eliminates based on when it consumes food and drink, and its own age. The older the dog, the less frequent it needs to eliminate. You can cultivate good habits just by paying more attention to when you feed the dog. If you have been with the pet long enough, you can make rather accurate guesses as to when the dog needs to let go.
Kennel training puppy is thought by many owners to be unfair, mean, cruel. The terms "kennel training puppy" and "crate training a puppy" are synonymous and simply mean teaching and conditioning a puppy to sleep or wait safely and securely in a crate, as in a den. The truth is that puppy crate training can help both puppy and owner. It is a great solution for dog separation anxiety, assists with potty training for puppy dogs, and certainly helps avoid damage during the puppy chewing phase.
In the wild, dogs and wolves live in personally dug dens more often than in caves. The area has space for the pack members to enter and for each individual to have an assigned spot to sleep. There is little room, but the animals are secure and unafraid. It is their place of refuge and rest!
One of the things that makes crate training a puppy harder is that dogs naturally sleep together, not alone. Separation from the litter is, therefore, difficult for a puppy. Then when you, her new pack leader, leave her alone for long or for short, that can cause further feelings of separation anxiety. A place of security is one key in solving this.
I was well aware of such problems before I purchased my eight week old Labrador Retriever puppy. I determined before I brought her home that puppy crate training would be necessary until I could trust her alone in the house. So I purchased a dog crate and simple fleece blanket-liner.
When I first brought my pup inside, I only allowed her to smell the areas of the house in which she would initially be kept. Until she had clearly completed her puppy potty training, she was not going to be loose in the house. She certainly would not be unsupervised until she was past the puppy chewing phase, either.
I placed three of the puppy's favorite toys in the kennel. Two or three toys is the right number for comfort and to reduce boredom, but more than that causes confusion and add to the anxiety. At the front of the cage I placed a sturdy bowl of fresh water.
I covered the top, back, and three sides of the dog kennel with a folded, light-weight, cotton bedspread to make it snuggly and secure-feeling, like a den. Her "safe place." (As a side benefit, that also made it more attractive for the house.) You can use any sheet, beach towel, fabric, or buy a kennel cover. There are some impressive crate accessories, covers, and liners on the market, including some insulated ones for colder climates.
I placed my little Lab in her puppy crate the first night. For three days, she cried when left alone there. After that, though, she only woke me up when she had a need to go wee or potty. Then I whisked her out promptly and placed her on the grass to do her business. That made puppy house training a cinch, and we only had two or three accidents in the house – ever!
The manner in which you do things is as critical as the act itself. I was very careful to put my puppy into the cage nonchalantly – not with hugs and kisses. The more precise you are, the easier it is to get what you want from a dog.
The most important thing to remember is not to let your puppy out of the dog crate when she is crying (unless, of course, she has a real need to go). She must have boundaries from the start. Boundaries give her security, and boundaries give you necessary respect and control as Owner and Master, her "Pack Leader."
Crate training a puppy may be a little bumpy at the start, but it sure is a great help – with reducing dog separation anxiety, puppy chewing, puppy potty training, protecting your house, and so much more! So give your cuddly little one the comfort and security she wants and needs. Give her a "safe den" of her own. She will learn to love it and run to it as though to proclaim: "It's MY den!"
Both Gen Wright & Rena Murray 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.
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