Dogs naturally love den-like enclosures and an indoor kennel crate will satisfy this desire. Dogs are also naturally reluctant to soil where they sleep so crating is an extremely effective housebreaking tool. Crating can keep a puppy away from potentially dangerous household items and can be moved from room to room whenever necessary.
Crating can help to ease separation anxiety and prevent destructive behaviour when you cannot physically supervise your puppy. When you have to leave your puppy alone or when you go to bed at night, you can rest assure that your puppy is not only safe, but he is also not chewing your furniture, electrical wires, rugs and so on.
It is very important that you introduce the crate to your puppy as a safe place to rest in. You should therefore never use the crate as a form of punishment. Your puppy should associate his crate with security, comfort and enjoyment. There are quite a few things that you can do to foster these positive feelings about the crate in your dog.
Drop pieces of food such as kibble or special treats in your puppy's crate throughout the day. As your puppy discovers these treats it will reinforce the notion that the crate is a positive place. Along the same principle you can also feed your puppy in his crate.
When you first introduce your puppy to his crate, praise and fondle him when he goes inside. Make a game of it by including rewarding him with treats when he enters. Never attempt to force your dog into his crate. However, at night when going to bed you may have to place your puppy inside and then shut the door. It is recommended that you place the crate near to your bed to reduce your puppy's anxiety at night. Dogs are pack animals and do not like to sleep alone.
It is an excellent idea to begin crating your puppy for short periods of time while you are home with him. This will prevent your puppy from making the negative association that going into his crate means that you will be leaving him alone.
It is important to allow your dog the opportunity to fully eliminate before he goes into his crate. Young puppies have very little bladder and sphincter control so you should not crate your pet for extended periods of time. Puppies under 4 months of age should not be crated more than 3 hours. Except for overnight, puppies and dogs should not be crated for more than 5 hours at a time.
Always remove your dogs' collar before crating. Ensure that your crate is the proper size. If it is too big, your puppy may eliminate in one end of the crate and sleep in the other. If this occurs you may have to block off a section of the crate to discourage this behaviour.
Many dogs who are properly introduced to crating at a young age grow to like their crate as their place to rest and get away from it all. This is ideal for owners because you can then use your crate when travelling or visiting and not have to worry about your dog. He has his safe, secure place to go.
Housebreaking a puppy is easier if they understand basic commands and a few words. 'No' is a word that all puppies need to understand. This word will be used more than any other word you teach them as they start to grow into an adult dog. Dog training will include housebreaking, commands and obedience.
Housebreaking starts as soon as you bring the puppy home. This part of dog training can become frustrating if the puppy does not respond well to going outside. The first thing to remember is that taking the puppy outside should be done without any type of play. The puppy needs to learn that they are supposed to use the outdoors for the bathroom. If a puppy learns quickly that they have to go to the bathroom outside, you can then start adding playtime after they have accomplished what they were supposed to do outside.
If the puppy has an accident in the house, you need to immediately take the puppy to the area and firmly tell them 'No, go outside', then take them outside until they realize what you mean. The puppy probably is not going to use the bathroom at this time, but they will understand what you mean after a few times. Dog training classes are the next thing to consider for your puppy.
In the dog training puppy classes, the puppy is taught the basic commands of sit, come, stay and lay down. These commands you will find are a blessing when you are in the house as well as outside. After puppy classes, you can move onto the next part of dog training, which is the obedience classes. These classes will teach the dog about walking, healing, down and addressing any other behavior problems you may notice. Puppies that are trained will grow up to be manageable and lovable dogs. If you do not provide some type of training, you will have an uncontrollable dog.
If you choose not to attend dog training classes, you can find some great dog training books that can help you train the puppy. Keep in mind that you must work with the puppy every day for a time or they will not retain what they are learning. Dog breeders and dog trainers will tell you that you should spend at least a half-hour a day on things being learned at the time. If you only train or practice once a week, the puppy is not going to remember what you have been teaching them. If you keep up with the training, you will have a great dog.
Both Michael Russell & Nicholas Hunt 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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