How to Successfully Crate Train Your Puppy
Most people see dog crates and think that it's some sort of prison for dogs, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Dog crates are extremely beneficial for both the dog and it's owners. But before we go any further it's important to learn the basics of crate training.
What is Crate Training
Crate training is where you teach your dog to recognize a crate, room, or cage as their home. In nature dogs will dig or find a den to live in and to use for safety and shelter. Unfortunately, our homes are so large and open that dogs can sometimes feel vulnerable, lost, and cannot find an area of their own to feel safe and comfortable in. Because of this, it's sometimes best to begin crate training your puppy to comfort them and to help fix any behavior issues.
Benefits of Crate Training Your Puppy:
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Potty Training - By nature, dogs will not use the bathroom in places they consider their home. However, our homes are too large for dogs to realize the entire thing is home, so they choose specific spots to be their bathroom. Crate training will allow you to train your dog that the crate is his/her home giving you time to potty train your dog throughout the rest of your home.
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Stopping Mischief and Accidents - If your dog is curious and can't be trusted, you can't simply leave your dog at home by himself unattended. By crate training your puppy you will have a place to put your dog so he/she won't have any accidents or tear anything up while you're away.
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Time for Yourself - If you have guests over, are watching small children, or have had a stressful day, sometimes it's best to not deal with an attention craving dog. Dog's crave attention and they don't understand when you're busy or stressed out, so having a crate will allow you to have a place for your dog to go during these times.
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Gives Your Dog A Home - In nature, dogs call a small den their home, but what we call home is too large for most dogs to understand the entire thing is home. All dogs prefer to have a place of their own that they can feel safe and secure in and crates offer just that for you dog.
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Common Crate Training Problems People Have
Crate training may not be as easy as you think. There are actually a few common problems people have when crate training puppies. Below is a brief summary of the most common issues people encounter.
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Crying and Whining - 90% of dogs and puppies will cry, howl, and whine when they are first put into their crate. This is common because by nature dogs will whine and howl when separated from their pack so the pack can find them. Your dog will do this until he/she realizes that they are not separated from you and you will be there later. The absolute worst thing you can do is to try to comfort your dog when he/she is whining, because all you're doing is teaching your dog whenever they cry you will eventually come.
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Dogs Using the Bathroom - Another common problem people have with crate training is their dog will use the bathroom inside their crate. This is common and will stop when your dog realizes that this is his/her home. Of course, sometimes your dog will have accidents especially if he/she is scared, excited, or just can't hold it.
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Dog Refuses to Go Into the Crate - Chances are that your dog will hate his/her crate during the first week or so of crate training. This is the time period where they haven't realized it's home and they feel like it's a time out for them. You can stop this by making your dog's crate more comfortable to them and making it feel like home.
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The Best Way to Crate Train Your Dog
Crate training your puppy has to be done properly. If your puppy doesn't understand the crate training process your dog will hate the crate, whine and cry in it, and will use the bathroom inside it. This is why its important for you to learn the correct way to crate train your puppy.
Determine a Comfortable Crate - A crate doesn't have to be a cage or kennel; instead it can be a small room or area for your dog that he or she cannot get out of. If you have a large dog, he or she will need a larger area than a smaller dog. Remember, dog's dens in nature are fairly small so they don't need a huge crate, but the crate should be large enough that they can turn around inside of it.
Don't Use the Crate As Punishment - If your dog does something bad, don't put them in the crate to punish them. That will cause your dog to resist going into the crate and to fight it as much as possible, not to mention completely ruin the crate training experience for you and your dog.
Use the Correct Training Methods - Its expect for everyone to make a mistake or two, but continuously making mistakes can jeopardize the entire crate training process for you and your dog. Because of this, it's recommended that you use the correct training methods. If you are unfamiliar with the best crate training techniques, we recommend downloading the crate training and potty training guide below:
Download the Guide to Crate Train Your Puppy
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Want to learn how to crate train your puppy in the shortest amount of time possible? Get the complete crate training guide for dogs and learn step-by-step exactly how to potty train and crate train your puppy so you will see results in less than 7 days.
- Learn how to Crate Train Your Puppy in 7 Days or Less
- Get step-by-step instructions on how to crate train your puppy correctly
- Discover the same techniques professional dog trainers use
- Guaranteed to work for your dog regardless of age or intelligence
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