Steps to crate training puppies will differ slightly when the age of the puppy is taken in to consideration and the end goals are assessed. Dog owners use crates to confine pets for reasons that include housebreaking, home alone scenarios, and giving their dog a place to sleep.
The steps you need to take to make effective training for any purpose start with making the crate a safe and happy place for your dog. Choose a crate with enough room for you dog to stand up with lifted head and turn around easily. Too much room will negate the den-like feeling, so if you get a crate your puppy can grow into, you might want to block off a portion of it at first.
Start introducing a dog - of any age - to the crate with a treat to induce it to enter voluntarily. Gentle urging and pushing may be necessary at first. Plan to leave the dog for a short time only at first, going about your business and leaving your pet to settle in. It is vital to ignore any fussiness, since you do not want to reward this behavior with even negative attention. Do not let the animal persuade you to release it by whining or barking.
At first, the time in the crate should be very short. Puppies under twelve weeks of age cannot go much more than an hour between potty breaks, and any baby will get bored if confined too long at first. The most important thing is to ignore whining, barking, or scratching to be let out. You do not want to reward this behavior with any attention at all, even yelling. When the animal is lying quietly, you can let it out (eagerness when it see you approaching is natural and allowed.)
In addition to reinforcing housebreaking, which will spare your floors, carpets, and frustration levels, crate training helps when the puppy must be left home alone. It will feel safer in its familiar crate and will not be able to destroy the house either because of nervousness or boredom.
Giving a treat when your pet enters its crate and providing a toy to chew on will help it wait patiently for your return. Many dogs come to regard their crates very fondly, retreating to them voluntarily for naps and putting themselves to bed at night. Often you will not even need to close the gate at night, and you will be able to enjoy your own bed without fighting your canine companion for the covers.
Having a crate also means that you can leave home without worrying that your puppy will eat your shoes and anything else within reach. Both your stuff and your pet will be safer when home alone dogs are in crates. The crate also encourages a dog to wait until you come home to relieve itself; many dogs successfully spend hours in a crate while they are subject to accidents when far less time has passed while loose in the house.
Finally, you may use the crate as a place for your puppy to sleep at night, rather than allowing it to dispute your rights to your bed. A dog who thinks of its crate as its safety zone will prefer to sleep there, especially on the comfortable bed you will place inside. Taking the time to follow the steps to crate training puppies will make sharing your home with a doggie companion much easier all around.
The steps you need to take to make effective training for any purpose start with making the crate a safe and happy place for your dog. Choose a crate with enough room for you dog to stand up with lifted head and turn around easily. Too much room will negate the den-like feeling, so if you get a crate your puppy can grow into, you might want to block off a portion of it at first.
Start introducing a dog - of any age - to the crate with a treat to induce it to enter voluntarily. Gentle urging and pushing may be necessary at first. Plan to leave the dog for a short time only at first, going about your business and leaving your pet to settle in. It is vital to ignore any fussiness, since you do not want to reward this behavior with even negative attention. Do not let the animal persuade you to release it by whining or barking.
At first, the time in the crate should be very short. Puppies under twelve weeks of age cannot go much more than an hour between potty breaks, and any baby will get bored if confined too long at first. The most important thing is to ignore whining, barking, or scratching to be let out. You do not want to reward this behavior with any attention at all, even yelling. When the animal is lying quietly, you can let it out (eagerness when it see you approaching is natural and allowed.)
In addition to reinforcing housebreaking, which will spare your floors, carpets, and frustration levels, crate training helps when the puppy must be left home alone. It will feel safer in its familiar crate and will not be able to destroy the house either because of nervousness or boredom.
Giving a treat when your pet enters its crate and providing a toy to chew on will help it wait patiently for your return. Many dogs come to regard their crates very fondly, retreating to them voluntarily for naps and putting themselves to bed at night. Often you will not even need to close the gate at night, and you will be able to enjoy your own bed without fighting your canine companion for the covers.
Having a crate also means that you can leave home without worrying that your puppy will eat your shoes and anything else within reach. Both your stuff and your pet will be safer when home alone dogs are in crates. The crate also encourages a dog to wait until you come home to relieve itself; many dogs successfully spend hours in a crate while they are subject to accidents when far less time has passed while loose in the house.
Finally, you may use the crate as a place for your puppy to sleep at night, rather than allowing it to dispute your rights to your bed. A dog who thinks of its crate as its safety zone will prefer to sleep there, especially on the comfortable bed you will place inside. Taking the time to follow the steps to crate training puppies will make sharing your home with a doggie companion much easier all around.
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Looking to read more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell's site on how to pick the best dog crate for your pets needs.
