And they are key for happy owners. Talk to any owner with a house noticeably lacking piddle stains and chewed up furniture and their first reponse to their secret of success: "Crate-training." Because dogs are less likely to piddle in their own crate, crates are a great house breaking tool. They also have other benefits including reducing separation anxiety, reducing unwanted chewing, and keeping a dog safe while the owner is away.
Getting Your Puppy in the Crate
For best results start crate training right away. Don't get too big a crate, as dogs enjoy the comfort and security of a small space. The most important concept for crate training: Don't make the crate a place for punishment. Owners want the puppy to enjoy the crate, not think of it as a bad place.
- Put toys and treats in it and coax the puppy into the crate for the first time.
- Get the puppy to walk in to it on the crate on its own.
- Once they walk in, treat the puppy and praise it to high heaven.
Crate Training: Puppy's First Night
Owners should work up to leaving the new puppy in the crate for long periods of time. On the first day a puppy is brought home, follow the above instructions. Then:
- Lock the puppy in the crate for 5 minutes with the owner nearby, giving the puppy treats and praising it.
- Then the owner should leave and return, starting with being gone for 30 seconds and increasing the time level by one minute increments.
- Don't let the puppy out or return if it is whining. Wait until it calms down and then become visible again.
Once the puppy is able to go for 5-15 minutes without barking and whining, let it out and play with it til later. Before bed, coax the puppy into the crate and set some food, water and safe toys inside the crate. Lay a blanket over the crate and set it near the owner's bed. The blanket helps the puppy feel more secure. During the night he or she may bark and whine. If it does, slap the side of crate once and in a gruff voice shout "No Bark!" Only do this if there is a blanket over the crate.
Crate Training: How Long Should Puppy Be Crated?
If the owner needs to leave the puppy alone to go shopping, run errands or go work, experts suggest only crating the puppy for one hour per its age in months. So a 3 month puppy should not be crated more than 3 hours, except during the night. As soon as the owner returns to uncrate the puppy, wait until the puppy has stopped whining and barking in excitement before letting it out. Always let it out to potty right away and praise it to high heaven when it does potty outside. Keep the crate away from draughts when leaving the puppy.
Crate Training Tips
Eventually a puppy will grow to love its crate, which it will see as a place of security and safety. During the day, move the crate to wherever the owner is the house in an open and central location. Never send the puppy to the crate as punishment. In fact, owners can learn to train their puppies to crate themselves, with a command like "Go to Crate" or "Kennel Up!" Hotels are also much more likely to allow a dog to stay if it comes crate-trained.
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