Crate Training

Always remember training your puppy to use a crate is not cruel and unusual punishment! When the puppy is crate trained properly before long s/he will consider the crate as a "den" and go there automatically when they are tired or just want to be alone.

Few fundamental rules:

Ø       A crate should never be used as punishment.

Ø       A puppy should never be confined to a crate for longer than 2 or 3 hours when you are not home.

Ø       If you purchase a large crate that will fit your puppy when it is full grown, then you should partition off part of it so that the puppy doesn't have too much room. If the crate is too large, the puppy will use it to go potty.

Ø       Move the crate from room to room with you and allow the puppy to sleep in it's crate in your bedroom at night. This gives them a sense of security and they will settle down much more quickly knowing you are right there.

A key ingredient in crate training is to make it fun for the puppy. Do this by putting some treats in the crate and letting the puppy find them. Toss the treat into the crate and when puppy goes in to get it, praise by saying "Good Dog" or "Good Puppy" Once in a while when the puppy goes into the crate to retrieve the treat, close the door for a few minutes. If the puppy is nice and quiet say GOOD PUPPY. However, if the puppy is making a disturbance – Ignore him/her. When it settles down, say GOOD PUPPY and then open the crate door.

Keep in mind to make this a fun. It should never be in a form of punishment!

Crate training is a wonderful way to help you house-train your puppy. Puppies will avoid using their "den" as a place to go potty. Immediately upon taking the puppy out of the crate, bring it outside to relieve itself. Do not stop to play with it first! Once the puppy has relieved itself outside give lots of praise! As soon as you feel confident that the puppy is "empty" you can then return to the house and play with it.

Keep in mind puppies have next to no bladder or bowel control. What goes in one end very quickly comes out the other. So when you feed them, immediately take them out to go potty and when they go give lots of praise. When you take them out to potty use the same phrase each time. Something like "potty", "toilet" or "hurry" works well.

As mentioned earlier, you should not restrict a puppy to a crate for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time when you are not with them. If you work away from home all day (as most people do) you can arrange for an alternate to come and take puppy out several times a day. Puppies should not be trusted to have free run of your home. There are too many things they can get into - things that can hurt them and destroy your property. When you are busy you can either crate the puppy or tie its lead to you so that you are constantly aware of what puppy is doing. Use constant commands and phrases such as "settle down" or "easy" when puppy is acting too wild.

If you are busy and decided to crate puppy, try putting the crate in the same room with you. That way the puppy doesn't feel like it's being punished and can keep an eye on you at the same time.

At bedtime put the puppy's crate in the bedroom with you. Puppies that are allowed to sleep with their humans tend to settle down much more quickly. And when puppy needs to go potty in the middle of the night you will be able to hear their call.

Crate training has many additional benefits. If you plan on taking your puppy/dog with you on vacations being able to tell a hotel/motel innkeeper that your dog will be in its crate when you are not in the room is a big advantage! 

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