Crate Training

As mentioned in a previous article about choosing a dog crate, housebreaking your puppy goes much faster when you use a dog crate, and also destructive chewing becomes easier to control.

Along with their natural instinct to sleep in a den, puppies are born with the instinctive desire to keep their dens clean. Given the opportunity, most puppies will seek an area to relieve themselves that's far away from where they eat, play and sleep. Using a dog crate takes advantage of this natural tendency and helps the puppy to learn to control himself in between trips outside.

During the first few months in their new home, puppies require a lot of supervision. This can be very difficult while we juggle our jobs and outside commitments. Using a dog crate helps you to prevent accidents when you can't watch your puppy. Housebreaking is easier to accomplish when accidents are prevented in the first place! Using a dog crate combined with a regular feeding and exercise schedule will make housebreaking go smoothly.

Just as you may crate an puppy to prevent accidents when he can't be supervised, the same applies to a dog that chews or gets into mischief when you can't be there to watch him. Confined to a dog crate, a destructive dog is limited to chewing only on the toys you give him.

If puppies could have their way, they'd choose to run free all the time, so you should expect resistance to the dog crate in the beginning. Puppies simply don't have the maturity to handle unlimited freedom, therefore they have to learn to accept periods of confinement. The key word is "accept" - it doesn't mean they'll like it right away.

Most dogs bark and whine during the first few days. Once they begin to accept this new restriction on their freedom, they quiet down and actually learn to enjoy it.
Growing puppies alternate periods of activity and rest throughout the day. There's no reason they can't do their resting in a dog crate. By keeping the puppy on a regular schedule of feedings and exercise, you can control his natural rest periods.

TIP: If you put the puppy in his crate when he's already tired and ready to settle down, he'll get used to his new "bedroom" faster.

In the beginning, the puppy or dog should only be expected to stay in the dog crate for 2 hours at a time, as well as overnight. During his periods out of the crate, your puppy needs plenty of playtime and attention. Puppies should be given at least an hour between crating periods where they're played with, loved, allowed to explore and romp. This helps to burn off their boundless puppy energy and helps them understand that crating is only a temporary thing.

Special treats can help make his "bedroom" a pleasant place to stay. Give the puppy a small treat every time he has to go into his dog crate. Or you can toss the treat into the crate so he can jump in after it. You've given him a reward for going into the crate but he also intially needs an incentive to stay in the dog crate quietly. Make his "bedroom" comfortable. Get him a soft but hard to destroy blanket or bed. Get him a selection of toys but don't give them all to him at once. Rotate the toys. Puppies get bored easily and switching the toys around makes them seem new. Teething puppies love chew toys and all dogs love a sterilized beef bone or a Kong with peanut butter stuffed in the middle. They can spend hours trying to clean it all out.

Dogs learn quickly when their behavior is associated with a reward. Behavior that doesn't result in a reward often disappears . It's normal for many puppies to bark or whine when first being crate-trained. If you let your puppy out of the dog crate while he's upset, you'll be rewarding him for bad behavior. The next time he's supposed to go in his crate, he'll cry and bark again because that's what got him out the last time. We need to be smarter than our puppies.

For many puppies, just ignoring their complaints is enough to make them stop. Stubborn puppies might need a harsh-sounding "No!" and a rap on the top of the crate to help them get over their tantrums. Whatever you do, don't take him out of the crate until he's had some quiet time.

It’s never too late to introduce a dog crate. Older dogs can often learn faster than puppies. At first let her smell and investigate the crate with the door open. Feed her meals in it and have her jump in and out of it for treats. You should make the dog crate a comfortable place to be and keep crating periods short in the beginning. Once accustomed to them, many dogs enjoy spending time in the crates even when they don't have to. Dog crates are often a favorite place to retreat with a new toy or get some relief from a child.

A crate or dog cage can be a wonderful training tool when used correctly. However, used incorrectly, or over used, and it can be associated with something bad. Every dog, especially new puppies, should have a crate. Dogs are descended from wild dogs that used dens for shelter. Most wild dogs would dig a small, cozy hole to sleep and rear puppies. In our homes, domesticated dogs appreciate such a den as a refuge where the dog can rest and feel safe.

A dog crate is probably one’s best tool when it comes to the discipline of housetraining. The “discipline” aspect comes from a dog’s innate urge not to urinate or defecate in its den. Even young puppies prefer to move as far away from their sleeping quarters as possible to relieve themselves. Usually, a puppy or dog who has an elimination accident in his crate was sick or couldn’t wait any longer.
Crating a puppy or dog over night, or when the family is away during the day, also administers a passive form of discipline by preventing an energetic, curious dog from chewing up things he shouldn’t chew. A dog crate keeps the dog safe and out of trouble.

Bad crate discipline occurs when the crate is over used, or misused. Crating a dog for eight hours overnight or while you are at work is not cruel, especially if the dog is taken for a long walk or jog prior to crating. However, people who continuously crate a dog for longer periods should question why they wanted a dog in the first place.
Do not use the dog crate as a punishment. The dog won’t understand and may come to fear the dog crate. Used for the discipline of keeping the dog safe until trustworthy, and housebreaking, a crate is a wonderful training tool. Used inappropriately, it can cause distress and hamper training progress.

Good luck with your dog training and I hope you quickly enjoy the benefits of a dog crate.