By D. Silva
Crate training is one of the most effective ways of housebreaking your puppy or dog. Why? Because your dog will naturally resist soiling the area where he eats and sleeps. When you place your dog in the crate and he becomes accustomed to it, he will quickly grow to view the crate as his den. His natural instinct will be to keep the den clean.
However, crate training has other benefits as well. It can reduce your dogs separation anxiety when youre away. It can prevent destructive behavior and keep him out of dangerous household items when you cant keep a close eye on him while youre home. And the crate itself can serve as an indoor dog house that you can move throughout the house as needed.
Okay, some important crate training ground rules ...
1. A crate should never be used for the purpose of punishment.
2. Never force your dog into the crate.
3. The use of a crate begins with its introduction. If possible, youll want to have a week or so when your dog can become familiar with the crate. During this period, feed him in the crate with the door open. Youll want to have a bed inside the crate, and chew toys to make the environment as attractive as possible. If your dog enters the crate on his own, praise him and pet him, then close the door. The first few times may result in some whining, however this will pass. Your dog will settle down. Give him time.
4. When possible, keep the crate near you when youre home.
5. Never leave your dog in the crate for long periods of time. How long is too long? A puppy will need to be given the opportunity to stretch and do his business every 45 minutes or so. An adult dog, once hes accustomed to the crate, can be kept crated for as long as 4 hours, but no longer. The exception to this rule is that most dogs can sleep in a crate overnight without any difficulty.
6. When crate training, youll want to make sure your dog has plenty of opportunities to do his business outside. If youre away from the house for a time, youll need to let him out of the crate immediately upon returning. In the morning, when you first get up, youll need to let him out to do his business. Give him every opportunity to do his business and the training process will go much faster.
7. When your dog does use the designated outside area, always be lavish with your praise.
8. When theres a mishap during the crate training process (for instance, your dog soils his crate or doesnt make it to the designated area), do not scold or punish him. Accidents are the result of not providing him with enough opportunity to do his business. Simply keep to the basics, and make sure in the future he has plenty of bathroom breaks throughout the day.
9. Want to make the process go even easier? Keep a daily diary of when your dog eats and when he does his business. Use the diary to note how often youre providing him the opportunity to eliminate and how often he takes advantage of the opportunity. Youll quickly be able to identify a regular routine which can benefit both of you in the house training process.
Once your dog has been crate trained, youll be able to use the crate throughout his life, providing him with a warm, pleasant, den-like environment that will keep him feeling secure.
Crate training is only one challenge youre going to meet as a dog owner. If you want to be prepared for all your dogs challenges (such as biting, barking, tugging on the leash, and others), check out these top three dog training courses: Dog Training
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