How to Crate Train Your Puppy
- In This Quick Guide:
- Choosing a Crate
- Practicing Crate Training
- Preventative Training
- How Long to Keep Them Confined
Crating is not jailing your dog—quite the opposite. Dogs like small, enclosed spaces because of the security it offers them. It also allows you an extra measure of control.
Choosing a Crate
Choose the right size crate for your puppy. Your puppy should have enough room to stand up, turn around, and lie down. Anything bigger and he may eliminate in one end and sleep in the other. If you have a puppy that will grow into a big dog, you will either need two crates of different sizes or a crate with a divider that you can move as your puppy grows.
If your puppy is past the chewing stage, make the crate comfortable with a blanket and favorite toys. You want the crate to be a place your dog wants to spend time, but you won’t want him to spend his time ripping up bedding. Some pups never chew bedding; others do. Never use carpeting or anything in the crate that could be dangerous if swallowed.
Practicing Crate Training
Introduce your dog to the crate in a low-pressure situation, not when you’re about to leave. Leave the door open, and let your dog explore inside the crate at will. Make sure you remove all collars before you crate your puppy—collars can easily get caught on the doors and sides of crates and can cause choking.
Toss a treat—ideally a kibble of food—into the crate, then use a simple word like “Kennel” or even “Crate” to get your dog to enter. Praise your dog and close the door. Open it after a few moments and let your dog emerge.
Over time, slowly increase the time your puppy spends in the crate with the door closed. No matter how much you may be tempted, don’t open the door just because your dog whines. It will only teach him to whine more.
Preventative Training
Practice preventative training—putting your dog in the crate when you aren’t around will help you to set boundaries.
One benefit of a crate is in potty training. Dogs try not to go to the bathroom where they sleep. If you keep your dog in a crate when you’re not together during potty training, your dog will try to hold it until you let him out and take him outside. Your job is to keep a reasonable schedule with plenty of chances to play and eliminate.
How Long to Keep Them Confined
A general rule for determining how long your puppy can be confined is one hour for every month that your puppy is old, plus one hour. Most three-month old puppies can stay in for four hours. Keep in mind, though, that the more confinement your dog has to cope with, the more exercise he needs daily. Crating is a tool that should never be used to avoid training, exercise, and spending time with your best buddy.
Maintain a regular schedule of trips outdoors so he can relieve himself. So the reason for the trip is clear, always take your puppy on a leash to the same place.
After your puppy is crate trained, he will actually like jumping into his little house. As long as you don’t overuse it, your puppy’s crate will be an important tool not only for training, but for the safety of your pup, and even for your own sanity!
Remember, though: Never use a crate to punish your puppy. His crate should always be a place of security and comfort. If you use it for punishment, he won’t want to spend time there. Good luck, and happy training!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Puppies by M. A. Gorman
