Teaching your puppy crate training is the first and best step in his life. Crate training makes all the other steps in his training go so much smoother, much like a solid foundation makes for a superior wall. Establishing you as the Alpha member of his “pack” is one excellent reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very young.
Another reason for dog crate training is that dogs love predictability. To know what is going to happen in any given situation makes him happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog he can be.
A sturdy crate is the very basis of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is the best kind. Make sure it is large enough for him to stand up and turn around. But not so large that he can roam and wander around. A too-large crate will inhibit house breaking.
Short Time Intervals To Start
A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as his “nest,” where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you don’t make a prison out of it. Never leave a puppy under eight weeks longer than one hour in his crate. He will soil it, after struggling and suffering as long as he can.
Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him come in and out freely for an hour or so. Praise him highly each time he goes in, make it all very pleasant.
Then when his attention is on his treat, close the door. Praise him quietly, say, “What a good boy, it’s ok, such a good boy!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let him out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, but do not give him a chance to get upset. You can do this several times the first day.
Make sure every training session ends on a happy note, this is crucial.
Training Progression
Once he sees the dog crate is his exclusive territory, he will go in there on his own, expecting treats and your attention. When he does, say, “kennel in” with a happy face while getting his treats. Start leaving the room while he is in there for 2 minutes and onward, gradually. When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left alone for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him gradually longer, slowly and carefully. Eventually, you will give the command “kennel in” to let your puppy know it is time for him to go in his crate and rest.
Why Do I Want A Crate For My Puppy?
The best reason to get a crate for a dog is because they love it! Dogs feel very safe and secure in there. You’ve probably heard the expression that a dog sleeps with one eye open. That’s partly true. A dog by nature is genetically programmed always to be on guard should the pack face attack or danger. In the wild, dogs seek out caves or other enclosures so that they don’t need to watch in a 360-degree angle. This is their preferred resting environment, and they can enjoy a greater feeling of security and relaxation if enclosed. Providing your dog with his/her very own crate, is giving him a place where he can enjoy some quality relaxation.
Crates to Combat Separation Anxiety
When you leave a puppy alone, he always has some measure of separation anxiety. This leads him to any behavior that brings him comfort, which is chewing excessively, digging, or when it is severe, voiding his bowels.
When placed in a crate, he feels safe because nothing can get to him, nothing can harm him. He will sleep and chew and wait for you to return.
When leaving him overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained he will cry the entire time, feeling lost and abandoned. With crate training, he is sure you will return, you always do. Of course, the vet’s office is strange and will cause him some anxiety, but nothing like the pure terror he will feel without experience in being locked in.
It’s Important to Remember
Do not make a prison of your dog’s crate, or use it as punishment. Do not leave him there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time. After that, he will cry. Do not remove him while he is crying. This will make him think he has to cry to get out. No matter what, make sure he is good when you open the door. He will learn he has to be quiet to get out. Do not make a fuss when you are letting him out, just quietly open the door and take him out to potty.
When he potties, praise him to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but sometimes it happens. Do not scold, just clean it out with a calm face. He will learn the lesson. If possible, try to clean it while he is outside, so he returns to a clean crate.