By Charlene Little, Contributing Writer
Crate training your puppy is necessary but can be difficult if you do not properly approach the situation. Approach crate training in a positive manner, never make it a negative experience for your puppy or you will have to start at the beginning and it will be hard to get your puppy to trust it again.
1.) Separate Your Crate
Taking your crate apart and only providing the puppy with the bottom portion to explore will give them a sense of ease. They will have the ability to go in and out without feeling closed in. Provide proper bedding inside the crate, just in case they decide to take a nap. Drop treats in every once in a while, such as a dog biscuit. They will see that this can be a positive place.
Crate training your puppy is necessary but can be difficult if you do not properly approach the situation. Approach crate training in a positive manner, never make it a negative experience for your puppy or you will have to start at the beginning and it will be hard to get your puppy to trust it again.
1.) Separate Your Crate
Taking your crate apart and only providing the puppy with the bottom portion to explore will give them a sense of ease. They will have the ability to go in and out without feeling closed in. Provide proper bedding inside the crate, just in case they decide to take a nap. Drop treats in every once in a while, such as a dog biscuit. They will see that this can be a positive place.
Crate training your puppy is necessary but can be difficult if you do not properly approach the situation. Approach crate training in a positive manner, never make it a negative experience for your puppy or you will have to start at the beginning and it will be hard to get your puppy to trust it again.
2.) Promote Healthy Discovery
When you feel that your puppy is ready, reassemble the crate without the door. Continue to toss treats in throughout the day. This will show them that the closed area is the same as the open one. After a bit, your dog may begin to take naps in the crate and hang out in it. Their treats being tossed in will show them that it is their space.
3.) Make It a Game
Making the crate a game will bring a sense of being there forever. Your puppy will see it as always being there and always being full of treats. They will see it a positive place. Walking by your puppy's crate and tossing in a treat is great but bringing your voice into it really helps. Try tossing a treat in and asking your puppy "where did the biscuit go?" They will associate you being interested in it as well.
4.) Try Crating for Short Periods
When you first start shutting the door, you can try feeding your puppy at his crate. Place his food outside the crate door the first few times. Move the bowl into the center of the crate the next few times, and then to the back for a few times. After a few times of your puppy eating in the back of the crate, try shutting the door. If your puppy dislikes the idea, open it back up. After trying this a few times, try leaving the door shut while you do dishes. Never go to far away from the crate. You do not want them to associate the crate as you putting them in there to leave.
5.) Do not Use Crating as a Punishment
Never use crating as a punishment. You want your puppy to associate the crate with a positive thought. If your puppy begins to associate the crate with negative thoughts, they will not handle crating well in the future.
6.) Do Not Punish Potty Accidents in the Crate
Young puppies do not have very good bladders. They must go to the bathroom often and crating is not ideal for youngsters. Do not punish potty accidents in the crate, your puppy does not like going to the bathroom where he sleeps any more than you like cleaning it up.
7.) Extend Crating Time
Slowly extend crate time. This does not mean make your puppy live in the crate. Allowing him to stay in for a little more time here and there helps them learn the idea of crating. Try leaving him in while you do small chores, such as hanging the clothes on the line, or doing the dishes.
8.) Do a Dry Run
Leave your puppy's crate where you can hear him while you do small gardening projects outside. Place your puppy in the crate for the time that you are doing your project. Make sure to leave the window open while you are outside so you can hear how he is doing. If your puppy does good while he is in the crate, do not go straight to him. Go in, wash your hands and pour yourself a cold drink before letting him out. This will ensure that he does not go crazy when you let him out. It will also let him see that you are there and give him time to adjust back to normal before his door is open.
9.) Crate for a Small Errand
After you are comfortable with the way your puppy is responding to his crate, leave him in for a short time while you run a small errand. Remember, do not let him out the second you come into the house. Give him a few minutes to adjust before you open his door.
10.) Slowly Extend Crate Time
When your puppy is responding well, slowly extend his crate time to a work day. This will ensure that he will get used to being in the crate while you are at work.
Between the time that your puppy is beginning crate training, until he is completely crate trained, you should leave him in a closed room where he cannot get into anything. This will ensure his safety and your ability to completely crate train him before leaving him locked in it for a full shift.
When you feel that your puppy is ready, reassemble the crate without the door. Continue to toss treats in throughout the day. This will show them that the closed area is the same as the open one. After a bit, your dog may begin to take naps in the crate and hang out in it. Their treats being tossed in will show them that it is their space.
3.) Make It a Game
Making the crate a game will bring a sense of being there forever. Your puppy will see it as always being there and always being full of treats. They will see it a positive place. Walking by your puppy's crate and tossing in a treat is great but bringing your voice into it really helps. Try tossing a treat in and asking your puppy "where did the biscuit go?" They will associate you being interested in it as well.
4.) Try Crating for Short Periods
When you first start shutting the door, you can try feeding your puppy at his crate. Place his food outside the crate door the first few times. Move the bowl into the center of the crate the next few times, and then to the back for a few times. After a few times of your puppy eating in the back of the crate, try shutting the door. If your puppy dislikes the idea, open it back up. After trying this a few times, try leaving the door shut while you do dishes. Never go to far away from the crate. You do not want them to associate the crate as you putting them in there to leave.
5.) Do not Use Crating as a Punishment
Never use crating as a punishment. You want your puppy to associate the crate with a positive thought. If your puppy begins to associate the crate with negative thoughts, they will not handle crating well in the future.
6.) Do Not Punish Potty Accidents in the Crate
Young puppies do not have very good bladders. They must go to the bathroom often and crating is not ideal for youngsters. Do not punish potty accidents in the crate, your puppy does not like going to the bathroom where he sleeps any more than you like cleaning it up.
7.) Extend Crating Time
Slowly extend crate time. This does not mean make your puppy live in the crate. Allowing him to stay in for a little more time here and there helps them learn the idea of crating. Try leaving him in while you do small chores, such as hanging the clothes on the line, or doing the dishes.
8.) Do a Dry Run
Leave your puppy's crate where you can hear him while you do small gardening projects outside. Place your puppy in the crate for the time that you are doing your project. Make sure to leave the window open while you are outside so you can hear how he is doing. If your puppy does good while he is in the crate, do not go straight to him. Go in, wash your hands and pour yourself a cold drink before letting him out. This will ensure that he does not go crazy when you let him out. It will also let him see that you are there and give him time to adjust back to normal before his door is open.
9.) Crate for a Small Errand
After you are comfortable with the way your puppy is responding to his crate, leave him in for a short time while you run a small errand. Remember, do not let him out the second you come into the house. Give him a few minutes to adjust before you open his door.
10.) Slowly Extend Crate Time
When your puppy is responding well, slowly extend his crate time to a work day. This will ensure that he will get used to being in the crate while you are at work.
Between the time that your puppy is beginning crate training, until he is completely crate trained, you should leave him in a closed room where he cannot get into anything. This will ensure his safety and your ability to completely crate train him before leaving him locked in it for a full shift.
Charlene Little is the mother of three wonderful boys and a volunteer foster mom for her local animal shelter. She enjoys working with various breeds of dogs and cats in learning social behavior, training, and how to be the successful member of a fur-ever family. She enjoys studying animals' behavior and finding solutions to behavior problems that the everyday person can handle. She covers topics from various forms of aggression and small problem behaviors. Every problem behavior has a solution, and the solution is never to give up on your pet! Love, kindness, and small adjustments could be just what you need.
RSS Feed
