Crate Training Puppies

Somehow it seems to cause a block when people start to consider crate training puppies, it is even considered cruel by some, but this is people who do not understand how to go about crate training puppies in the proper way. When a crate is used correctly, your puppy will come to love his crate – it will be like his own little den, just for him. Crate training your puppy will help your pup to comprehend what sort of behavior you will accept and what you won’t.

Here are some tips that may help you with crate training puppies;

- Do not ever use your puppy’s crate as a punishment. Your puppy must think of the crate as a great place to be. If you notice him doing something naughty you just need to put him into his crate to stop the bad behaviour, and then you should stay with him so that he realises you are not cross with him.

- Don’t leave your puppy in his crate all day. This is a real no-no. Dogs are pack animals and therefore they need to be able to spend time socialising with other animals (this includes us). Your puppy wants to spend time with you and will not react well to being shut in his crate all day every day.

- Have his crate become a nice comfortable place for him. He could have a doggie blanket, and some toys to play with whilst he is in his crate, but don’t give him his meal in there. The crate needs to be his special place to rest and be quiet.

- Show consistency when you are crate training puppies. If your dog is naughty, i.e. jumping up at people, then use the crate as a form of re-direction. He needs to go into his crate every time he starts to jump up. As the crate needs to be a pleasant place, then the person he is jumping on, could go and see him in his crate and stroke him. He will not feel excluded this way.

- Dogs need a rest time, so the time in his crate will give him the quiet rest time he needs.

Your dog’s crate should become his own little castle – you could even decorate it for him. If you carry out crate training for the right reasons it can certainly help to iron out some of the puppy training dramas.