Crate Training Puppies Is a Great Idea
No commentsHave you wondered if Crate Training Puppies is a good idea? Yes, it is a good idea because with the right expertise and training you can teach your dog or your puppy to look at his or her crate as a secure place. This requires the correct approach, however, and the wrong one can spell disaster for your puppy and yourself as well.
Perhaps the first thing that’s important when it comes to crate training puppies is that the crate should never be used as punishment. Gradually and gently introduce crate training to your puppy as a concept. Primarily use the crate to potty train your puppy; this process should be happy and positive for your puppy, especially if you want your puppy to think of the crate as a safe place.
Your puppy should have a nice balance between activity time and crate time because dogs require an ample amount of exercise time in order for them to continue to be healthy. This is an essential part of properly crate training your puppy and potty training him or her. Being in the crate for too long or too often can actually have a negative effect on your dog’s personality and behavior as a puppy.
By the same token, if your dog is let out of the crate too often, this may give him or her a chance to get into trouble. It may also make your dog insecure or overwhelmed. When crate training puppies, here are some tips that should make the process go smoothly.
If you can’t be present to supervise your puppy, make sure that the puppy is in his or her crate. The same should be true if you actually have a grown dog and not a puppy. Unless your dog is very reliable in terms of his or her potty training, limit freedom outside of the crate so that you can make sure there aren’t accidents.
Make sure your crate size fits your puppy or dog. This may mean that you have to buy larger crates occasionally as your puppy grows. Don’t buy a crate that’s too large or too small for your dog. It’s possible sometimes to find a crate that is adjustable, but these aren’t normally enclosed and don’t give your dog the same level of security a training crate should provide.
If you don’t know how long you should leave your dog in his or her crate at a stretch, use your dog’s age to set a good time. Loosely base it on months of age to hours of time. For example, a one-month-old puppy can be crated for about an hour, while a 12-month-old puppy can be crated for much longer periods of time.
Never use your dog’s crate to punish him or her. Do not bang on or shake the crate, either. The crate is meant to be a place of safety, and violating it in such a fashion can lead to other behavioral problems as your dog ages.
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 6:13 pm and is filed under Dog training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
