Crate Training Your Puppy
Dy Witt
Crate Training for your Puppy
Teaching your puppy crate training is the first and best step in
his life. It 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 very
good reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very
young.
Another reason for 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 possibly be.
A strong 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. 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 8 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, “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.
Once he sees the crate is his own private territory, he will go
in there on his own, expecting treats and your attention. When he
does, say, “Wanna crate?” 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.
Q. Why do I want a crate for my puppy?
A. Because they love it is the best reason. They feel very safe
and secure in there. Here are some more:
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, 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.
Crate training is the first step in being able to leave him
overnight at the vet. Without it 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.
NOTE: About crate-training, do not make a prison of his crate. Do
not 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 being 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
bland face. He will learn the lesson. If possible, try to clean
it while he is outside so he returns to a clean crate.
Dy Witt has shown, bred and trained standard poodles for 25 years.
For more information on her training methods, see her website at
www.DogTraining15MinsaDay.com
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