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Dog Obedience Training |
How To Successfully Crate Train Your PuppyCrate training can be a very important part of a young puppy's life and will continue to benefit them for the rest of their lives. A crate placed in the home does for the puppy what a dog house does for outdoor dogs and a den does for wild dogs, namely provides a comfortable home and private space that the dog can call their own. Crate training the puppy early in life will also greatly reduce the amount of puppy mischief that the "newest addition" to your home will be able to get into before he is trained to proper behavior. If crate training is to be successful, it should be started as early in life as possible. The earlier that the puppy can get used to being in the crate, the less distressed the puppy will be when he is required to stay in the crate. To make the crate more comfortable for the puppy, you should add a comfortable pillow or blanket that the puppy can keep to lie down on as well as a couple of small soft toys, much like you would give a small child a teddy bear for comfort. When purchasing a crate for your puppy, you should purchase a crate that is the size he will need when grown, not the size that he is now. Most dogs grow very attached to their crate, so the less often the crate is changed to a different one, the happier the dog will be because he will get to keep his home. It is important that the dog feel comfortable and safe in the crate so the crate should never be used for punishment, especially when crate training is beginning and the dog is just getting used to the crate. In the beginning, the puppy should be allowed unrestricted movement inside and outside of the crate. This can be accomplished by either removing and tying back the door of the crate and allowing the puppy to explore the crate inside and out with no restriction of movement. This will increase the puppy's comfort level with the crate because it is learning that the crate will not harm them. As the puppy becomes more comfortable with the crate, it is important for the crate training to reinforce positive associations with the crate, so that in time, the puppy will come to associate the crate with happiness. This can be accomplished by providing small treats and fun toys in the crate for the puppy's amusement and having the crate placed in a central location in the home so that the puppy will not associate the crate with loneliness and isolation. As the puppy becomes more comfortable with the crate over time, the crate training will allow the puppy to be placed in the crate for longer and longer periods of time.
Quarter Horses
Loving small black lab-type dog
Holland Lop babies |