Crate Training a Little Dog.
crate training a dog makes all the other steps in dog’s training so much easier, 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 teaching your dog to stay 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 it happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog s/he can possibly be.
Having a strong crate is the foundation of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is the best kind. Make sure it is large enough for it to stand up and turn around. But not so large that it can roam and wander around. A too-large kennel will inhibit house breaking.
A crate that is just the adequate size will be perceived as its “nest”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you do not turn it into a prison.
Do not leave a puppy under 8 weeks, for more than one hour in its crate. He/She will soil it, after fighting and moaning as long as he can.
Place a nice pad in there with a bone.Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he/she will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him/her come in and out freely for about an hour. Praise him/her highly each time s/he goes in; make it all very pleasant.
Once its attention is on the treat, close the door. Praise it quietly, “What a good boy/girl, it’s ok, such a good boy/girl!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let it out without praising, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, without giving it an opportunity to get upset. This can be done several times even on the first day.
It is crucial to end every training session on a happy note.
Once it understands that the crate is his/her own private territory, it will go in there on his/her own, expecting treats and your attention.When he/she does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his/her treats. Start leaving it in there by itself as from 2 minutes, increasing the time gradually.When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he/she will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left on its own for some time – no longer than an hour at first. Leave him/her gradually longer, slowly and carefully.
Why should I get a crate for my puppy? The best reason is because they love it.
They feel very safe and secure in there.
When you leave a puppy alone, |it[he/she] always has some measure of separation anxiety. This may lead him/herhim to any behavior that brings him/her comfort like chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding his/her bowels.
When placed in a crate, he/she feels safe because nothing can get to him/her, nothing can harm him/her. It will sleep and chew and wait until you come back.When leaving him/her overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained he/she will cry the entire time, feeling lost and abandoned.
With crate training, it 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 it will feel without having experienced being locked in.
When you crate train a puppy, do not make a prison of its crate. Do not use it as punishment.Do not leave him/her there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time. After that it may cry. Don’t free him/her while he is crying. This will make it think that crying will get it out . In all cases, make sure it is being good when you open the door. He/She must learn he/she has to be quiet to get out. Don’t make a fuss when you are letting him/her out, just quietly open the door and take it out to potty. When he/she potties, praise it 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. It will have learnt the lesson. If you can, try cleaning it while he/she is outside so it returns to a clean crate.
crate training your puppy is crucial for your dog’s well-being.
