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Why Crate Training?
Crate training is
a wonderful and recommended way to train your puppy and
provide it with its own “Den” environment. The
benefits of crate training are:
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It
reduces housebreaking time dramatically
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Crate training teaches your puppy desirable behavior
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Crate training provides security and privacy by offering
your puppy its own “home” when it becomes tired or
anxious
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It
provides you peace of mind by not having to worry about
your home being damaged or that your puppy is developing
bad habits
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A
crate trained puppy will travel much easier
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Crate training improves and strengthens the dog/owner
relationship
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A
crate trained pet enables you, the owner, to feel
comfortable including your pet on family outings instead
of being left behind at a boarding kennel
Tips to Remember:
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Remove your puppy’s leash and collar prior to placing
them in their crate to prevent accidental choking
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Choose the appropriate size crate for your puppy.
Your puppy should have enough room to stand and turn
around comfortably inside the crate
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Because dogs are social animals, the ideal location for
the crate is in a room where the family gathers so that
the pet can feel included
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To
ensure your puppy has a positive association with its
crate, never use the crate as a device for punishment.
Instead, use the crate to prevent behavioral problems
(for example, if guests come to the door, place the
puppy in its crate to prevent jumping). If you do
need to correct an undesirable behavior, place your
puppy in an isolated room instead of its crate
-
Do
not leave meals in the crate or feed your puppy before
placing him in the crate, be sure to potty him first.
Most puppies will spill water left in a dish or bowl
placed in the crate. If leaving water for the
puppy in the crate, be sure to use a pail that is off
the crate floor and attached to the side at the proper
height for puppy to drink but secured so that it can’t
be tipped or spilled (this is recommended for older
puppies/adult dogs only)
Getting Prepared
Your family
should understand what the rules will be for your new puppy.
For instance, will the puppy be allowed on the furniture?
Keep in mind the adult size of your puppy and consider that
any behaviors you allow now will be difficult to correct, as
the puppy becomes an adult.
Bringing Your Puppy
Home
Familiarize our
new puppy with its crate as soon as possible. Place a
few treats or a safe chew toy inside to coax the puppy
inside while leaving the door open. To ensure that the
puppy’s experience is positive, never force the puppy
inside.
When your puppy
appears to be ready to take a nap (after playing for
example), place the puppy in its crate along with a treat
and close the door. Praise the puppy while he is
entering the crate. It is important that the puppy
feels comfortable and that going inside the crate is good
behavior. Remember dogs want to please their owners,
but they need to be trained as to what the owner expects.
Leave the room but stay close enough to listen to the puppy.
Expect some whining at first but do not let him out (you
would be rewarding for whining). The whining may
continue for an extended period of time. If the
whining does continue, it is okay to console him without
letting him out. If the puppy continues to cry, a loud
noise (such as clapping our hands or shaking a can full of
coins) may be helpful. Avoid raising your voice or
yelling at the puppy. If possible ignore the puppy
until the whining stops and the puppy has settled down.
Then open the door of the crate and praise the puppy for the
positive behavior. Gradually increase the amount of
time the puppy remains in the crate but do not exceed the
length of time the puppy can wait before needing to relieve
himself (less than 4 hours). If the puppy has an
accident while in the crate, clean the crated and shorten
the length of time between breaks until the puppy can go for
longer periods of time.
The First Few Nights
The puppy should
be monitored throughout the night allowing potty breaks
every few hours. Avoid playing with the puppy during
these breaks. Allow the puppy to relieve himself, and
then bring him back to the crate. It is helpful if you
give the puppy a small treat as he enters the crate to
reinforce the positive behavior. As your puppy grows,
the length of time needed between breaks will increase and
your puppy will then be able to sleep through the night in
its crate without breaks.
If you need to
leave the puppy alone for longer than 3 or 4 hours, place
the open crate in a bathroom or laundry room along with
newspapers on the floor. The puppy doesn’t want to
relieve himself inside his new home and by laying newspapers
on the floor outside the crate the puppy will be encouraged
to relieve himself on the paper. The newspaper will
also assist you when cleaning up upon your return.
Patience and
Consistency Lead to a Rewarding Relationship
Crate training
takes time and patience during the early stages of a puppy’s
life. While this may seem difficult at first, the
long-term results will be very rewarding for you and your
pet.
The Cage Hide-A-Way
Wouldn't it be great if someone developed a device for dogs
that prevents destruction, chewing and garbage raiding?
The
perfect device would also: assist in housebreaking; prevent
jumping up; ensure that your dog is safe when unsupervised;
help you to develop a closer relationship with your dog;
help you to teach your dog not to whine or cry during the
night; help your dog adapt to being left alone; give your
dog a comfortable retreat of his own.
Crate training is ideal for just about every new pup and it
even works for most adult dogs. Proper crate training is
neither cruel nor unpleasant for the dog; in fact, a
properly crate-trained dog feels happy, secure and
comfortable in his cage. In the wild, dogs and wolves need a
den or hide-a-way for their home. Except for hunting,
eliminating, playtime and protection, they spend hours
sleeping, eating or relaxing in their den. Most well
trained, contented house pets spend most of their day curled
up on a chesterfield or under a bed. The cage-trained dog is
simply taught that his bed is in the cage.
Crate training, or confinement, is the quickest and most
effective way to housebreak a puppy or an adult dog (when
combined with proper housebreaking techniques). If you must
leave the pup unsupervised for several hours or even a few
minutes, simply confine him to his cage. If you have trained
your dog that his cage is his "den", he will keep it clean.
With this technique, owners have been able to housebreak
some pups in a matter of days.
Pups and some adult dogs are extremely inquisitive,
especially if they get bored. They may chew or destroy
hundreds of dollars worth of furniture and property, and can
even harm themselves by chewing electrical cords, plants, or
raiding garbage cans, etc. We all know that babies need
constant supervision unless confined to the safety of a crib
or playpen. Treat your pup the same way - confine him when
you cannot supervise. Put a few chew toys in the crate and
he may even get in the habit of chewing the right things!
And when you do come home, the pup will not be able to jump
up or run out the door.
Many people have difficulty getting a new pup to sleep
through the night. When left alone, the pup begins to howl
or cry for company and attention, because he has never been
separated from people or other dogs. You must not go to him
as this just encourages the crying. Using cage training you
can practice turning out the lights and leaving the room for
short periods. By night time, the pup should be accustomed
to being alone. Another alternative is to put the pup in the
cage in your bedroom at night.
As
you can see, cage trained puppies seldom misbehave and need
far less discipline. This results in a happier and closer
puppy-owner relationship.
The
cage need not be permanent. Most dogs, once trained, enter
their cages on their own, whenever they want to relax or be
left alone. Other dogs enjoy their cages but may have
another location they prefer, such as a bedroom. Once the
dog can be trusted, you could try leaving him loose in his
favorite room, with the cage door open, to see how he does.
Remember, dogs need a den and a place of retreat. Provide
your pet with a cage, train him properly, and you'll be
doing your pet and yourself a great favor.
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