Crate Training Puppies

I have to admit it, when I was first introduced to the concept of crate training I was horrified. Who in their right mind uses a jail cell to train a dog!? Ok, I was very uninformed about the whole concept of crates so do not judge me too harshly. So after attending a few dog training courses and reading through a bunch of dog training books on the reasoning behind crate training puppies, I decided to try it out. When you actually understand what crate training actually is, you will agree that it is a necessary part of your dog training. If you were as “in the dark” about this method of training as I was, then read on and I can try and dispel some of the preconceptions that many people may have about this particular type of training. For example, my wife’s first words to me was,”You are NOT putting my dog in that prison!” Gulp! It was not an easy task to win her over, that I can assure you.

What is the purpose behind crate training puppies?

There are two primary purposes behind the whole idea:

1. It is a tremendous help for house training puppies. This is simply a great method to get your puppy house trained very quickly.

2. Crates are simply a safe haven for your dog! This is predominantly why I started crate training puppies. A puppy needs a place to rest and relax ( Yes, its true! They are not just for our exclusive entertainment ). Crates serve as a excellent area set aside for your dog where he can go and switch off and take a breather.

Benefits of crate training puppies

Consider this, when you were young, did you have a playpen? Do you use a playpen for your kids? Playpens are an area you use to leave your kids so that you can sort out a couple other things without having to wonder if Junior has rearranged your new TV. This in many respects highlights the benefits of crate training. Assuming your dog has been trained to stay in his crate and he is totally comfortable with that, you can get the following benefits out of training him with his new “playpen”:

1.You have a safe area to put your dog if you’re busy, that way he won’t ( shouldn’t ) get into trouble or danger

2. If you ever have to travel and you take your dog ( Now you actually have an option because he is trained ) you are totally fine because he has been trained to stay in a crate.

3. At some point or another your dog may have to stay overnight at the vet. Vets put their patient into crates. The whole scenario will be much less stressful to your dog.

4. As mentioned above, it is a very useful tool to for house training puppies as they won’t be too anxious to mess their “den”

So crate training puppies does have a place, provided it is DONE CORRECTLY.

What crate do you use?

Crates come in a variety of styles ranging from what looks like a birdcage on steroids, to plastic travel pens to amazing pieces of furniture like the image above. Here are a few quick examples from Amazon.

Those are just some examples to give you an idea of what you could use for crate training puppies ( Please note that if you decide to buy through those links above, that they are my links, just wanna be upfront with you ), However, I must admit, I built my own crates. I essentially took some wood and cut it up, nailed it together and presto. Now I can begin the whole training process! If you do that remember to give the wood a thorough sanding down. I preferred making my own because I like the furniture look more than the bird cage. If you use wood sealants or varnishes etc. Make sure you leave it to air for quite a few days! Your crate should also have plenty of breathing room. Build it for privacy, do not construct a coffin!

Some points to consider about your crate whether you build or buy

1. If you are crate training puppies, REMEMBER puppies grow up! So buy or build a big enough crate for for dog at adult size. A fully grown dog should be able to stand and turn around in the crate.

2. When crate training, DO NOT put the dog in the crate with a collar or leash in case he gets tangled

3. When training, monitor the time you leave your dog in the crate when training him. ( This is really important, if you leave him alone too long then you can seriously screw up the whole process )

4. Bear in mind that plastic crates and newspaper on the floor are the easiest to clean. You also need to clean that crate regularly, especially when crate training puppies!

So how do you go about crate training puppies?

Now I know this is the part you have been dying for and I don’t want to disappoint you so I will give you some general guideline to crate training puppies, but I must say the best form of training for this can be found in the dog training books we have. So, do yourself a favor, go and look at the dog training books where I really lay it out step by step every angle you need to know about crate training puppies and detail it step by step so you can’t get it wrong.

I basically show you how to introduce the crate into your dog’s life and how to coax him into the crate without making him feel threatened. This is really important so that you lay down the correct foundation and interpretation to what the crate is to your dog. I take you step for step through an easy process of training your dog into loving his den and then show you different commands you can use in conjunction with obedience training and the crate. So go have a look at the link below:

Dog Obedience

Essentially you are going to have to coax your dog gently into the crate using treats etc. There is a specific way to do this but in the end you want him to feel comfortable about being in this crate. Hide treats in there and play games with him to disarm his fear and he will very quickly start enjoying his crate. Like I said though, go and check out my book Dog Obedience. You will get so much more information than you could think. I really went all out on it because crate training puppies has a real place in dog training