We have used crates as a part of puppy training with all of our dogs. There is nothing cruel about using a crate if you use it in the correct way and learn how to crate train a puppy. Crate training puppies will help them with house training, keep them out of trouble, and will also give them a place where they will feel safe. In fact, our dogs routinely go into their crates for naps and also when they are ready for bedtime. The door is left open so they can go in and out as they please.
A Few Do’s And Dont’s
A few rules you should follow when puppy crate training: Never use the crate as punishment. Don’t yell at them when they’re in their crate, they won’t know why you are yelling anyway. And don’t go into their crate to pull them out.
You can start out with a small puppy training crate and go larger as the puppy grows, or if you start out with a dog crate he will use when full grown, put a cardboard box in there to confine him to a smaller area. If he has too much room he may use part of it as a bathroom. As you’ll see, crates are a great tool for puppy potty training.
We set it up in the family room which is where we spend most of our time. Being den animals, dogs like to be with their family so if you plan on having a crate in the living room, and don’t want an unsightly wire crate, consider looking at a nice wood dog crate that will fit them as an adult, once your puppy passes the chewing stage.
We will play games with the puppy by tossing his favorite toys into the crate and praising him when he goes in and brings them out. We also will toss a few bits of dog food in there every once in a while and have him go in to get them. Don’t trick the dog by closing the door after you have tossed in his toys or food.
Your first few nights will probably be filled with your puppy or dog whining and crying, and some people bring the crate into the bedroom to keep the pup from crying. We have done that with some dogs, although not for very long, and it hasn’t been a problem when they are put back out into the family room for good at night. By that time, the dog crate is their den and is their safe place inside our home.
Tool For Potty Training A Puppy
Crate training is an enormously helpful tool to help with puppy potty training. A dog ‘s natural instinct is to not soil their bed or den. Be aware that a puppy can only hold it for about a maximum of an hour +1 for each month he is old. So at 2 months old he should be able to hold it for about 3 hours.
Take your puppy out as often as you can. Get him used to going outside to relieve himself and it will also give your dog a better chance of success at not soiling his crate.
There are some great high quality, easy to assemble outside dog kennels and dog pens you can check out at Options Plus if you don’t have a fence.
