| Some people may feel it is cruel
to crate a puppy or dog. I felt that way myself at first, but, but
after doing research on crate training it really made a lot of
sense. Some of the good things that come out of crate training is
that it will keep your puppy safe from chewing on electrical cords and
other things that you would not want him to chew on while you are not
available to supervise him. A crate for a puppy is like putting you
infant in a playpen. Puppies learn from their mother not to potty in
their sleeping area, so they are already trained not to soil where they
nap. Wild adult dogs will naturally find a den or a safe area to
sleep. When the dam whelps her pups in the wild she sets up a den
and keeps it clean until the pups are old enough to go outside on their
own. Domestic dogs will also naturally den. You will
often see a dog sleeping under a table, a piece of furniture or curled up
in a blanket if no other
area is provided for them to den. It is not cruel to developed this
habit when bringing your new puppy home. It is only giving your
puppy a safe area they can call their own.
If
you are lucky, the breeder has begun to crate train your puppy while it is still in the whelping box. If possible get a piece of bedding or
toy from the breeder, one which has the smell of the litter on
it. This will help the puppy feel at home. When you first bring
the puppy home from the breeder, have the crate ready and comfortable for
you new puppy. Treat your puppies crate as if it were a bed that you
would sleep in. Make it an inviting place for your puppy to call his
own.
Crate training should be
done positively with no negative associations. It
is important that you do not force your puppy into his crate or use the
crate as punishment. It will teach him to feel bad when he is there
and you want him to enjoy going there. When you first show him his crate give him a treat inside and
just let your puppy explore his new
area Leave the crate door open and let him come and go as he
wishes. He will grow to love his little den and will begin to
go there for his naps and quiet time. Once he is used to his crate
and willingly comes and goes you can move to the next step.
When you finally decide to
close the crate door, turn off the lights and talk softly to your
puppy. Let him lick your fingers to assure him that all is ok, then
walk away to a place where you can hear, but he can't see you. If your puppy whines
it is probably because he knows he is in a new situation. Just
like with a child you don't want to teach them that you will come when
they whine so just let him cry for a few minutes If he hasn't quieted
down after 15 minutes or so take him out and give him some love, letting him know
that it's all OK, then try again. You should find that once he will
quite down in just a few minutes.
After the puppy is grown a
little and is used to being in his crate at night while you
sleep, you will begin to see something wonderful happen. When your
puppy is tired and he wants some time alone, he will go to his crate and
curl up and go to sleep all by himself. I leave the doors to my crates open and my
dogs will go in and out to nap during the day.
At eight weeks you cannot
expect your puppy to go more than four hours with out pottying. So,
as soon as your puppy whines after waking up take him out, praise
him softly and gently for a job well done, then when he is through bring
him back in without stopping for a play session and out him back into his
crate. Two or three nights of this and your puppy will be used to
the routine. As he grows and is able to hold it longer you will
notice that he is sleeping longer. If you happen to sleep through your
puppies whining and
he potties in his crate, don't scold him. It is your
responsibility to get the puppy out before he soils his den. You
want to make sure to change the bedding and try not to let it happen again
as you don't want your puppy to get used to sleeping in his own mess (or
you will constantly have a smelly soiled kennel). When they are young puppies they usually have to potty every three to four
hours.
At some point you may have
to go to work or leave your puppy. Make sure before you
leave that the puppy has exercised
and pottied. It is helpful if he has played a bit and is
tired. If you puppy has a collar take it off and remove any unsafe
toys that he may choke on or get hurt with. He may wine a little,
but just walk out and he will quiet down. If you have to be gone for
more than four hours it would be best to come home or have someone let
your puppy out to potty and exercise as it is hard to retrain a puppy that
is used to soiling his crate. If you have to be away from home more
than 5 to 6 hours at a time (of course adult dogs can hold it for 6 to 8
hours depending on the dog) I don't recommend kenneling them.
Puppies
just cannot hold it for that long and you really don't want them to
relieve themselves in their kennel. I recommend a fenced area,
inside or out, where
their kennel is available. If you are leaving them fenced inside Wee Pads
are available at most pet stores and you can easily train them to go there
rather than the floor. This will allow your puppy to leave his kennel to stretch
and to potty rather than being uncomfortable in a soiled bed.
I hope that
this has been of help to you and made you feel as positive as it really
is. Crate training is really a safe and natural method for your new
puppy. Also, I have found that the old adage " you can't
teach an old dog new tricks" is completely inaccurate. I have
very successfully used these same methods with dogs of 1 year and older. Good luck and remember to be patient while he learns his new
home and routines.
|
CRATE TRAINING YOUR NEW
PUPPY 