Crate training tips

Why crate train? There are so many good reasons you might choose to crate train your puppy or older dog.

There are many good reasons to crate train your dog. If you have a puppy, a crate can be a helpful aid in toilet training successfully and will keep your puppy safe and contained when you are not able to watch them. A crate can help to prevent inappropriate chewing when you are not present to educate your dog and can also be a good way to encourage and help your young puppy to get the rest they need and teach them to settle down, as well as giving them a safe space to themselves. Used correctly, a crate can help teach your puppy the important lesson that isolation is a normal part of life, it’s not scary and it feels safe. Crates can provide a very useful way to safely transport and restrain your dog in the car and a dog who is crate trained will find a stay at the vets or crate rest for recovery purposes or movement restriction less stressful.

So, you want to start crate training your puppy or dog? Here are a few tips to help you get started:

·      Feed your dog it’s meals in the crate.

·      Teach your dog to go into the crate on command and and give a release command to exit.

·      Close the door for short periods to start with and build up.

·      Give your dog a special chew to enjoy in the crate.

·      Don’t just shut your puppy in the crate at night time. Get the puppy used to spending periods inside with the door shut during the day too, even when you are around.

·      Make sure your dog has been to the toilet before putting them in the crate.

When you bring a new puppy home, spend some time introducing the crate before shutting them inside on the first night, so they are already used to going inside and taking a nap. Avoid making a fuss or letting your puppy out when they are whining - this can quickly teach them that the quickest way out is to whine for you which will create more problems. Instead, spend lots of time following the steps above to help make the crate a cosy little bedroom for your puppy and only let them out after at least a couple of minutes of quiet.

Teach your dog to love their crate and you will both reap the rewards!

Crate training covered in depth in Puppy Consultations and one to one puppy training.

Get in touch if you have chosen to crate train and would like some help.

Dog training and behaviour sessions can take place in my service area of Haywards Heath and surrounding areas in West, Mid and East Sussex, as well as online, depending on your needs.