Thursday, April 26, 2012

Do I Need to Crate Train My Puppy?

By Pamela Noble


Crate training is a very popular, easy way to train a puppy. It can be instrumental in house breaking, providing a foundation for good behavior and a comfortable nesting place for your pet. Nevertheless some people have reservations about putting their pet in a crate. The main thing to get is that the crate is a training tool, and not an alternative to the awareness and care of the owner.

Properly crate training your dog has many positive outcomes for you and your pet. Being able to keep calm in a dog crate can save your dog's life in an emergency scenario. It will also make recuperating from a medical procedure much easier. Good luck with your training and remember that crate training needs patience and diligence and might not be suitable for all dogs.

Take into account that some dogs who've had a bad history with mistreatment and improper use of cages and confinement may not ever be able to be crated. The trick is to start slowly, do not force your dog into a crate unless absolutely necessary, and show patience. You'll soon see whether your dog will take to its crate. Starting crate training with a new pup will be simpler than an older dog and can set it up for positive habits for life.

For house breaking purposes crate training uses puppies' basic instincts to not want to soil their sleeping area. This means that when in a proper sized crate your pup won't wish to eliminate in it. Your dog will want to go to the rest room once removed from its dog crate. This will help you to establish a schedule and location or "spot" for your dog to do its business in. Now you can create positive behaviour and encourage your puppy with praise.

There's a difference between short periods of confinement and confining your puppy to a dog crate when you're away. Short term confinement ought to be done when you're home and can let your little puppy out after a short time in its crate. This is for house breaking purposes and to acclimate your dog to its crate. It will also help your pet learn bladder/bowel control. Because your dog won't wish to soil its crate. it will learn to hold it, and not just eliminate when it feels like it.

Long term confinement, such as overnight and when you're away, is done in order to avoid soiling and destruction in your house when you are unable to watch your dog and to keep your puppy safe from hazards around the house. You should use long term confinement only untilyou feel you can trust your dog to wander the house on its own without any issues. You can also use baby or pet gates to cordon off potentially dangerous areas of the house, letting your pup roam a larger area.

Whatever you do, don't leave a dog in its crate for several hours at a time. 3-4 hours maximum in the daytime, 8 hours at night. If you cannot be home during the day to let your dog out prepare for somebody else to let it out and take it for a stroll. If this is very unlikely, consider other methods of confinement during the day, such as penning off an area of the house or yard, or cordoning off unsafe areas with pet gates.

If you are conscientious and patient, training a puppy to love its crate is a positive and vital step in training your pup. If crate training does not sound appropriate for your puppy dog, consider the 3 choices to crate training: Exercise pens, Dog Proofing Your House, and Creating a Dog Safe Area Outdoors. Look for more in-depth info on these options in future articles.




About the Author:



No comments: