Last Updated on January 19, 2023 by Kunthida
How do I Decide – Should I Crate Training My Dog?
There is still a lot of debate among pet owners as to whether crate training dogs is a good idea. Crating, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, is the practice of placing your dog in a cage for a period of time during the day or night.
The cage is generally made from metal or plastic and is very small, barely large enough for the dog to turn around in. The proponents of crate training maintain that a dog that has been crate trained is easier to housebreak since crating a dog teaches them to hold off on elimination until they are allowed outside.
Since animals instinctively are reluctant to do this in the place where they lie down, the thinking goes, this helps to speed along housebreaking.
They also point to crates as a place that a dog can consider as its own private space where it can escape from the antics of children in the household and be comforted by its familiar smell.
One criticism leveled against crate training is that it is unnatural for a dog to spend any length of time in a confined space where it can’t engage in its natural habits of exploring and roaming. It prevents dogs from being as active as they naturally are and is an unpleasant experience for the animal, they argue.
Those against arguing with the position held by crate proponents that crating makes housebreaking a dog easier and that despite a dog’s abhorrence of soiling its own space, puppies are especially prone to doing so; which makes it more difficult, not easier to housebreak them.
Both sides want only the best for their pets and the arguments made by both sides have merit. There has been some research into crate training, but there is no hard and fast answer, other than that if done with care and common sense crate training can be beneficial to some dogs and has no ill effect.
Of course, common sense has to be exercised. Keeping your pet in a cage for many hours on end is not healthy for your dog. Four hours is the maximum length of time you should crate your dog. Keeping your dog cooped up longer than this is a serious strain on their ability to hold back from eliminating and of course, most dogs are far too active to be happy sitting still for this long.
Care also needs to be taken to prevent injury to your dog while in the crate. The cage should be examined to make sure that there are no sharp edges or anywhere that your dog’s collar can snag on the crate. Any cage you keep your dog in should be sturdy enough that it won’t tip or break even under vigorous jostling.
There is one benefit to crate training that bears mentioning here, which is that pets that have been crate trained tend to have far fewer problems with travel. They’ll be used to staying in a small space and they’ll also have familiar smells when in their crate ” which goes a long way towards keeping them comfortable during the somewhat stressful experience of travel.
Of course, there are many pet owners who say that unless absolutely necessary, your pets should be left at home while you travel. Most pets will be more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of their home (with a responsible person to care for them in their owner’s absence, naturally). If you do need to travel with your pet, however, make sure to keep them in a sturdy crate which will prevent anything from getting in as well as out.
There’s not going to be an agreement on crate training in the near future; that much is certain. It’s best to decide for yourself. Try crating your dog for a couple of weeks, followed by leaving the door of the crate open and letting your dog vote with their feet ” do they steer clear of the crate, or do they choose it as a favored spot for their naps? Let your dog have a say and you’ll have a happier pet.
Learn how to pick the correct Dog Bedding for your dog. Don’t let Puppy Potty Training become a time consuming or frustrating affair.
Great Crates! Helpful Puppy Training Tips On Crate Training
I don’t know anything about you but I’m sure you’ve had days when you just want to get away and spend some quiet time alone relaxing.
It’s not about being lazy– timely mini-vacations have proved to be quite helpful in decreasing stress while increasing productivity levels.
You’re probably going, ‘I wish! Tell that to my boss.’ Well, what if your boss is the one who planned it all for you? Wouldn’t a personal retreat sound good?
Dogs are no different. They seek out dens to hide out in when they feel threatened and vulnerable.
In the wild, it would be easy enough to go about doing this; but in the jungle called domestic home life, they wouldn’t know where to start.
Being a loving master means having enough responsibility to see them utilize methods that nurture and protect them. This article gives you effective puppy training tips on how to best crate train your dog.
You hear crate training a puppy and you think it is cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs. Not really.
This is actually a useful dog training method many experts employ. Canines do not sleep in an area that they have previously eliminated on so a crate trained puppy will restrain from soiling himself until he is released from his crate. Make sure the enclosure is small enough. After an hour or two inside the crate, take him out for toilet activities.
Place the crate in a room with a lot of people. Don’t push the puppy inside– allow him to enter the crate himself. Put in some interesting things and toys. Let him feel comfortable inside the box and feed him there. This should be your dog’s personal haven from the stress so make crate training an enjoyable and pleasant experience for him. Never use it to punish him.
Now the puppy is already accustomed to being inside the crate, close the enclosure for a few minutes at a time. Make sure he hears you and knows you are still in the room. If he gets upset for no pressing reason, do not let him out until he quiets down. If you do, he will use crying to get what he wants in the future.
The next step is getting the puppy so comfortable inside the crate he won’t mind being there alone. Keep his playthings inside to occupy him. When you feel the time is right, leave the room for a short period of time and gradually increase it. If you need to leave the house, do not go away for more than four hours. Puppies have not fully developed their bodily functions as well as an adult dog.
With these puppy training tips, expect newfound freedom in living life with your pet. No more difficult sleeping and potty training times. No more shortened vacations due to the puppy’s inability to behave and stay put. Your pet is a happier, well-adjusted dog on top it all. Go ahead, book that spa appointment you never had time for. Enjoy! After patiently crate training a puppy as well as you just did, you deserve nothing less.
Geraldine Dimarco can attest to the advantages of successfully crate training a puppy. Get helpful Puppy Training Tips you can tray with your dogs today.
The Importance Of Crate Training Puppies
It is a benefit for pets to be trained to their own crate and very convenient for their owners as well. It provides them with privacy whenever they feel that need and can be a valuable sleeping area also. Crate training puppies can be a very simple task, but it will require that you be very dedicated and consistent with training.
Kennels are an excellent tool to use when assisting younger dogs trying to learn to control their bodily functions. There will unfortunately be accidents in the process, but begin with dogs when they are as young as week seven. It is crucial to remember that the crate is to give the dog safety and security and not be a place they spend all of their time. They should learn to enjoy the time they spend there instead of dreading it.
Treats are often used to try and encourage pets to kennel however, when creating a sanctuary for them it may not be wise to include food in the process. Some of the best results have been from allowing only favorite toys and a favorite pillow inside. These are items that make it seem like a special place and do not encourage them to use the bathroom.
When they have had vibrant play a nap will usually follow and a bathroom break should be given before placing them in the crate to sleep. Make sure that the bottom of the kennel is covered with soft materials to create a comfortable bed. Towels make good bedding for the younger dogs because they can not only be washed often but can be bleached.
As a rule, dogs will not go to the bathroom where they eat or sleep. Puppies, however, have little control when it comes to this and must be constantly watched. They will give you an indication by squatting or whimpering prior to the act. It is important to immediately respond because they have no control; take them outside fast.
For a couple of weeks, this process can be extremely difficult especially during the night, but by the time they reach ten weeks the idea has caught on. This is not only to be done when they are in their kennel, but any time they give these indicators means that the time has come to take them outside. The more consistent you are the faster they will learn to go outside.
A good basis for bathroom breaks is about every two hours during the night. If you notice that they are requiring more attention, they may simply be lonely and this behavior should not be encouraged. It is important that they learn to sleep alone in their crate because eventually, it will become a safe haven to them and somewhere very special.
If you must leave dogs in the crate for meals, then it is best to remove the food after allowing them a certain period of time to eat. Take them outside approximately thirty minutes after they have finished eating for puppies ten weeks to six months. It is never a good idea to allow puppies constant access to food, especially in a kennel when trying to train them.
As the younger dogs get older and with help, they learn to develop more control over their bladder and bowel functions. Crate training puppies help them to learn to hold these issues during the night until you can take them out and there will actually be a night without soiled beds. It also becomes important to them that they not soil the home they live in and this too will certainly make you very happy.
Searching to read more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell’s site on how to pick the best dog crate for your animals needs.
Alleviating the issue in Crate Training a Puppy at Night
One adorable ball of fur with dewy eyes that make your heart melt – it’s the seduction of buying a puppy. Crate training a puppy at night and all those somewhat dull chores are furthest from our minds. Then we arrive home back from work and immediately know why we resisted the idea of getting a puppy in the first place. Crate training time is NOW!
Puppy training – housebreaking, crate training….all fall under that heading of immense frustration. Truthfully, it does not have to be that hard. Yes, patience is required – it always is, but with love and some added attention we can get a puppy to a level that makes life enjoyable with our new best friend.
Daytime crate training might be easier but – at night – this is when you cannot watch or monitor and this may seem like a gut-wrenching sleepless task but here are a few tips and methods to begin crate training puppies at night.
When embarking on your puppy crate training, make sure that you are prepared.
Choose a crate that is large enough so that the puppy can maneuver comfortably
Take any toys that you purchased for the pup and put them in the crate
Get some warm blankets to cover the crate floor and make it comfy
Dogs are naturally territorial and placing the crate in a remote area will allow the puppy to have his/her own space to command. This encourages the puppy to enjoy this area.
As they are naturally pack animals, puppies do not enjoy being left to their own devices. They want to be with the pack – your family. As a result, your first attempts to leave the pup alone will have lots of crying and whimpering. That’s ok. Stick to the plan. Introduce the puppy to the crate for small periods, then increase these until the pup likes the idea of heading off to the crate.
It is absolutely key that the crate is not a banishment area. If you use this place as his punishment area he will never feel comfortable going there.
Crate Training a puppy at night is always going to be a bit of work but the success will pay huge dividends. Success comes with consistency and habit. Encourage the pup to bed at more or less the same time every night and do this with a treat – but do that every night.
The most important aspect to remember in any successful training is to exercise lots of love, consistency and earn the trust of the pup. With tolerance and patience, you can quickly succeed in crate training a puppy at night.
Crate Train Your Dog to Keep it Anxiety-Free
Crate training is a very simple method of training your puppy to develop good behavior. It has been proven to remove anxiety and abnormal barking. It even works well in housebreaking a new puppy. It can also make the puppy learn that it has a place for itself in the household.
The Value of a Crate to a Dog
It only takes a little time for your dog to develop a liking for its crate. Dogs instinctively wan to find a place lay safely and comfortably in. Even dogs in the wild create holes or little caverns to keep it safe and warm. The crate has the same effect on your puppy once it learns to adapt to its crate. You will soon realize that your puppy has claimed the crate as its own home.
How to Crate Train a Dog
It is ideal for a dog to be crate trained at a young age.
An adult dog that has never experienced living in a small space will only get anxious when placed inside a little crate.
It is but natural for all dogs to be upset once they are made to stay in space that’s new to them, especially those puppies that have just been deprived of their space in your bed.
But puppies can adapt much faster and in time it will learn to love the crate and call the crate its home.
A family room where there are lots of people during the day is a good place for a puppy’s crate to be.
You can take the crate to your room at night to make it feel your presence. Remember that dogs are social animals and puppies especially want reassurance that they are protected. After some time, it no longer bothers them to be left alone in one place but at this stage, you should keep them safe and calm.
A crate is also made to give your puppy comfort while it is trained. A steady supply of water should be available every time your puppy needs it. It’s a lot better if you can place a toy that the dog can play with to keep it from getting bored. The crate should not be too large; it makes the puppy restless inside
Leave the Puppy Alone
Avoid pulling the puppy out of the crate no matter how upset it gets when placed there. Doing so will only make it learn that negative behavior begets attention. This is actually a contradiction to your goal. You can only take the puppy out once it has quieted and calmed. The puppy will learn later on that being well-behaved is rewarded by attention.
A period of one or two hours is ideal for the puppy’s length of stay in the crate for its first few days. You can increase the period over time as the puppy adjusts. As the puppy becomes more mature, it can already withstand being left alone in the crate for very long periods.
In order to ensure your dog is well-behaved, you should make crate training part of its early behavior formation regimen. Crate trained puppies are also less stressed and less anxious.
Training doesn’t actually need to be complicated in order for you to improve your dog’s behavior. If you want to get insights on how dog training is made easy, visit Stan Beck’s Dog Training website.
How to Know if “Crating” Is Right for Your Dog
We people are not sure about dog training. ‘Crating’ involves placing a pet in a cage, usually plastic or metal of roughly the size of the dog, for a period of time during the day or night.
Proponents argue that crating gives the dog a sense of ‘property, a place it can call its own. In this little home within the home, the dog feels safe surrounded by familiar smells and objects. Here, the dog can retreat from fearful noises or boisterous children.
Potty training would be easier with a crate. Dogs, they say, will naturally avoid soiling their ‘den’ and ‘hold it’ until they’re released to go outside. Opponents counter that locking the dog into a cage barely large enough to turn around in suppresses its natural desire to roam. It removes the dog’s ability to explore its environment at will and to soak up stimulating sights and smells.
Those against the use of crates point to the frequent instances when puppies will play in their own waste and simply soil themselves worse. Locking the dog away, they say, is more for the convenience of the owner than the well-being of the dog.
We are debating all the time. Objective studies on the issue are sparse and equally divided. Provided certain ‘rules’ are observed, there’s probably no harm, and possibly some good, to be had from crate training.
Excessive lengths of forced crate time are really harmful. Any dog locked up in a small space is not getting needed exercise and maybe restrained from eliminating for longer than is healthy. So, keep the crate time to no more than two hours maximum. Opponents worry that crated dogs can injure themselves through a natural desire to escape or rowdiness inside the cage.
Make sure that the collar won’t snag. Check to ensure there are no sharp edges on the crate, and that construction is strong enough to withstand the dog’s normal jostling and pushing on the walls. Above all, make sure it can’t tip over.
Advocates assert that crate-trained animals will do better on car, train, or plane trips. They’re used to the confinement and they have a familiar-smelling environment with them during a time of stress. For owners who have to take their pets on long trips, there may be some value in this view.
It is useful to leave pets alone when you want to make any critics of them. Apart from short trips to the grocery store or vet or to a neighbor’s house, animals fare better in familiar territory. But, if you must take them, be especially careful to do so in a well-constructed crate. Make sure no objects can fall into, not just out of, the cage.
Though the debate isn’t likely to be settled anytime soon, exercising common sense is the best way to judge the actual net effect – good or bad – on your particular pet. Try leaving the door open after a few weeks of training and see whether they seek or avoid the crate. Let the dog weigh in on the question.
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