How To Start Puppy Crate Training

You just brought your puppy home and you just can’t wait to play with it. But when bedtime comes, or you need to make a quick jaunt to the store, do you want to worry about returning home to a horrid mess? No! That’s why puppy crate training can help yours be a happy dog.

If you have been planning getting a dog for some time, you already know what kind of dog you want. Be sure, before you bring the dog home, to have a good quality crate ready for them. A comfortable dog crate will allow it to grow to its full size and to be able to turn around. To make the crate more comfortable for your beloved pet, cushion the crate with a towel or blanket that carries your scent.

On the day that your furry baby comes home, take time to let your puppy familiarize itself with different areas of the house. Be there for your pup to return to the “big dog” for reassurance. Open up the crate and let them explore it, praising them for examining something new and different. Pet them inside the crate, give them a treat. Make this a place that they associate with good feelings, safety and happiness.

Each kind of crate has different features. Wire crates are great for furry dogs. Plastic or polymer crates can be great for travel. Small cloth crates are perfect for teacup dogs. Choose the crate that best suits your dog, its size and the use you need it for.

A benefit of crate training is that you have a safe place to put your pup while you are away. When you first start doing this, leave for no more than an hour or two at a time. This will reduce your puppy’s anxiety and help them feel happy. Once your dog has gotten used to you being away for an hour or two at a time, you can start to leave it’s crate door open and come and go without worry of returning to a disaster.

You can also discourage bad behaviour by using the crate as a place for short time outs. This is especially helpful when you are having to deal with the disaster in the living room upon coming home. Or, it can be used to stop the dog from yapping incessantly at the letter carrier.

However, one of the greatest benefits of using a crate is simply this: when your dog has its “den”, it will always feel safe no matter where it is. You can even travel with a crate. And when the dog sleeps in its den at night, you can have a good nights’ sleep rather than fighting over the sheets. This will help your dog be a happy dog, secure in the knowledge that the big dog cares about it and that it has a safe place to go no matter when.

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