Crate Training

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to Crate Train Your DogOtherwise Known As How To Keep Your Dog Safe and Your Sanity Intact!

Used properly, crate training has become an invaluable tool for dogs and their people. It provides your dog with a safe, cozy den of it's own, and gives you peace of mind that your dog can be left safely unattended for short periods of time. Here are the basics to get you started.

Choosing the Right Crate
There are several different styles of crates available today. There are airline cargo styles, hard sided, with two pieces (top and bottom), that can be separated. This style crate usually has one or two heavy grate doors, are very sturdy, and can be used for transporting a dog in-flight if need be.
The second crate style is a wire mesh crate, open on all four sides for good ventilation, with a plastic pan on the bottom. This crate can also have one or more doors, and many of them are foldable for easy transport and storage.
Even if you have a 15 pound puppy, choose the crate that will accommodate the dog as a full grown adult comfortably. It should be large enough for the dog to stand up in, turn around, and sleep with some leg room.
When you start out with a puppy, make the crate small enough with a divider (either the one that comes with the crate, or even a box will do), so that the puppy has just enough room to once again turn around and sleep in comfortably. Adjust the crate size as the puppy grows.

Training the Dog To Accept His New Home
Set the crate up in a part of the house that has some traffic and activity, the kitchen is usually a good spot, but wherever the family congregates the most is fine. Leave the crate door open, and allow the dog to inspect it at his leisure. Then take a really good treat, chicken or hotdogs work well, and hold it in the crate, or throw it in gently, and allow the dog to get his treat. When the dog goes into the crate to retrieve his goodie, say a command as he's walking in, such as "Crate up" or Kennel Up". Be sure to use the same command every time. Then when the pup becomes comfortable walking in, shut the gate behind him. Only keep the pup in for a minute, and then let him out, once again, praising him profusely. Keep doing this, lengthening the time by several minutes each time. If the pup starts to whine or cry, do not let him out! That will only teach the pup that crying is a way to get out. Instead, wait until he stops, even if it's for a moment, and then let him out, telling him what a good pup he is. He will soon make the connection that quiet = out. One good idea is also to make sure the pup has a good play session before crate training, so that he is tired, and may go in more willingly to lay down.
Once the dog has accepted the crate, put him in for short periods throughout the day, so that he becomes accustomed to going in. You just may find that after a few days, he'll go into his den without any asking on your part! Putting a suitable toy in the crate is fine as well, anything you can do to make his home more inviting is good. An old shirt of yours will also make the pup feel more at ease, but only when supervised, or if you know he won't shred it.
The rule of thumb for crating time is for however many months of age the pup is, you can add on an hour, i.e. if the pup is 4 months old, you can crate him for 5 hours. But please keep in mind that this is only a guideline, and all dogs should have plenty of exercise and free time to balance out the crating!
Once you've crate trained your pup, you won't know how you did without it before!


Copyright © 2000 Laura Waddell, K9Problemsolvers