Crate Training Your Puppy

[DogGoneGood]

Puppy Crate Training:

By Shara Slorstad
Dog Gone Good Training

If you asked ten different trainers about crate training you’re very likely to get ten different replies. There are many different reasons for crate training, different methods, and different information that is important to know about crate training. In this article you will find I cover most of the basics and I will be sharing with you information that I’ve learned through reading and experience with my own dogs over the years. I hope it comes in useful for you. If these methods don’t work you can e-mail me at [e-mail] with any questions, or contact your local trainer or behaviorist for more information and training advice.

(click the links below to jump to each section)

Index:
Why should I crate train my dog?
What kind of crate do I need for my dog?
How do I crate train my dog?

Keep scrolling down to read this article section by section...

[DogGoneGood]

Why Should I Crate Train My Dog?

There are many different reasons to crate train a dog from both the dog and human perspective. Why you crate train is your decision, but here are several reasons why others (including myself) choose to crate train…

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[DogGoneGood]

What Kind of Crate Do I Need For my Dog?

The type of crate you get depends on your dog and your lifestyle. If you have a large, destructive dog/breed you would not want to get a little, nylon crate. You should choose your crate based on your dogs size and likely hood of escaping out of the crate. If he is a chewer you may want to get a wire framed crate. There are many heavy duty crates available on the market that have been proven to hold up against even the most destructive of dogs (American Pit Bull Terriers can be bad for chewing their way out of crates, and some of these high quality crates have been designed to contain even these dogs!). These crates, however, can range quite high in price. If your dog is not destructive I suggest going with something cheaper and most likely made out of plastic.

If your dog is a little puppy who’s going to grow into a large dog you will want to keep this in mind while choosing a crate. You have the option of buying one crate for the rest of your dog’s life or several while he’s growing. Buying several is obviously more expensive but will fit better to your dog’s size as he grows. There are products available (or you can even build one yourself) that are “dividers” that go into the crate to cut off a portion from your dog. This is handy if you have a puppy that’s going to grow into a large dog. If you have too much space in a crate your puppy may sleep in one end and eliminate in the other. This is why these dividers are handy to keep your puppy from having too much space.

The size of the crate, obviously, depends on the size of the dog. Your dog should be able to stand up and turn around in the crate comfortably but that’s it. You can go larger if you’d like, but as I mentioned above you don’t want a crate that is too big (at least not until he is fully house broken). Dogs don’t need a lot of space to sleep, but it shouldn’t be too cramped for him either.

There are three different materials that crates are generally made out of. Nylon, plastic, or metal (of course; types of metals may vary).
Nylon crates are great for a dog that is already crate trained. They are extremely light weight and fold up easily which makes them great for traveling and storing. However, because it’s such a flimsy material if your dog is a chewer I suggest not going with a nylon crate.
Plastic is probably the most common crate you will find in stores. They are usually light and come apart in two pieces which makes them easier to travel with and store, though not quite as easy as the nylon. If you try to move a plastic crate for a large dog in one piece I wish you the best of luck! They are bulky and hard to move by yourself. Of course the smaller the crate, the easier they are to move and store. The good thing about plastic crates is that they are weather resistant (won’t rust), very easy to clean, and are sturdy enough for dogs with medium destruction habits.
Metal is heavy duty crate. Most metal crates fold up so can be somewhat easy to store but from my experience (especially with large metal crates) they can be a real pain in the butt to move and store. They are extremely heavy and a little tricky to fold up for storage (at least, mine is!). The good thing about the metal crate though is that they withstand a lot of damage. Depending on the type of metal (or whether it is coated or not) it can be prone to rust so they don’t do well outside, but they do stand up to any damage that may be created by your dog. Metal crates are great for dogs with high destruction habits. There is a larger variety of metal crates available than the other two; depending on design, type of metal used, and how resistant they are to environmental and dog damages.

The better quality the crate; the more expensive it is. However, the better quality the crate the more likely you will only have to ever buy one crate for your dog!

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[DogGoneGood]

How do I Crate Train my Dog?

Crate training is both simple and hard to do at the same time. It is simple because there really is only a few steps you need to (or can) take to train your dog but it takes time and a lot of patience and persistence. The number one problem people make (and thus failing at crate training) is they go to their dog when s/he is crying in the crate.

Introduce your dog to the crate as a safe place for just him. You can put a nice comfy blanket in it with his favorite toys and a few treats. Introduce it slowly. Let him sniff it and investigate it. You can even feed him his meals in his crate to let him associate it with something good.

The next step is to lock him in the crate. This is the hardest part. Most puppies and dogs, regardless of how comfortable they feel in the crate when introduced, will panic once the gate closes. They don’t like being locked up, but you have to remember that it is for your dogs safety as well as the safety of your house (and as mentioned before, can help with house breaking).

When you lock your puppy in his crate and he cries and whines and carries on the most important thing to do is ignore him. You can either keep in his sight (which may help at first) or leave the room but stay close by. Once he has quieted a little return to him, praise and let him out. If you keep at this he will learn eventually that being quiet in the crate equals a reward and being let out.

The hardest time to crate train is at night. I suggest putting the crate at the opposite end of your bedroom; otherwise he will keep you up all night. I also suggest starting crate training during your holidays or on a weekend. The last thing you want is to be awake all night and then have to get up early the next morning and go to work (trust me on this one).

How long it takes to crate train your puppy will depend on how persistent and patient you are, and will also depend on your dog’s personality. Not all dogs take to the crate in the same way. Some take longer, some adapt to it quickly, and some will learn to tolerate it but will never actually see it as their own safe bed to be in. Most dogs do, but some don’t. I have one dog that sleeps in his crate all the time and another that refuses to go into his crate unless he is told to do so; in which case he will go in and lay down quietly but you can tell he is not enjoying it. Even the second mentioned dog only took about 5 days to crate train and I trained him using the method I’ve explained above.

You must always remember that the most IMPORTANT thing to do is remain calm, patient, and PERSISTENT. You can not return to your puppy when he’s crying one day and the next expect him to not cry for twice as long. Each time you slip up will make it twice as hard the next time you put him in that crate!

The amount of time you keep your puppy/dog in the crate is also important. Keeping him in the crate for too long is cruel. He needs to get out and stretch his legs, play and have fun! He needs to be able to socialize with the family and other pets!

The general rule of thumb is to crate your puppy for no longer than months he is old plus one, starting at 2 months of age…

2 months = 3 hours
3 months = 4 hours
4 months = 5 hours

After 4 months of age you will want to crate for no more than 5 hours. That is, up until the dog is 9 months or older. You can then crate for up to 6 hours. Some dogs this varies. I suggest, if possible, to not crate for longer than 6 hours. Some dogs can hold it for a whole work day but I suggest to come home during lunch to let your dog out for a pee and to stretch his legs, or find someone else who can do it for you.

This is just a general guideline and shouldn’t be taken as the word of God. How long you crate your dog or puppy for will entirely depend on him.

If you crate your dog for too long or too often he can develop separation anxiety [SA] (this is where the dog becomes frustrated and anxious about being away from you). SA can also develop if you spend too much time with your dog, so it is important to have a balance.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at the above mentioned address.

Good luck with crate training your puppy!

[rexandbaby]

Great post!

[DogGoneGood]

Thanks ;D I hope I'm not missing anything important out of it, I whipped that up pretty quick yesterday after I realized there was nothing about crate training.

I actually made a big long list of articles I wish to write up and put on here (and in case I need them as hand outs in the future). So those will be my projects for now