Crate Training Puppies Is a Great Idea
Have you wondered if Crate Training Puppies is a good idea? Yes, it is a good idea because with the right expertise and training you can teach your dog or your puppy to look at his or her crate as a secure place. This requires the correct approach, however, and the wrong one can spell disaster for your puppy and yourself as well.
When it comes to crate training puppies, you need to first understand that the crate is not to be used as a means of punishment. Gently and gradually introduce crate training to your puppy. You should primarily use a crate for potty training purposes, and the potty training process itself should be a truly happy and positive experience, if you want your puppy to view the crate as a positive thing.
Give your puppy a nice balance between time to be active and time to be in the crate. Dogs need a good amount of exercise so that they can stay healthy. This is very important as a part of proper crate training for your puppy and potty training for him or her as well. If the puppy is in the crate for too long or too often, this can negatively affect his or her personality and behavior.
By the same token, if your dog is let out of the crate too often, this may give him or her a chance to get into trouble. It may also make your dog insecure or overwhelmed. When crate training puppies, here are some tips that should make the process go smoothly.
If you can’t be present to keep an eye on your puppy, make sure you put the puppy the crate. This is also true if your dog is grown. Unless your dog is very reliable and completely potty trained, limit his or her freedom to make sure that you don’t encounter accidents.
Make sure your crate size fits your puppy or dog. This may mean that you have to buy larger crates occasionally as your puppy grows. Don’t buy a crate that’s too large or too small for your dog. It’s possible sometimes to find a crate that is adjustable, but these aren’t normally enclosed and don’t give your dog the same level of security a training crate should provide.
If you are not sure how long to leave your dog in his or her crate at any one time, one way that you can look at it is to compare his months in age to how many hours he can be crated at a single time. A one month old puppy, then, should only be crated for an hour at a time. A twelve month old puppy on the other hand can handle the crate for much longer periods of time.
Never use your dog’s crate to punish him or her. Do not bang on or shake the crate, either. The crate is meant to be a place of safety, and violating it in such a fashion can lead to other behavioral problems as your dog ages.