Crate Training a Little Dog.

  kennel training a puppy makes all the other steps in dog’s training go so much smoother, much like a solid foundation makes for a superior wall.

Establishing you as the Alpha member of his “pack” is one very good reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very young.

Another reason for kennel training is that puppies need predictability.

To be able to predict what is going to happen in any given situation makes him/her happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog s/he can possibly be.

A firm crate is the very basis of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is probably the best kind.  Make sure it is big enough for it to stand up and turn around. But not so large that he/she can roam and wander around. An excessively large crate will inhibit house breaking.

A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as its “den”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you do not turn it into a prison.

Never leave a puppy under 8 weeks, longer than one hour in his/her crate. It will soil it, after fighting and moaning as long as he can.

Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, they will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him/her come in and out freely for about an hour. Compliment him/her each time s/he goes in making it all very pleasant.

Then when his/her attention is on its treat, close the door. Praise it quietly, “What a good boy/girl, it’s ok, such a good boy/girl!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let him/her out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, without giving it a chance to get upset. This can be done several times the very first day.

Make sure every training session ends on a happy note; this is crucial.

Once he/she sees the crate is its own private territory, it will go in there on its own, expecting treats and your attention. Once he/she does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while offering its treats.Start leaving the room while he/she is in there for 2 minutes and onward, gradually. When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days it will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left on its own for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him/her gradually for longer intervals, slowly and cautiously.

  Why do I want a crate for my puppy? The best reason is because they love it.

They feel very safe and secure in there.

When you leave a puppy alone, he/she always has some measure of separation anxiety. This may lead him/herhim to any behavior that brings him/her comfort such as chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding its bowels.

When left in a crate, he/she feels safe because nothing can get to him/her, nothing can harm him/her.He/She will sleep and chew and wait for you to return. When leaving him/her overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained it will cry the entire time, feeling lost and abandoned.

If your dog is crate trained, it will be confident that you will return, you always do. The vet’s office is strange to him/her and will cause him/her some anxiety, but nothing like the pure terror he/she will feel without having experienced being locked in.

While crate training your dog, make sure you do not make a prison of its crate. Do not use it as a form of punishment. Do not leave it there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time.    After that it will cry. Do not remove him/her while he is crying. This will make it think that crying will get it out .No matter what, make sure he/she is being good when you open the door. He/She must learn it has to be quiet to get out. Do not make a fuss when you are letting him/her out, just quietly open the door and take him/her out to potty.   When it potties, praise it to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but sometimes it happens. Do not scold, just clean it out with a bland face. It will learn the lesson. If possible, try to clean it while it is outside so he/she returns to a clean crate.

crate training a puppy is critical for a puppy’s well-being.