Crate training
your new puppy or an older rescued dog can be extremely easy. I like to
use
air crates rather than wire crates. All of my dogs have been raised
in our kitchen with baby gates at each door to prevent accidents
throughout the house. I place a crate underneath our kitchen table to
resemble a den type atmosphere. This way the puppy or older dog may
investigate the crate to see it as part of their environment. I like to
place one of my shirts or a towel in the crate and hide a clock
underneath that. I know it may be an old wives' tale about the clock
resembling the mother’s heartbeat, but it has always worked for me.
I like to
start with a crate small enough to allow the puppy or older dog to rest
comfortably, but not have room to soil their den. Even in the wild a
wolf will not soil the area where it sleeps. So the same is true of a
dog in my experience. When leaving home I always take the puppy or older
dog outside before putting them in the crate. I quickly let them out of
the crate to immediately go back outside when I’m home. I do not play
with them in the house after coming back home to them out of the crate.
That will give them the opportunity to soil in the house, which isn't
what you want! Go immediately outside and stay outside until your puppy
or dog eliminates there. Be sure to praise when the puppy or dog has
eliminated as needed.
Another easy
tip is to feed your puppy or older dog in the crate to acclimate them to
having the door shut. Once they feel comfortable in the crate I then feed
my dogs outside of their crate in the open kitchen. You may want to make
feeding a regular routine in the crate. That’s up to you. My kitchen
doesn’t allow for more than one or two crates at a time and I have six
dogs, two Border Collies and four Shelties. All are crate trained and
were successfully housetrained using the crate. I also like to keep a
crate in the car for safety reasons.
Having a crate
trained dog is also wonderful if you have non doggie company coming over
for the day. Give your puppy or older dog a treat and place them in
their crate with the command “crate.” Keep it simple. One word
commands make it easy for your dog to understand immediately what you
want.
If you have
any problems crate training your puppy or older dog please don’t
hesitate to e-mail me. I will do my best to help you with your questions
or concerns. Believe me, crates are not cruel as some would have you
understand. They are a source of security for your pet.
