Crate Training Your Puppy

You want your dog to be healthy and happy and the right training can contribute significantly to both, you and your dog’s happiness. With over ten years of experience with dog training, our expert dog trainers highly recommends crate training your dog. It’s a fantastic way to make them feel safe and comfortable in your home.

Offering your dog his or her own space plays a big role in making the animal feel special, secure, and a part of the family. In time, your pets will to learn to love their crate. Take a closer look at where they like to spend most of their sleep and relaxation time – under the table or tucked in the corner of a room. Even in the wild, wolves and hounds burrow holes to sleep in. It offers them a sense of security.

The best time for crate training your dog is when they’re young. Still in their formative years, puppies are quick to grasp ideas and adapt to change easily. This is not to say that fully grown dogs can’t get trained; it just might take a little longer.

What Are The Benefits?

Although it’s not an easy process, crate training is always worth it in the end – for both pet owners as well as the dogs themselves. Take a look at how crate training can benefit you and your dog:

Housetraining: Primarily, crate training is a form of house training for pups. Dogs don’t like to soil their dens, so they’ll learn to control themselves better.
Restriction: The crate can limit access to the rest of the house while the dog learns other rules, like not to chew on furniture.
Transportation: Crates are a safe, comfortable way to transport your dog in the car. Your dog will be less uncomfortable in a car if he or she is still in the familiar crate.

How Can Crate Training Programs Help You

Crate training is an essential tool in preventing dogs from chewing on items at home. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when crate training your puppy:

Introduce Your Dog to the Crate

Listed below are a few steps recommended by expert dog trainers to ensure your dog is comfortable in the crate:

Start the process by placing it in a frequently used room.
Bring your pup over to it and talk to them in a positive, happy tone. Initially, you can leave the crate door open and ensure it won’t frighten or hit them.
Encourage your dog to enter it by dropping some food treats nearby, just inside the door, then inside the crate. However, if they do not enter immediately, avoid forcing them.
Be patient until your pup walks calmly into the crate to get the treats because it may take some time. You can also keep their favourite toy inside.

Feed Your Pup Meals in the Crate

After introducing your dog to the crate, you can feed their regular meals inside or near it to create a pleasant for them. If they are reluctant to go inside, put their food only as far as they will readily go without fear. Place it a little farther inside each time you feed them. Once they are comfortable inside the crate, you can close the door and gradually increase the time they spend inside.

Practice with Longer Crating Periods

Once your pup starts to eat their regular meals inside the crate without becoming anxious or fearful, you can try leaving them there for short periods when you are home. You can sit nearby for some time and leave them alone for a few minutes by going out of the room. Repeat this process several times a day and keep increasing the duration you leave them in the crate.

Crate Your Dog When You Leave

If your pup can stay around 30 minutes in the crate without any discomfort, you can start with the following steps:

Try leaving them inside for short periods when you leave the house. However, do not prolong your departures or make them emotional and leave quietly.
Keep arrivals low-key to avoid increasing their anxiety because of your absence.
Continue to crate your puppy for short periods even when you are home, so they do not associate the crate with isolation.

Leave Your Dog in the Crate at Night

You may put the crate in your bedroom or the hallway nearby initially to ensure your puppy gets used to staying inside at night. Once they start sleeping comfortably in it through the night, you can move it to your preferred location.

Consider the Potential Problems with Crate Training a Puppy

Puppy training is not easy because you may have to manage problems such as whining and separation anxiety. It helps to seek the help of expert dog trainers like Alpha Paws to ensure your puppy learns the essentials.

Once you’ve got the ideal crate prepped for your dog, the training process begins. It takes patience and hard work. Calling in a professional with the right skills and experience can make a world of difference. Our specialized dog trainers at Alpha Paws treat your dogs with compassion, respect and kindness.

Contact Alpha Paws today to get started with crate training for your puppy. Call us at 905-830-9500 or 1-647-694-4584 or fill out our online form.