We got a new dog last weekend. He is about 10 weeks old. We’ve been told we should crate train him.
What is the purpose in crate training?
How do we go about doing it?
What size crate?
Give me all the details you can regarding this.
FYI:
He is a Yorkie/German Spitz mix and will probalby be no larger than 10 lbs.
wussy dog 🙂
anyway, i got my new puppy in september and crate trained her. Potty training is number 1, most dogs will not go potty in their crate as it is their home. Comfort is number 2. Believe it or not, bringing a dog into a large home can be overwhelming, the crate is a small little place to call their own. My puppy stays in her crate all day long while i’m at work, and sleeps in there at night. Were actually going to start weening her out at night, as she’s not a wussy dog, and we actually have her for protective purposes. She won’t be very helpful if she’s in a crate and someone breaks in while were sleeping. As it is now, we leave the door open to the crate when were at home, and she generally naps in there, so believe it or not, they really do like it. 🙂
Training, make sure the crate is only big enough for the puppy to stand up and turn around in. If it’s any bigger, it can walk away and poop in a corner and still find a cozy place to sleep. Start by putting him in there RIGHT away, give him a treat at first to coax her in. At first keep the crate by you, so you can always reassure the dog when it starts whining. Then everyday move it closer to where you’d like to keep the crate permanently. Be sure to make sure to let him out to potty on a regular schedule, so they aren’t forced to hold it, but once they’re about 3-4 months he should be housebroken and he should be able to start holding it as long as necessary.
there are lots of good websites. I just put my baby in anytime we left the house or went to bed. She cried the first few nights, but we broke her of that in about 3 nights.
i didn’t start crate training my dog until he was about a year old and it has saved my sanity since i started. his crate is just big enough for him to lie down and stand up and turn around in. i got him used to it but putting in his favorite toys and a couple of treats and then leaving him to sleep in it while i was still at home. it only took a few days before he would go in it on his own and stay there all day while i was at work. now there’s no more barking or crying when i leave in the morning and he sits and waits quietly for me to let him out when i get home. never use the crate for punishment or else he will begin to see the crate as a negative thing and not want to go in it. with my guy, i put some peanut butter stuff in his kong and then put that in his crate and he stays in it happily and quietly and doesn’t even realize i’ve left the room or the house.
good luck!!
Crate training provides the puppy/dog a safe place that is his “own”, to go to sleep and a place to hang out safely when you can’t supervise him. It also helps a GREAT deal with potty-training. Don’t ever “punish” the dog by putting him in the crate, you want him to LOVE this space as his own. Dogs in the wild would rest in dens, it is in a dog’s nature to want his own space to sleep comfortably and feel safe.
You want to get a crate that is big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably. But not so big that he can “relieve” himself at one end, and sleep comfortably at the other end. Dogs will not relieve themselves in the same place that they sleep, in their “den”. Unless of course, you leave him in there for longer than the little pup can hold it!
Introduce him to the crate by putting treats in there and letting him go in and out, leaving the door open. Then throw a treat in, and shut the door so that he REALLY wants to get IN to that crate! He’ll paw at the door for a second, then open it up and let him grab it. Always make the crate a positive place for him to be, you can put toys in there to keep him busy when he’s in there during the day.
P.S. A nice soft blanket in the bottom of the crate will help him to stay warm, and fall asleep faster 😀
Good luck!
It’s my understanding that the crate is supposed to be their little spot. Like their special place. I have friends that use them for their little dogs and they seem to love their crates. I do not keep one for Pugsley though. His spot is in my lap or the girls laps and he sleeps with one of us on the bed. He’s not a dog though. He’s my real boy. ♥
Get a crate that is just big enough for him to stand up and turn around in. You can get a crate that will fit him when he’s older if it comes with a divider. That way, you can adjust the crate as he grows.
By crate training, he will not usually potty where he sleeps. (As long as he’s not left for long hours)- so, puppy stays in the crate when you can’t supervise him 100%. When you’re ready to watch him, take him out of the crate and go immediately outside and let him potty. If he does- LOTS of praise. If he doesn’t- take him back and put him in the crate for another 5-10 minutes and try again.
By using the crate, not only will he learn to control his bladder and bowels, but you won’t have to worry about what he’s chewing on that he shouldn’t be.
If you are using the crate right, it will become the dog’s den. People sometimes fret that the crate is “cruel”, because they want their dogs free while they’re gone. Our dogs sleep all day when we’re gone anyway- why not let them sleep where you know they’re safe.
Another benefit to crates a friend told me about recently- if you have a fire in your home, the dogs will be in the crates, and easier for the firemen to save and rescue. If left loose, they can get scared and hide, and the firemen can’t find them.
Good luck with the new puppy!
Everyone told us to crate train our dog too.
I never understood at all what that actually means.
For us, our dog has a crate she is 12lbs she is one year old.
Her crate is her space.
It is where we put her if she is bad, or if we are leaving the house and can’t trust her to be out.
Generally they say to get a small crate enough for food water and dog.
We got a huge one, and it is like her bedroom, when she was tiny she had a puppy pad in it, now that she can hold it she has her bed, and her food and water.
That is how we crate trained her, if we say get in your pen, she goes and jumps right in.
I tried to make it a positive experience for her, and when we are home with her the door to it is always open.
Good luck.
We have always crate trained, and because of this we can leave the house and know that the dogs are safe and the house won’t be destroyed. When I had to put a high chair up for my daughter, I needed the space and took my 5 year old dog’s crate down – she cried for days in front of the high chair.
Make sure that you take him out every few hours, and leave SAFE chew toys for him. He doesn’t need a blanket in there yet because he will chew everything at this stage.
One word of caution with or without a crate – when leaving the house, just put him in the crate and walk away, very matter of fact. When returning home, let him out of his crate and outside to do his business before a big greeting. This will avoid separation anxiety and prevent your dog from barking the entire time that you are out of the house. A crib or a playpen keeps your baby safe – a crate keeps your puppy safe.
I just got the Gentle Leader easy walk harness for my 10 month old puppy and she loves it – no pulling. It makes walking her a pleasure.
Carol Benjamin and the Monks of New Skete have some great books. Read them and enjoy your new family member.
This article explains the how and also the why. It was written with retrievers in mind, but it is still applicable.http://www.retrievertraining.net/crate/k…
My main reason for crate training is it sure makes traveling with the dogs a lot easier.
As a PhD you should’ve had at least 10 good books on dogs and their care and training.
There is no substitute for a DECENT book by a true expert.