How to Introduce Your Puppy to His Dog Crate

Dog crates are an excellent training tool for puppies and adult dogs, plus they also represent a 'den' which their wolf ancestors used for comfort and shelter. Using dog crates to train a pup teaches them that the human den (the house) is to be kept clean and is a place of comfort.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• dog crate
• toys
• bedding or a towel
• fresh water

1. Place your puppy's favorite toys and dog treats at the far end opposite the door opening. A small hamster-type water dispenser with cold water should be attached to the crate if your puppy is to be confined for more than two hours in the crate. Or put in a small bowl of water.

2. Place a towel or blanket inside the crate to create a soft, comfortable bed for the puppy. If the puppy chews the towel, remove it to prevent the pup from swallowing or choking on the pieces. Although most puppies prefer lying on soft bedding, some may prefer to rest on a hard, flat surface, and may push the towel to one end of the crate to avoid it. If the puppy urinates on the towel, remove bedding until the pup no longer eliminates in the crate.

3. Place the crate near or next to you when you are home. This will encourage the pup to go inside it without his feeling lonely or isolated when you go out. A central room in the apartment (living room or kitchen) or a large hallway near the entrance is a good place to crate your puppy.

4. Occasionally throughout the day, drop small pieces of kibble or dog biscuits in the crate. While investigating his new crate, the pup will discover edible treats, thereby reinforcing his positive associations with the crate. You may also feed him in the crate to create the same effect. If the dog hesitates, feed him in front of the crate, then right inside the doorway and then in the back of the crate.

5. In the beginning, praise and pet your pup when he enters. Do not try to push, pull or force the puppy into the crate. At bedtime you may need to place your pup in his crate and shut the door. (In most cases, the crate should be placed next to your bed overnight. If this is not possible, the crate can be placed in the kitchen, bathroom or living room.)

6. Crate your puppy for short periods of time while you are home with him. In fact, crate training is best accomplished while you are in the room with your dog. In the beginning, walk out of the room for a few minutes and then come back in - do this several times. Getting him used to your absence from the room in which he is crated is a good first step. This prevents an association being made with the crate and your leaving him alone.

7. Provide your puppy with sufficient exercise, companionship and socialization and crate training should be very easy.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to provide lots of daily companionship, playtime, and exercise while crate training.
• If your puppy has an accident in his crate while you are out, do not punish him upon your return. Simply wash out the crate using a pet odor neutralizer (such as Nature's Miracle).
• Do not use ammonia-based products, as their odor resembles urine and may draw your dog back to urinate in the same spot again.
• Be sure that the crate you are using is not too large to discourage your pup from eliminating in it. Rarely does a pup or dog eliminate in the crate if it is properly sized and the dog is an appropriate age to be crated a given amount of time.
• Remove your puppy or dog's collar before confining in the crate. Even flat buckle collars can occasionally get struck on the bars or wire mesh of a crate. If you must leave a collar on the pup when you crate him (e.g.: for his identification tag), use a safety "break away" collar.
• NEVER use the crate as a form of punishment or reprimand for your puppy or dog. This simply causes the dog to fear and resent the crate. If correctly introduced to his crate, your puppy should be happy to go into his crate at any time. You may however use the crate as a brief time-out for your puppy as a way of discouraging nipping or excessive rowdiness.
• Don't use a crate if he is too young to have sufficient bladder or sphincter control
• Don't crate if he has diarrhea or is vomiting
• Never crate until he has eliminated prior to being confined
• Don't crate longer than the Crating Duration Guidelines (see additional resources)
• Don't crate if the temperature is excessively high and there is not sufficient ventilation or the temperature is too cold and no protection from drafts

[cherold598]

on 1/24/2009 Very well-written article and a lot of excellent tips!!

[crazycatlady]

on 1/6/2009 Even if you don't think you are going to use a crate or carrier with your dog, get them used to it. We moved to Germany, and our dog went into a carrier for the first time at age 8, for the 9-hour flight. Very stressful for him.

[Alisiane]

on 11/11/2008 Since Santa is bringing a puppy to our house this Christmas, this is going to be some valuable info in a couple of weeks! Thanks for sharing :-)

[iamageniuster]

on 11/10/2008 Very nice article. Thanks for sharing.