Dog Crate Training – Tips and Potential Problems

Dog crate training can either be a very simple process or a hard process, so we have put together some simple dog crate training tips for you to ensure your efforts will be a success.

Why Use Dog Crates?

A dog has a natural instinct to be in a den or a similar enclosed area. A dog crate is an excellent area to give your pet that will satisfy this natural desire. This should be your animal’s sanctuary and not somewhere that you put them for punishment. You want them to be comfortable in their cage, and if they are scared of it then you will not be able to use it for training. By following these dog crate training tips, you will be able to avoid some of the most common mistakes that can ruin your chances of successfully house breaking your dog.

A dog crate is one of the most effective ways of house training your dog because they naturally do not want to use the bathroom where they will be sleeping. In addition to that, it will also help to protect your house and your dog while you are not home.

Everyone knows that dogs can get into trouble when they are left unattended around all of the entertaining things that we like to leave sitting around our houses. Obviously, nobody wants their pet to destroy their personal belongings, but many people do not think about the potential harm that can happen to your dog from this devious behavior. Many dogs get hurt every day from biting into live electrical wires and ingesting things that they shouldn’t.

Simple Tips To Start Training Your Dog

The best time to start crate training a dog is when they are a puppy, simply because it is easier for them to get used to it when they are young and it can also help with separation anxiety from it’s mother. Adult dogs can still be trained, but it may take longer and may require more patience. You should generally wait until at least four months of age until you start using a dog crate, because they will need to use the bathroom very frequently until that age. Even then, you will want to be sure to give them regular access to walks and free time outside of the cage.

You should start by preparing your dog crate to be a more comfortable place for your pet. The most common kind of dog cage is a wire dog crate of various sizes. You should make the door stay open and put some kind of cushion between the removable tray and the bottom of the crate. You don’t want to close the door with your pet inside of it until they have become comfortable with the environment. The cushion on the bottom of the crate will reduce rattling noise that can spook your dog. Good choices for cushions can be towels or cardboard.

You can put toys or dog treats in the back of the dog crate to help to invite them in, but you want to make sure that these are not items that your dog can choke on. Water should be provided for your animal if you leave them alone in the cage for more than an hour. They will easily spill typical dog water bowls, so you should use something that can hang on the side of the cage like a hamster water dispenser. You can also allow your dog to have some type of bedding inside of their crate, but you will want to be sure to monitor their behavior with any bedding or towels. If they tear up the bedding, use the bathroom on it or simply push it to the side, promptly remove it.

When you are ready to introduce your dog to it’s crate, put it somewhere very close to where you will be hanging out for the majority of the day. You can make your dog curious about the cage by putting some random dog treats inside of it. Never try to force them into their crate before they are used to it. Try feeding them inside of their crate or even make a game out of hiding treats and toys in there. You can encourage your pet to investigate it or look for the hidden items, but always allow them freedom to come and go as they please during this phase. When they have become comfortable hanging out inside of their new home, you can try to lock them up inside of their cage while you are still near them. Once they are comfortable locked up in the crate, then you can leave the room for brief periods of time to get them used to being in there alone.

Dog Crate Training Tips and Advice

One of the most important things to remember about dog crate training is that this is your dog’s new home and they need to feel safe there. Do not allow anybody in your home to handle your pet or mess with it’s cage. This is it’s own private area and should be respected just like you would someone’s bedroom. If you can adopt this frame of mind for your dog’s crate, then you will already win a large part of the battle.

Do not try to crate your dog too soon or for too long, although overnights can be an exception to this rule. Six hours is an absolute maximum amount of time that you should crate any dog. If you are introducing a puppy under four to five months old to crate training, you will need to keep their confinement time limited to only an hour or two. You should always walk your dog on a regular basis and especially right before they are crated. Make sure they have used the bathroom before they are put in their crate for any extended period of time.

You should never use a cage if your puppy is sick or shortly after they have consumed a lot of food or water. This can lead to unpleasant situations for your pet. If they do have an accident, you want to make sure to not punish your dog. Clean up the mess but do not use cleaners with ammonia.

If you have followed all of our dog crate training tips, your dog should feel at home in their dog crate and be happy to go inside of it anytime. Your sanity will be intact and so will your furniture, rugs and your favorite pair of shoes.

To properly crate train a dog, you will need to make sure you have picked the correct cage from all of the available dog crate sizes that are available today. If you choose the wrong crate size, your dog can easily have enough space to feel like they can eliminate inside of their cage and sleep in another part of it. This can be extremely counterproductive to your training efforts and you may find yourself fighting with this problem forever. Take a moment to measure and weigh your dog if they are fully grown or research how big your dog breed will become. The best dog crates come with divider panels so you can buy a cage that will work for your dog their entire life. These divider panels let you change the living space of their crate to adjust your dog as it grows. Once you know how big your dog is going to be, take a look at a very helpful dog crate size guide so you can pick out a proper home for your best friend.

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