How to crate train a puppy

Learning how to crate train a puppy will probably be the best start to a long, enjoyable and healthy relationship between you and your puppy. Crate training is commonly seen as the best potty training method for a puppy or dog and by crate training your puppy at a young age you can eliminate many problems in the future.

The reason why crate training is so effective is because puppies and dogs naturally, don’t like to soil the area where they will sleep and eat. When learning how to crate train a puppy, you should firstly make a schedule of the times you want your puppy to sleep, wake up, have naps, eat, etc. By creating a schedule you will make crate training your puppy or dog a lot easier because puppies and dogs usually need to relieve themselves within 10 minutes after waking up from a nap, sleep, and after each meal.

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One of the biggest mistakes people make when learning how to crate train a puppy is buying a crate that is too big. You should choose a crate that is just right for your dog to be able to lie down comfortably in otherwise if the crate is too big your dog might poop or urinate on one side of the crate and lay on the other side away from it. You should make the crate as comfortable as you can and leave your puppies favourite rug or blanket so it can sleep on this. Leaving your puppies favourite toys in the crate will also encourage your puppy to use the crate more often and your puppy or dog will soon learn that the crate is its own special place, like a home that it can go to rest in and look forward to at the end of each day.

When you have learnt how to crate train a puppy, you might initially find that your puppy or dog doesn’t like crate training and may whine or bark but as you keep consistent with crate training your dog will soon learn to love its crate and see it as a place of security and comfort.

When you have understood the concepts of how to crate train a puppy you should keep crate training periods short to start off with, usually about 10 to 15 minutes and slowly building up to 2 hours as your puppy becomes more comfortable with its crate.

Throughout the crate training process you should expect to have a few mishaps but you must not punish your puppy for this. Puppies still do not have full control over their bowels and bladders and sometimes can’t hold it in but as they get older this will change. The other important reason why you should never punish your puppy is because you do not want your puppy to see the crate as a bad place where it can expect punishment.

When you have learnt how to crate train a puppy and have taken action with what you have learnt you should always remember to praise your dog when it does the right thing and behaves and goes to its crate, your dog should see its crate as a welcoming and happy place to go to and with consistency and training your dog will learn to go to the crate on its own to have a nap or to play or eat even when you aren’t around.

Click here to learn the biggest crate training secrets