Crate Training – Why You Should Use A Crate To Train Your Puppy
Oftentimes you may hear comments from other people who see you putting your puppy inside a crate that this is an inhuman, abusive method of in home dog training. However, we need to make other people understand that putting dogs inside crates is not just for housebreaking them. This is to provide our dogs a safe environment that can be a comfortable place for them also.
Crate training is a harmless way of potty training and housetraining your dog. A crate should not be considered a prison, as many would think. It is actually a comfort zone for a dog, where he may retreat to if he is afraid or when he just wants to rest. Remember that having descended from wolves, dogs still carry in them that trait of being a den animal, where they would look for a warm, cozy place for rest and comfort.
Most people do not like the idea of putting puppies inside crates in order to limit their movements around the house. But this is actually the best way to make your dog understand just how much freedom can he enjoy and what are his limitations.
You can introduce your pup to the crate by giving him treats only when he is inside the crate. This way, the crate becomes a favored place and he will look at this place not as a prison but as a place where his hunger will be satisfied or where he can find comfort. Giving him full meals inside the crate must not be encouraged, though. A dog would still need to know that there is a place for everything, and meals are served in a specific place in the house.
Another good thing about using crates is you can use them for potty training. A dog would never want to stay in a place smelling of poop. Since he recognizes the crate as his den, he will never poop inside the crate. When he feels like he needs to go, he will show it in his movements and you will see that he may be trying to get out of his crate because he needs to do his business somewhere else.
It will be good to be familiar with your puppy’s “potty skeds”, which usually happen when he wakes up, right after a meal, or after he has been playing. When you get used to his body signals, you can immediately take him out of the crate and lead him to a place where you would prefer him to poop.
Remember, as your dog gets accustomed to his crate routine and enjoys the security of having his own space, never leave a puppy crated for longer than three or four hours at a time or an adult dog for longer than eight hours.
Through in home dog training and crate training, you’ll never have an unruly or too aggressive dog later on.
