Training A Dog To Use A Crate
Training your dog to use a crate may be more work than teaching a puppy, but it is all a state of mind. If done correctly, your dog will feel at ease within his crate and not be capable of causing problems while you are not in the same room watching him.
The following are a few ideas that you can use to help crate train your canine.
*Is The Crate The Proper Size
Your dog should be able to turn around and stand up in his crate. The crate is too small if your dog cannot do these things comfortably.
Find some sort of bedding to put in the crate.
If the bedding is comfortable and your dog likes it, the fact that it wasn’t custom-fit to the crate is a non-issue. Another good idea is to select bedding which is easy to wash.
If your dog seems scared of the crate and you do not know the dog’s past history, it could be that the dog was punished in a crate or left in a crate for long periods of time. Although these issues will not make it impossible to crate train your dog properly, you will most likely need more patient with your dog.
*Introduce Slowly
Familiarize the dog with the crate gradually by first locating it in a part of the house where the dog feels happy and comfortable. Make sure that you leave the crate’s door open. Let your dog go inside at his own pace, don’t rush him.
To increase your dog’s interest in the crate, either place treats or toys near the door of the crate. After some time, the treats may be moved from the door to the inside of the crate.
If your pet goes inside of its own accord, you can have a go at shutting the door (just don’t exit the room; make sure your pet knows you are there). Close the door for a few minutes.
Leave the door closed a little longer every time.
Through time your dog will not mind if you leave the door shut for longer time periods. Next you will want to go out of the room and then gradually extend your time away from him.
Unless your dog is comfortable with the current step, don’t move on to the next one.
A huge mistake that many people make when crate training a dog is to use the crate as a form of retributation.
Your dog will correlate negativity with the crate by doing this. If you do not properly train your dog, your dog will view the crate as something to be feared.
After you have accustomed your dog to the crate, he may be left in it for a few hours.
Some people make the decision to put their dog in a crate while they are at work. Some people crate dogs overnight. You really must not, however, participate in both things.
If your dog is in the crate while you are at work and while you are asleep, then your dog will be in the crate for as long as sixteen hours in a day. This is not acceptable.
Ensuring that your dog is properly crate trained is a slow process. It could take a while, but in the end it will be worth it. One of the most important things to do in order to properly crate train your dog is to teach him to relate good things with being inside the crate.
Assist him in learning that he is in a safe place while you are gone.
Be patient and understanding and things should fall into place.
