crate training?

Question

so yea. this is the third question ive had about my puppy. but my uncle says to crate train him. but im always home so idk how that would work. should i keep him in it at night? or let him sleep in my room so i know when he has to go? i dont go anywhere durring the day...so idk what to do. and the whole chewing stage crate training was suposed to help. but if im home isnt it just wrong to keep him in the cage. he would think hes bad and thats why hes in there..and when do they stop chewing? idk what to do. any sugestions? is their an easier way to potty train and stop chewing on things that arent his?

Answer 1

Your puppy should sleep in his crate at night, and be in his crate anytime you can't watch him like a hawk.

You should put the crate in your room. If you just let him have run of your room at night, he'll just go wherever, he won't let you know. If he's in his crate, he won't want to mess his bed, and he'll let you know.

Chewing, whenever you see your pup going for something he shouldn't, tell him NO in a firm tone. Wait a couple seconds and then offer him one of his toys, praise him when he takes. Also if you see him chewing one of his toys his own praise him. He may stop chewing the toy and come to you, that's ok, he's gotten the message that you like that. Again if you can't watch him, crate him.

Unless the crate is misused, dogs actually like them. My dogs still have their crates, they go their when they want to get away from everything.

Remember, the key to puppy training is supervision. Using their natural instincts will help you in your training.

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy's maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don't recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don't complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don't want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn't fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won't go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog's full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I'd also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn't be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it's a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn't go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can't be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can't make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it's less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature's Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won't be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can't see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won't get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don't want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don't want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog's crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)

Answer 2

no there isn't.
You should crate train your dog for so many reasons. The main is potty training. Most dogs (like people) dont want to soil themselves or their immediate area. Make sure when you pick out a crate he will be able to sit, stand, lay down and have some extra room but not enough so he can be on one side of the crate and poop on the other.
Some other reasons he should be crate trained is so when he goes to other places like a vet/boarding/grooming he will behave in them. It would be really annoying if you took him to a groomer and they couldnt kennel him, then you'd have to pay a lot of money to have the vet sedate him.

It also helps their dominance by establishing an area that's his. this way he doesnt think he runs the house. It's not torturous so long as its not all day. Crate him over night and when you can't watch him.
he wouldnt think he was bad by being in a crate especially not if you make it comfy and put some toys and give him a treat (reward) for being in there. They stop chewing most of the time when they stop teething. give him things that are acceptable to chew on as well as telling him no or making a loud noise when he chews on something bad.
remember not to use the crate as punishment. that will make him kennel aggressive. Hope I have helped some

Answer 3

Crate training is the best invention in dog training in the past 30 years. That and positive reinforcement. There is no easier way to potty train a dog. The crate training removes a lot of the stress from that process. Trust me... I've trained dogs both ways... you will worship the crate when you try it.

And no, you don't keep them locked in the crate when you are there and you can pay attention. When you're asleep, you will need to lock the door until he learns everything you are trying to teach. NEVER use the crate as punishment, but if you become extremely frustrated, the crate is a handy place to put the dog while you cool off.

Answer 4

Our dogs are all crate trained, it is not punishment, the crate is their own personal territory and they will go in on their own accord, crate training is easier when housebreaking and to also get them thru the chewing stage. Whenever you can't watch them put them in the crate and tell them good puppy and give them a treat so they know it isn't punishment. Get them use to a crate when they are young, if you ever have to take them and leave them at the vet for any reason they will be in a crate. Plus if you travel you can put them in their crate as well, it becomes a place of security for them.

Answer 5

I recommend you go to your local library and see if they have a section on dog training. We went to ours and found "Puppy Preschool" it was a GREAT little book with lots of tips. But I strongly belive in crate training. It's not cruel at all; dogs like to "den" and it'll be a really good thing for him to have throughout his life. Crate train him so when you do leave the house, to go to the store, the bank, wherever, you know that he's safe, and your house isn't getting chewed up. Make the crate a happy place he'll want to go in. Mine goes in there and sleeps sometimes even when we're here. Its "their own" place. Their den.

Don't forget about the books at the library, or the bookstore, or Amazon.com. They're really helpful.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

First, do some research on what crate training is and isnt! :) It's not punishment.

The idea it to have a PLACE for your dog when you don't have time for him/her... Most dogs actually like their crates as long as they are *not* used in a mean way or as punishement. It provides a safe environment.

After learning the hard way, I finally had to REinstitute crate use for my three dogs who were way too spoiled. Now after dinner they "crash" in their crates and I have a peaceful evening/night's sleep.

When company comes, it's much easier to PLACE your dog in his/her crate if they have been trained to go there without distress.

Answer 7

ur puppy will learn that when he is in his kennel it is down time. ur life is everchanging and just because ur home now doesn't mean u wont get a job or be home as much. ur puppy wont pee or poop in his "kennel" as i call it. because he wont want to sit or sleep in it. it's okay to use it as discipline as well. that way he will learn that there are rules and he has to follow them. remember he is a puppy and may slip once or twice but he is still learning and will need some time. i'm not saying keep him locked up all the time, but at night he will learn to sleep the hours u do. he'll learn to whine when he has to pee and u can later teach him (if he whines) with key words like outside or go do ur business. he'll learn to go to the door and whine. animals are smart.

Answer 8

Keep him in it at night and everytime you do leave, even if it is just up the street. If you do leave him out, roll up some newspaper and put rubberbands around it and spank him one or two times. The newspaper won't really hurt him, just scare him. Do that if he potties on the floor or chews stuff. IT worked with my dog in about 3 hours.

Answer 9

Your puppy should be in its crate when ever you cannot supervise it. It will keep it safe and out of trouble. Good luck.

Answer 10

the training secrets about your dog easy way to train your pets visit

Answer 11

start doing it now and he will get used to it later on,by the way nice pic