How to crate train a puppy
**Crate-training is an ongoing process, and you cannot expect your puppy or dog to stay in their crate for hours at a time, alone without practice.
What is Crate Training?
Proper crate-training will prepare your puppy for possible future scenarios, teach independence and will help prevent things like separation anxiety. These benefits reach further than a happy life for your dog;it also helps you in day-to-day life and management of your puppy. If you recently got a puppy, or are planning on getting one, the BEST tool to ensure success is a crate.
Crate training is an ongoing process of teaching your dog to self-soothe and relax on their own. You cannot expect your puppy or dog to stay in their crate for hours at a time, alone without practice. This is why it is important to gradually increase the time your puppy spends alone in the crate.
The basics of how to crate train a puppy:
Use the crate at times when you are home, not just when you leave or can’t pay attention
Take advantage of training times to also do some fun crate games.
Feed any meals that you do not hand feed in the crate
Stick your puppy in the crate if they fall asleep somewhere else.
Put chewable bones in the crate so your puppy can entertain themselves through chewing a safe object.
Crate Training to Potty Train & More
Potty training is one of the main focus points of puppy training when you first bring them into your home. Having a controlled area where your puppy will naturally avoid going to the bathroom, can help you identify the times your puppy has to go so you can take them out in a timely fashion.
Aside from potty accidents puppies tend to also cause damage to property when left unsupervised. Much like babies and toddlers, puppies are exploring the world through their senses. Since puppies do not have hands, their teeth are their main form of communication and exploration. To avoid having to tell your puppy ‘no’ all the time, put your puppy in the crate when you cannot be supervising them. Remember: puppies and dogs are always learning, even if you’re not actively teaching. The crate provides a safe space where they cannot be wrong when you are not around, so they will not learn inappropriate behaviors.
Lastly, just like it is for babies, sleep is incredibly important for puppies to develop both physically and mentally. And just like babies, puppies do not yet have the capacity to regulate themselves and go to sleep when they need it. Instead, you’ll often see the puppy equivalent of a toddler being ‘overtired’. Their energy tends to kick back up, they get bitey, jumpy, over-excited in general, and can be very frustrating to have to deal with.
We have an in-depth Crate Training & Potty Training Bundle available!
FAQ ABOUT CRATE TRAINING
When crate training a puppy what should be in the crate?
Bedding:
Deciding whether or not to place bedding in your puppy’s crate varies from puppy to puppy. Typically we like to wait at least a few days to see if the puppy is going to have any accidents. Oftentimes, puppies will go to the bathroom on their bedding and move it to a corner so they can still lay comfortably in their crate. Whenever you do decide to start putting a bed or a blanket in the crate, we recommend you begin during the day, so you can monitor your puppy and make sure they don’t chew it or use it for the bathroom.
Toys:
In order to keep your puppy entertained while in the crate, we want to provide them with something appropriate. A NylaBone or similar type of chew-toy is amazing. Choose a size that is slightly larger than the recommendation on the package. If your puppy is considered a size Small, choose a bone for a Medium dog.
Food:
Just like chew-toys, food can be great to keep your puppy entertained, while simultaneously creating a positive association with being in their crate. Use a Kong, Fenrir Hammer/Egg, or other freezable for food. If your puppy eats kibble, you can add some water in a bowl and let it sit for a few hours to absorb into the kibble. Then, pour kibble into a freezable and let freeze overnight for a long-lasting pupsicle.
Where to crate train a puppy?
When it comes to choosing a location for the crate it can be difficult to figure out on your own. We recommend keeping the crate in a main area of the home so especially when you use the crate during the day, your puppy does not feel left out. At night, we recommend beginning with the crate in your room, possibly even on your nightstand, so your puppy can see you during the night, for the first few nights. After that we would slowly transition to moving the crate further away.
Will crate training help separation anxiety?
If your dog or puppy already has separation anxiety, the process will be a bit more complex to resolve. However, crate training will definitely be an amazing tool in the recovery process associated with separation anxiety.
What crate training is really amazing for is PREVENTING separation anxiety. Because the crate teaches puppies from a young age that being away from us is not a bad thing, it helps completely avoid the issue of separation anxiety all together.
Will crate training traumatize my puppy?
Proper crate training never traumatizes a puppy. However, doing things like using your puppy’s crate for punishment will create a negative association, which can over-time traumatize your puppy.
Can I put my puppy in a crate at night?
Absolutely! In fact, we encourage everyone to put their puppy, or even dog in a crate overnight. This way you can have peace of mind that they won’t get into trouble while you sleep, and they can let you know if they need to use the bathroom. Just make sure your crate is appropriately sized for your puppy to spend the night in.
Crate training Do’s & Don’ts
**Crate-training is an ongoing process, and you cannot expect your puppy or dog to stay in their crate for hours at a time, alone without practice.
