Training Your Dog to Use a Dog Crate

The first thing I hope to accomplish with this article is to let people know of the benefits of dog crates and what they are used for. Dog crates are basically a safe haven for your dog and a very good training tool for puppies or young dogs. Some people even believe that dogs are den dwelling animals and that providing them with a crate is like providing them a substitute for a den.

When used properly, dog crates are an effective tool to begin teaching puppies bladder and bowel control and the limits to what they can or more often, cannot, chew on or chew up in your home. Crates are effective in teaching bladder and bowel control because puppies typically do not like to soil their resting or sleeping areas. So, if you use the dog crate effectively and give your puppy or dog the opportunity to use the bathroom elsewhere, you are in effect training them bladder and bowel control.

Another great benefit in utilizing crate training is to get dogs used to smaller places in the event they have to be crated. If your dog will ever need to crated for a trip to the vet or for pet boarding then it is a good idea to already have them used to a dog crate. Likewise if you plan on traveling by car, plane, or any other means. Not to mention the fact that dogs who are crated in their owner’s vehicles have a better chance of surviving in the event of an auto accident. Another added benefit of crating your dog is that your dog or dogs are less likely to get into something that could be lethal to them if they are crated while at home alone.

Now that I have described to you some of the benefits of dog crates and training your dog to utilize a dog crate, let’s get to some tips on the actual training.
The first thing you want to do is find the right location for the crate. You want to place the crate in your home where you and your family spend most of your time. Then place a blanket or towel in the crate and maybe even a small toy. Take the door off or raise it so that the dog can enter and leave at will. Allow the dog to explore the crate. Most dogs are curious and will begin to explore the crate on their own. However, if they do not then you can encourage it by bringing the dog over to the crate and try to get them to enter the crate. You can usually use small treats to coax them into the crate. Do not force the dog to enter. Again, just be patient and use the treats to entice them into the crate. This sometimes can take several minutes or even days with some dogs.

After you have introduced your dog to the crate, the next step is to start feeding your dog his regular meals near the crate or in the crate if they are comfortable with entering the crate at this point. When the dog is comfortable with entering the crate to eat his or her meal then close the door while they are eating and then re-open the door once they are done eating. After the first time doing this with the door closed, you will start to add time to how long the door is closed for until you have left him or her in the crate for up to ten or fifteen minutes following their meal. If your dog begins to whine then it may be too long of a period being closed in too soon and you may have to decrease the amount of time closed in for the next time. However, you cannot let them out while they are whining. Wait until they have stopped or they will think that they are going to be let out every time they whine.

Once your dog has become accustomed to eating his or her meals in the crate and a short stay following their meals, then you can start to lengthen the time they are in the crate. You will start to close the dog in the crate for short periods while you are at home. You will get the dog to the crate and give them a command such as “crate” while pointing to the crate. Once the dog enters the crate then you will praise them and give them a small treat and close the door. Stay close to the crate for the first several minutes and then spend the next several minutes out of the dogs sight in another room. Once the dog becomes accustomed to this for at least thirty minutes at a time then you can start to leave the dog for short periods or allow them to sleep in the crate at night. Again, be patient, this is not going to happen overnight and it can take several days to several weeks to get to this point.

After your dog has gotten to the point where you can leave them for thirty minutes at a time, then you can begin to leave them longer. You still go through your normal crating routine by giving them the command to enter the crate, praising them when they enter the crate, and giving them a small treat. You can leave your dog crated from anywhere from five to twenty minutes before leaving. You should vary this some so they do not become anxious with the routine. Do not over excite the dog when you return either as this too can create anxiety. At this point, you still want to crate the dog for short periods while you are at home so they do not relate the crate to being left home alone.

Some people are concerned that crating their dogs is cruel punishment to them. If you train your dog as you should then it is not cruel at all. If used properly, you are creating a safe, quiet, cozy place that he or she can call his or her own. In many instances dogs will even prefer to go to their crates for resting time well after the training time has ended.

What I hope to accomplish with this article and all the products that we carry on our website at baddogsupplies.com is to provide people with a way to effectively and properly train their dogs. At [http://www.baddogsupplies.com] we carry a wide range of different training aids that people can find useful when training a new dog or puppy. As with any training product we always recommend doing your homework so that you are utilizing the training tools in a way that is safe for your dog and will get you the results that you are looking for. So stop by our website and check out our many different training tools. At bad dog supplies we are family owned and family operated and we are there to help in any way that we can when it comes to selecting the proper products for your dog training needs.

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