Dog Crate Training - Tips and Advice
Dog crate training works very well with puppies when you are trying to housebreak them. The purpose of the crate is to confine the puppy to one area when they are by themselves. The crate needs to be the appropriate size for the dog. The puppy will grow, but you still need to start with a smaller crate until they outgrow it and you move up to the next size crate. The reason for this is that a puppy or any dog will not usually urinate where they sleep or eat. Keep in mind that some dogs will prove this point wrong, but for the most part, if you offer potty breaks when needed, they will behave in the crate.
You can find that some dog crate training works with a crate that has dividers to adjust the room and size of the crate as the puppy grows. These will work well for people who do not want to have many different sized crates around the home. The idea is to partition off part of the crate so the puppy only has enough room for food and water and room to sleep. For crate training to work, you will have to have breaks when the puppy is let outside. If you force the puppy to stay in the crate past their scheduled potty breaks, they are going to go in the crate and get it all over themselves. They cannot hold it like older dogs can. It is also unhealthy for a dog to be made to hold it for extremely long periods.
Dog crate training also makes the puppy feel safe. As they grow, they may become comfortable in their crate and choose to sleep in it at night. This does work well for people who prefer to sleep in their beds themselves without the dog. Dogs can actually be trained to go into the crate when told to do so. This is all part of their training.
Dog crate training can help with training the dog to behave as well. If a dog misbehaves, you can use the crate for a time out. A crate which is used for punishment may not be suitable for sleeping in at night. The dog may become confused as to what the crate’s purpose is. You can use a crate for many different types of training, you just have to be consistent with what the crate’s purpose is and the dog training will go much more quickly.
Dog Training Tip #1 - Consistency
Your dog needs the proper message every time. Consistency is one of the keys to success when training your dog. When you expect a certain behavior, always give the same commands and responses. Remember, if you keep using different commands or respond differently to the same situation, you create confusion and slow the training process.
Dog Training Tip #2 - Patience
This is not an easy one for some people. Training your dog requires a lot of patience. You cannot train a dog in one sitting. Your dog will make mistakes. Do not lose patience, they will eventually come around.
Dog Training Tip #3 - Love and Rewards
When you puppy or doggie does something good, lavish praise, love and occasionally some treats on them. Love and rewards should be as generous as you can give. Positive reinforcement works wonders. When training your dog, no matter what they do, remain positive but firm. You do not want to get angry. Your dog should not walk around in fear of you.
We hope you enjoy your stay here. Go on and look around, the information contained on our website is intended to help you train your dog. Good Luck!
