Are you interested in learning about crating a puppy? This training tool can be very helpful for both you and your pup. So let’s talk about why that is and what you can do to make crating your puppy easier.
1. Why Is Crating Good For Your Puppy?
Crating may look cruel to someone that does not understand their purpose. But crates can be a helpful tool for both you and your pup. For one, it allows you to have a dog which is trained in being in crates and cages.
This makes it easier for you to take them to the vet or elsewhere. For your pup, it gives them a safe place to go when they are tired, nervous or stressed. On top of that, it is also a helpful tool in toilet training your dog.
2. Where Should You Put Your Puppy Crate?
Where your puppy’s crate is located in the house is very important. It is best for you to put your crate somewhere that you and your family would spend a lot of time.
This is so that your puppy will feel included and a part of the family. For example, you could leave your puppy’s crate in the living room.
For the best results, you will need to leave the crate in this spot for at least a few days. This is so that your puppy grows to accept the cage and associates it with good and positive things.
3. How Should You Introduce Your Puppy To The Crate?
Now that your crate is in a good spot, you now need to make sure that your training gets off to a good start.
In order to get off on the right foot, you should keep the door of the crate open so that your puppy has access to it whenever they want. This will allow your pup to sniff the crate, and perhaps even go inside when their confidence has grown.
You may even want to try and tempt them in by leaving one of their favorite toys in the crate or by putting a tasty treat inside. This allows them to have positive associations with the crate.
You do not want your puppy scared of the crate. It is supposed to be a safe place which you can use when you are away or even if you need to take your pup to the vet.
4. What Should You Put In The Crate With Your Puppy?
As we have said, it is very important that your puppy associates the crate with positive memories and associations. When you first introduce them to the crate you need to pay attention to what they are doing.
Are they just sniffing it or are they going inside it? Regardless of which they do, it is important that you reward good behavior. Give them lots of love and affection when they interact with the crate.
In order to make this process much easier, you should put toys in the crate and perhaps even a blanket so that it is more comfortable and enticing.
5. What About Crate Training At Night?
Create training is a very important part of your puppy’s training. When you first bring your puppy home you will likely not be getting much sleep. Your new pup will be small and need lots of attention.
But the worst of it is that your pup will likely have…accidents. Puppies have small bladders and will need to pee quite often and without warning (see also ‘5 Reasons Why Your Dog Pees in Their Crate Overnight‘).
One minute they might be playing and running around and when you look away they will be squatted down on the rug to relieve themselves.
Because it is very likely that these accidents will often happen it is all the more important for you to make sure that your pup is properly crate trained. Especially at night.
In order to prepare your puppy for crate training at night you will need to make sure that your puppy interacts with the crate quite a lot.
When you have noticed your puppy is happy and confident going in and out it is finally time to start trying to close the door when they are inside. When you start doing this you should open the crate almost instantly.
But as time goes on and your pup gets used to this action you should try leaving it closed for a little longer each time.
By slowly increasing the time you are reassuring your puppy that the cage door will always be opened for them and that being closed inside is not a punishment.
6. How Long Should You Leave A Puppy In A Crate?
Baby steps! That is the key to teaching your puppy that it is okay to be left alone in their crate.
By this point you should be slowly increasing the time that your puppy is closed in the crate and associating it with positive experiences.
The next step in this process is to step away or even out of the room for a minute while the crate door is closed. This will help the puppy to know that you will always come back for them even if you leave them alone for a little while.
7. How Big Should Your Crate Be?
When you are looking for a crate for your pup it is best to consider how big they will be when they grow up. At the very least your puppy needs to be able to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably in their crate.
As such you need to consider whether your puppy will be able to do these things when they grow up. For example if you have a Labrador puppy, a small crate might do for a while but your dog will one day grow up to be a large breed.
As such a smart choice would be to get a crate which is meant for a large dog. This way you will only need one crate for your dog’s entire life.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about crating a puppy. This is an essential step in owning a puppy. As crating helps them to know that they have a safe place to go when they are not feeling well, stressed or simply tired.
For you, it is a helpful tool in helping with toilet training as well as making other tasks much easier. With all of that said, we hope that you have a fantastic day. Goodbye for now!
