Crate training dogs might be a useful training tool, but not every dog will fall in love with his crate. In fact, the training itself can at times be somewhat challenging, and crate training an adult dog in particular tends to present even more challenges for dog owners than training a dog young. But don’t give up hope just yet! There are still some dog training tricks you can perform to help make the entire process faster. Here are some pointers:
First of all, before you start crate training your dog, you must first know when he needs to be inside the crate. This is an important principle to follow because if you fail to do so, he could become confused as to why he is being locked inside. You should take note that puppies need to stay calm in order to remain safe, so always keep them inside for this very reason.
Second thing to remember in crate training your dog is to always keep a treat by the crate door for his meals and snacks. As mentioned earlier, puppies need to stay calm in order to stay safe, so you should always provide them with small, tasty treats that they can eat while they are inside the crate. It’s also a good idea to put these treats near the crate so that they’ll get excited to see it every time they walk by. Don’t forget to hide their treats deep inside the crate, however, so they won’t see it immediately.
Another thing you should always keep in mind while crate training your puppy is establishing a positive association between the crate and certain activities. For example, you should always associate the crate with playtime and meals. Allow your puppy to go into the crate whenever he wants to play and eat. Whenever he shows a desire to do one of those things, praise him a lot. This positive association will help him realize that when he goes into his crate, those things will happen.
One common mistake most people make in crate training their dogs is teaching them to potty outside the kennel. As many dog lovers would know, puppies are naturally inclined to do what’s familiar to them. If you teach your dog to use the kennel instead of the bathroom, you will confuse him and he might end up doing things that are actually not good for him. In addition, if you tell your dog to use the kennel, he might end up going there even when he shouldn’t be there, such as when he gets hungry or thirsty. This could result to having your dog defecate or urinate all over your house, which is definitely not what you want to happen.
Apart from that, another mistake that you should never commit in crate training dogs is by not allowing them enough time to relieve themselves. It’s natural for puppies to want to relieve themselves as soon as they got to the house. But as you may have noticed, they tend to have accidents especially when they’re excited or they get hungry. You should keep in mind that it is not good for them to hold their urine for a long period of time. Thus, you should allow them at least half an hour to void before letting them out. Besides, you should never punish them if they make mistakes.
The last thing you need to remember in crate training your dog is to never give them snacks during this stage. Dogs can be hungry sometimes after they’ve been sleeping for a while. If you are planning to crate train your puppy when he grows up, you must always keep him loaded with food. Otherwise, he might become too dependent on you and might start eliminating inside the dog crate. You have to let them be comfortable so that they will want to eliminate where you want them to, inside the dog crate.
Hopefully, after reading this article, you have learned some crate training basics. You should know that dogs are really intelligent animals and they can be trained easily if you use positive reinforcements. Training them in housebreaking is easy if you have the patience to wait for them to do the right thing. If you are not patient enough to wait, you might have to invest in some dog training supplies in order to crate train your dog effectively.
