Crate Training
Puppy Crate Training - Why Do We Do It?
Over time the crate will become your puppy's own private area which they will grow to love and feel secure in. You will come to rely on your crate just like I do in many day to day activities including: ~One of the first and most important uses of the crate is in the puppy housebreaking process. Crate training is the best way to quickly teach your puppy to eliminate (go to the toilet) outside. You can read my detailed step by step system here - puppy house training. ~Crating our puppies teaches them to chew on the toys we provide to them and prevents them from chewing on the things we don't want them to chew on (shoes, furniture, curtains etc.). This is the key to establishing good habits in our dogs and preventing de-structive habits which can be difficult to rectify. ~When your young puppy is in his/her crate he is safe from any number of dangerous household items. Unfortunately many pup-pies are severely injured and killed every year as a result of chewing wires, ingesting poisons or eating foreign objects. ~Separation anxiety is a huge problem for an in-creasingly large percentage of dogs. Proper use of the crate can help reduce the chance of your puppy de-veloping separation anxi-ety. The crate becomes a place where your dog is calm, out of trouble and accustomed to being alone. I should add here that if you are away from home all day every day is a puppy really suitable for someone with your life-style anyway? ~If you have friends or visi-tors of any kind coming and going from your home the crate is the perfect place to keep your puppy safely confined for a while. ~Because most crates are lightweight and portable you can move them from room to room so your puppy can be close by you all day long! ~Many crates are suitable for putting into your car which makes your puppy's traveling experience safer and often less stressful. ~When your puppy grows to love his crate it makes trips and stays at places such as your Vet and Dog Groom-ers a more bearable experience. ~When puppy crate training is applied correctly your puppy cannot get into any mischief which signifi-cantly reduces any need to discipline her. This makes for a far better environ-ment in which to live (for both dog and owner). ~If you plan to do any ac-tivities like competitive obedience training, fly-ball or agility training you will find your crate is a great place to confine your dog in between training sessions and competition. Put it in a nice cool spot in the shade. If you plan to give your dog some obedi-ence training I recommend this comprehensive do it yourself dog training course dog training membership site for dog lovers. Selecting A Crate For Your Puppy The crates basically come in two general styles - durable plastic and an all wire mesh type, which is often collapsible. It's really a personal choice which style of crate you go for but the most important thing is that you buy one that is the appropriate size for your dog. Get a crate that will be large enough for your fully grown puppy and partition it off until he grows into it. |