Using a Dog Crate to House Train Your New Puppy

By Jen Moore
During the first few months in their new home, puppies require a great deal of supervision. Using a dog crate can help you to prevent accidents during times when the puppy can't be watched. Housebreaking is easier to accomplish when accidents are prevented in the first place! Using a dog crate combined with a regular feeding and exercise schedule will make housebreaking go smoothly.

If puppies could have their way, they'd choose to run free all the time, so you should expect some initial resistance to the dog crate. Puppies have to learn to accept periods of confinement. They won't like it right away but acceptance will come.

Most puppies will whine or bark during the first few days of being put in their crate. Once they begin to accept this new restriction on their freedom, they quiet down and actually learn to enjoy it. Growing puppies need to alternate between periods of activity and rest throughout the day. By keeping the puppy on a regular schedule of feedings and exercise, you can control his natural rest periods. If you put the puppy in his crate when he's already tired, he'll get used to his new bedroom even faster.

In the beginning, the puppy should only be expected to stay in the dog crate for 2 daytime hours at a time. During his periods out of the crate, your puppy will need plenty of playtime, attention and loving. Puppies should be given at least an hour between crating periods when they can play and explore and romp. This helps to burn off their seemingly unlimited puppy energy and helps them understand that crating will only be temporary.

Special treats can help make his new bedroom a pleasant place to stay. Give your puppy a small treat every time he has to go into his crate. Make his new bedroom comfortable. Get him a soft clean but durable blanket. Get him a selection of toys and rotate them. Puppies can get bored easily and switching the toys around makes them seem always new. Teething puppies love chew toys and all dogs love a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. They can spend hours trying to clean it all out.

Puppies learn quickly when their behavior is associated with a reward. Behavior that doesn't result in a reward often disappears. It's normal for many puppies to bark or whine when first being crate-trained. If you let your puppy out of the dog crate while he's upset, you'll be rewarding him for barking. The next time he's supposed to go in his crate, he will bark again because that's what got him out the last time. Be patient and the whining will stop.

For many puppies, just ignoring their whimpering will be enough to make them stop. Some puppies might need a harsh-sounding "No!" to help them get over their tantrums. Remember: don't take him out of the crate until he's had some quiet rested time.

A dog crate is a fabulous tool when it comes to housetraining your puppy. The discipline aspect comes from a puppy's innate urge not to urinate or defecate in its den. Even young puppies prefer to move as far away from their sleeping quarters as possible to relieve themselves. Usually, a puppy who relieves himself in his crate was sick or just couldn't wait any longer.

Also, crating a puppy when the family is away during the day, administers a passive form of discipline by preventing a curious puppy from chewing up things he shouldn't chew. A dog crate will keep your puppy safe and out of trouble.
Best of luck in house training your puppy. For more information of choosing a dog crate please visit our website. Best of luck in house training your puppy. For more information of choosing a dog crate please visit my site: choosing a dog crate at my dog website.

Jen Moore is a pet expert on ezine. Look for other pet training related issues at http://my-dog-has-fleas.com

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