Crate Training Puppies - Is it a great idea?

Have you wondered if Crate Training Puppies is a good idea? Yes, it is a good idea because with the right expertise and training you can teach your dog or your puppy to look at his or her crate as a secure place. This requires the correct approach, however, and the wrong one can spell disaster for your puppy and yourself as well.

When it comes to crate training puppies, you need to first understand that the crate is not to be used as a means of punishment. Gently and gradually introduce crate training to your puppy. You should primarily use a crate for potty training purposes, and the potty training process itself should be a truly happy and positive experience, if you want your puppy to view the crate as a positive thing.

Your puppy should have a nice balance between activity time and crate time because dogs require an ample amount of exercise time in order for them to continue to be healthy. This is an essential part of properly crate training your puppy and potty training him or her. Being in the crate for too long or too often can actually have a negative effect on your dog’s personality and behavior as a puppy.

If your dog is out of the crate too often, this can allow too much time for the puppy to get into trouble. It might also make your dog feel insecure or overwhelmed. When it comes to crate training puppies, the following tips should make the process a lot easier for you and puppy.

If you can’t be present to supervise your puppy, make sure that the puppy is in his or her crate. The same should be true if you actually have a grown dog and not a puppy. Unless your dog is very reliable in terms of his or her potty training, limit freedom outside of the crate so that you can make sure there aren’t accidents.

Make sure your crate size fits your puppy or dog. This may mean that you have to buy larger crates occasionally as your puppy grows. Don’t buy a crate that’s too large or too small for your dog. It’s possible sometimes to find a crate that is adjustable, but these aren’t normally enclosed and don’t give your dog the same level of security a training crate should provide.

If you don’t know how long you should leave your dog in his or her crate at any one time, use your dog’s age in months to give you a rough estimate. For example, a one-month-old puppy can be crated for about an hour at a time. A 12-month-old puppy can be crated for much longer periods of time.

Your crate should absolutely never be used as a means of punishing. You should not bank on the crate or shake the crate or anything like that. Things like this can actually lead to other behavioral problems as your dog gets older.