Training A Puppy

Question: Crate training a puppy?

(Posted by: chicklet on 2010-03-15 09:40:58)

I am getting a puppy and plan to crate train it (for during the day when we're out of the house and at night). I am confused by something that I've read though. I have read that we are supposed to keep the crate in a high traffic area, so that when the puppy is in there, it feels connected to the family.... so I am thinking that we'll put it in the kitchen. i don't think that she'll be in there much when we're home, but it is convenient for letting her out in the yard when we come home, etc. But I have also read that the crate should be beside our bed at night for sleeping... so do people move the crate around... downstairs during the day and upstairs in the bedroom at night!??

Posted by: felixthecat on 2010-03-15, 09:47:18

I only kept the crate near my bed for her first few nights at home, then moved it out into the main room. You could also have two crates...easier for a small dog than a large dog. If you choose to let your dog roam at night once he's fully trained, you can keep the crate in the kitchen and put a dog bed in your bedroom. You may want to consider a medium-traffic area if you have a large household. The dog should be able to "escape " to the crate if he needs a break and he might not be able to mellow out in an overly high-traffic area.

Posted by: Annie on 2010-03-15, 10:06:24

Kennels or Crates as I call them are something you should DEFINITELY invest in. Not only does crate training help potty train your pup but they're also a safe haven or den type of thing. Even if your dog is fully house trained, there are chances that if you leave him/ her inside alone he/ she might get into trouble. If you have to be at work for a long period of time, your dog will be able to hold his/ her bladder longer if it's in a crate. And if it's raining outside or snowing, you can't just leave them out either. Crating the dog is humane, safe, and eventually enjoyable for your pet. Sure, at first they'll cry a bit but now my dogs go to their crates to take naps. Even if I forget to put them in their crates at night (say if I fall asleep reading or something) they'll go in there themselves and sleep for the night. They love it. The dog bed is all well and good but if you want your dog to be safe and happy plus have a place to keep your pup if you're going to be gone for a little while, a crate is the way to go. When training to use the crate, I would leave it by my bed at night to begin. I never hauled it in random rooms. There's no point of it being in a high traffic area if he's only sleeping there at night. Be prepared for MASSIVE crying. Your pup will cry for the first couple of weeks. As long as you're consistent and do not take him out in the beginning, he'll learn. As I said before, if he's been asleep all night then wakes up having to pee, let him out to pee. Remember puppies can't hold it very long yet. You're going to be in for a couple weeks of rough sleep but it's worth it in the end. GOOD LUCK!!

Posted by: kitkat on 2010-03-15, 10:10:14

When I first got my puppy I moved the crate to my bedroom at night and moved it to the living area during the day. Now I keep the crate away from my bedroom and living area. She likes the quiet when she's sleeping. My puppy is now about 9 months old. She prefers to sleep in her crate at night. We've tried to let her sleep with us but she's very restless. She loves to go in her crate at night and she also seems to prefer to have the crate in a quiet place. She's a very small dog. I have a blanket in her crate and she gets under the blanket and sleeps. You can't even see she's in her crate since she buries herself. I think when puppies are first brought home they need to be near you to feel safe and secure. My puppy didn't cry early on. She immediately loved her crate. However, I did get her from the animal shelter when she was 6 weeks old. She was in a foster home so she may have already been used to a crate.

Posted by: aj on 2010-03-15, 10:35:11

I crate trained my puppy. When she was little she was in a pet taxi- so i was able to move her crate around- It was in the kitchen when we were at work and in the bedroom at night. When she got older we bought a new crate. The new crate now stays in the dining area and does not move. At around 8 months we allowed her to sleep freely in our room at night but still crate her during the day. She just turned a year old in January and in about 6 months we plan to stop crating her. We have started to gradually leave her in the house alone for short periods while we go to the store or out to eat to see how she does alone- and has been doing great, were just not ready to leave her alone just yet for 8 hours straight! Because of the crate training she does not have accidents in the house which is excellent and we give her plenty of toys and chew bones so she has never destroyed a piece of property! Good Luck!!!

Posted by: nicey on 2010-03-16, 07:18:46

Hi, Crate training is the easiest way to housetrain dogs, and it also teaches them how to settle down and entertain themselves when you're gone. However, crates won't work if they're used to punish a dog or keep him out of sight, out of mind. Use the crate only when necessary, give your dog plenty of breaks to stretch his legs and to play and bond with you, and make crate time more pleasant by stocking it with toys. Here are some info: lnk.nu/ dogtime.com/ s02.html

Posted by: Meka on 2010-03-19, 09:32:02

The crate should always be associated with something good, and the training should always take place in very small steps. Place the crate in a part of your home that you spend time in. The family room or recreation room works the best.