Although they don’t look auspicious, crates are a boon for puppies – they can be a place to stay away from home or a cozy one at the same time when family members are too harsh on them haven. Crate training can also help your dog calm anxiety. For dogs, the kennel is their home to rest, sleep and hide from danger. So being a natural den animal, dogs love small, enclosed spaces. For this, a crate will make your dog feel safer because it is essentially their den.
Crate training is also a great way to teach your dog to take responsibility for life. Crates are great indoor training tools because dogs don’t like to soil their surroundings. Also, for car travel, it is probably safest to keep the dog in a crate, and, for those puppies who need to be airlifted, the crate provides the dogs with a familiar, Let them calm down.
Patience will be your most important quality when crate training your dog, as the whole process can take up to 6 months to complete. Two things are essential when it comes to crate training your dog – first, the crate should always be associated with an enjoyable experience, and second, the training should be a slow, gradual process.
When you use a crate as a punishment tool, the crate will only frustrate and trap the dog. If you get into this habit, your dog will become increasingly frightened and refuse to enter the crate.
You should not leave your dog in the crate for long periods. Dogs who are caged all day can become anxious or depressed. Puppies under six months should not be confined to the crate for more than 4 hours as they cannot control their bladders.
As a rule of thumb, keep dogs in cages only during training. After that, the crate should be a place they volunteer to go.
First, ensure you don’t isolate your puppy while in the crate. You can buy two crates and put one in the bedroom — so your puppy can sleep next to you at night — and put the other in an area of the house you frequent during the day. You can lay a soft blanket in the crate with small treats and teach the puppy how to get in.
First of all, you must bring your puppy to the crate and introduce him with a happy voice. Then open and lock the door to ensure it doesn’t accidentally slam or hit your dog, and lure your dog into the crate with treats.
Once your puppy knows how to get in and out of the crate and has satisfied their curiosity, then when your puppy When walking to the crate, you can use cue words – like “into the kennel,” and give them food as soon as they enter the crate. Then repeat it a few times at random until your puppy is told to. At this point, you can close the door for a while. It’s best to ignore your puppy when the door is opened or closed.
Once your puppy is willing to rest in the crate, start creating it at various times (like when you’re home). The more casual and persistent you are, the less worried your dog will be when you have to leave the house. With a routine like this, your puppy will eventually learn to rest in a cage, and that’s precisely how you want them to form—at home, relaxed, and resting comfortably in their den.
One of the goals of crate training is to let your dog know that good things will happen in the crate, which should be an excellent place for them to relax. Dogs will love their crates when adequately trained and happily spend time there whenever necessary.
