Crate Training a Pup

[WGD]

The benefits of a crate for a dog kept in the house are well documented, however, my question relates to the introduction of pup to crate. Should the pup be shut the crate from day one (specifically overnight), therefore more than likely having to do the toilet in their crate at some point through the night or should they be introduced to the crate gradually before being confined overnight? I know the latter sounds to me like the best thing for the pup (not necessarily the surroundings though ) but i would be interested to hear the opinion of others.

 

Thanks

 

WGD

[garyb]

If you are going to crate train, place their bed in the crate with the door open to start

 

Feed the pup in their crate... you want them to feel like it's "their" safe place, they should after time retreat there themselves.

 

I'm sure Dan will be along shortly to tell you everything you need to know

 

I used a crate with my cocker, and accidents do still happen. I know people say that pup's dont like to go where they sleep etc, but remember - if they need to go, they go !

 

Enjoy the pup

[Cranfield]

Bed in the crate, feed in the crate, water in the crate, newspaper up the end nearest the door, shut the pup in at night, or if you go out, otherwise leave the door open.

Great things crates.

[Cranfield]

I should have mentioned that we toilet trained Bramble from the crate by putting her outside regularly, especially after meals, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, plus anytime she showed an interest in going out.

 

Once she was fully toilet trained we took the crate away, mainly because she is a big dog and the crate is the largest one you can get.

It took up too much room in our kitchen which is only 13'x14' .

[lurcherboy]

Bed in the crate, feed in the crate, water in the crate, newspaper up the end nearest the door, shut the pup in at night, or if you go out, otherwise leave the door open.

Great things crates.

 

 

 

LB

[Sussexboy]

Wonderful things crates. Saved my house from being eaten by a voracious labrador. He was only in it for 6 months, (he was 8 months old when we got him and had lived in a stable ) then we took the plunge and decrated him over a couple of days. It was nice to regain half our conservatory.

[WGD]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I had assumed pup would be in crate overnight from day one - that was the point of having the crate, so I don't come downstairs to destruction in the morning as I have with other pups pre-crate - but some literature recommends a lengthy programme of introduction to the crate which I hadn't considered, kind of defeating the point in crating the pup to start with.

 

Pup (ESS) arrives two weeks on Friday (more specifically, I collect her from Ireland on the 04:55 ferry ). My first ESS and first dog to be trained to the gun so no doubt there will be a barrage of posts from me in due course.

 

Thanks for the timebeing.

 

WGD

[Cranfield]

I must confess that I was a bit confused by the "acclimatise your pup to the crate" propaganda that came with the crate and was on all the websites.

The pup is small and is quite easy to "acclimatise" to anything , its knows nothing else.

Bramble was more confused when we took the crate away.

[new to the flock]

House Training

 

I personally do not like to paper train puppys. The reason being that you train them to pee in your house then you train them not to pee in your house. What my wife and I do is; everytime the puppy wakes up take it out side...when she pees,(and she will) tell her good girl and give her lots of praise. We also put a command ,(go pee), to it so that the dog learns to empty when told, this saves frustration and time when the dog is older and you are in a hurry. Besides taking her out as soon as she wakes, she will need to go out right after eating or drinking, a play period (remember the harder she plays the shorter the time she will hold it) and every hour inbetween that she is awake. Which brings us to sleep time, (yours not hers), CRATE HER. Teach her to spend the night in a crate. If you are using a full size crate block it of so that she only has enough room to lay down comfortably, turn around in and sit in. Any more room than this and she will have an area that she will use for a washroom. As soon as you let her out of the crate in the morning take her outside.

 

Crate Training

 

A crate should be just big enough so that he can laydown comfortable, stand up and turn around in. Buy one that will fit him full grown and then block it down to puppy size with a box or board. In the crate place his bedding...blanket, an old jumper that you have worn, a stuffed toy for company and an old style wind up alarm clock.....this simulates a heart beat. If you buy a wire crate cover it in a blanket at night so that it becomes a cozy den, and he should settle down quick.

 

Introduce the pup to the crate by tossing in a cookie ...leave the door open.....when he is done let him walk out and repeat half a dozen times. I then give a cookie each time the dog is put in the crate. You will be amazed how fast they learn to run in to get a treat. You can also feed him in his crate this helps him to learn that this is a safe comfy place aswell.

 

The crate is his place. It is where he goes when he wants to be left alone, when he is tired, or to stay safe when you are out....it is not a place of punishment.

 

 

Remember pups have small bladders so at night lift his feed and his water 3 1/2 to 4 hours before bed. You can give him a slurp of water just before but no amount or he will wet the bed . Once you put him in he will bark, whine and carry on...ignore him....if you go to him he has won and will continue to carry on. You may only go to him to let him to see him or let him out when he is quiet. That being said listen to the tone of the bark whinning etc. There is a big difference between I am bored and hating this, and I really need to go out and make a mess. If you find he needs to go out through the night, take him outside tell him.... go pee, make a mess, or whatever command you wish to use,.... and as soon as he does praise him up put him in the crate and give a cookie. Do not have a play setion or once again he will start using it as an excuse in the middle of the night.

 

Crate training done correctly usually only takes 2 or 3 nights, although some stuborn pups can take longer.

 

All dogs should be crate trained. This way if they need to spend an extended time at the Vets, or are required to travel, they are ready for that type of enviroment and are under no stress.

 

NTTF