Tips For Crate Training Your Dog

Crate training your dog may be the way to go if you want to make sure that your home isn’t torn up when you leave and you don’t have messes all over the house whenever you’re not in. Often, when our dogs are puppies, they are mischievous. Your dog doesn’t know that he isn’t allowed to chew your couch or favorite boots because you aren’t there to tell him not to. That’s why many people choose to put their puppies in crates while they are away for the day.

Now, you may think that this is mean, but consider this, if you keep your dog in a crate you could be saving him from eating something he isn’t supposed to and you’ll give your dog a comfortable place to sleep and feel safe while you’re away. As an added benefit, if you keep his space small, you’ll likely find that you don’t have any extra little surprises to clean up when you get home, either.

There are a few things you can do which will help you to be able to keep your puppy feeling good and safe while you are away, though, that it might help to follow. For instance, when your are crate training your dog, in order to avoid feeling guilty, put a towel or small blanket at the bottom so your puppy has something to snuggle up to while you’re away. Make sure it’s washable, in case of accidents. Include a bone in your dog’s crate so that he has something to chew on. Often, puppies chew because they are teething, when you include a bone in his crate, you’ll be able to make sure that your puppy doesn’t eat his blanket. Note: keep the toys out of the crate as many of them have eyes and squeakers that could be harmful to your dog if swallowed.

Another tip when you’re crate training your dog is to not use the crate as a place for punishment. The crate should be a place where your puppy can go when he is tired or just wants to be in his comfortable space when you’re home and it should also be the place where your puppy feels safe when you’re away. Don’t lock your dog in the crate when you’re home, because he may begin to resent his crate and that’s where you’ll run into problems.

Once your dog gets used to his crate, you will find that crate training him is easy and, in many cases, your dog will likely head to the crate when you have to leave. Remember; don’t treat the crate as a bad thing and your dog will not see it as such. When you’re working to crate train your dog, know that you’re keeping him safe and your home nice so that you and your pooch can live happily together.