Crate Training as a shortcut to House Training your Puppy
I wish I’d known this trick for my first few dogs! Crate Training is the answer to caring for a new puppy. It keeps him out of harm’s way – safe from over-excited children, older dogs, clumsy feet, jealous cats, car wheels, and all the hazards a tiny puppy can meet.
And then, when you’re ready to give him your attention, out he comes: to play, interact with children and other household pets, to eat, and – importantly! – to relieve himself.
Chewing, too ...Crate Training is the answer to unwanted puppy chewing too. If you leave him in his crate when you go out, then the only things he can chew are his bones and chewtoys, so when you come back there can be a blissful reunion unmarred by the horrors of discovering your dining room table with a gnawed leg, the electric flexes chewed right through, or your favourite jumper loved to death.To acclimatise your pup to his crate is simple – just bring him home and put him in it! I would choose a crate that will fit him for the next 6 months to a year. The best crates are lightweight, tough mesh. They can fold up for transporting, and are very easy to clean. You can see some quality crates here, and if you’re interested in transporting your puppy or dog safely, you can get crates tailormade for your car too.
Make it cosy …I line the base of the cage with newspaper, and put in a cardboard box with maybe a door cut into it, full of shredded paper. Position it in a corner of the room, so the puppy is sheltered on two sides – from draughts as well as traffic. But he’ll be able to see everything that goes on.To begin with, a young pup will spend all his sleeping time in the crate. If he’s happy there during the day, there’s a good chance he’ll be happy there overnight. He’ll leave his sleeping quarters and use the newspaper to relieve himself, though this can still result in a messy bed, so stick to disposable bedding for a while. When I let the pup loose in the kitchen, I have plenty more newspaper spread over the floor. The idea is that the puppy can never go wrong, so he won’t get hang-ups about toileting. If you’re using the clicker for training, you can click just before you praise, every time he wees on the paper. You can check out Clicker Training here. Before long you can add your command – some people use “hurry up” or “busy” or “be clean” or whatever you like (that you don’t mind saying out loud in public!) The natural method …As this method of crate training is totally without pressure – simply building on the dog’s natural desire to keep his nest clean – you can start very young.In fact I have had my very quickest and best housetraining results with a pup I had from 4 weeks (his mother was sick). By the age of 6 weeks, this little puppy was clean and dry by night. Not long after he would go outside and relieve himself on command. The beauty of Crate Training is that it does the work for you!
But is Crate Training cruel?I have found people may have misgivings about using a crate for a puppy – but these are usually dispelled when they find out what crate training is about.We’re not talking about shutting a puppy away and neglecting him – far from it! Crate training gives you the chance to build a great relationship with your pup very quickly. After all, you never need tell him off for anything! What better way to start off a lifelong partnership?
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