How To Crate Train A Puppy

Sometimes, learning how to crate train a puppy can be frustrating and annoying, and can cause you many headaches at night. The key to teaching your dog to use a crate as a den is patience and comfortability. Your dog needs to know that its crate is a good place to go, and not a cage that they are forced to be confined in unwillingly.

To crate train your puppy, you will need:

• A crate
• Wire mesh
• Possibly a screwdriver
• Dog treats
• Blankets or towels
• Dog toys

1. Making Your Dog Comfortable You'll want to get a crate that is big enough for your dog to stand in, but not so big that they can walk around in it. At first. you'll want to remove the top half of the crate so that your dog doesn't feel trapped. Never force your dog into it, either. Let them explore the crate on their own, and start placing treats in it periodically. When they find a treat in the cage more than twice, they will be more willing to enter it on their own. Also, if you'd like, you can install wire mesh as the top half of the crate instead of the actual top that came with the crate.
2. Night Time Crating The only exception for crating your dog forcefully is during the night. Sometimes it helps to place your dog next to you or your bed at night. In extreme cases, you may want to place the crate on your bed until they fall asleep. When they are puppies, dogs tend to suffer from separation anxiety, or feeling alone or trapped. Placing them next to you will make them feel less alone or trapped.
3. Safety Concerns Prior to placing your dog in a crate, you should remove its collar to avoid it getting stuck in the cage door or wire mesh you installed on the top half. Also, you should place cold water in your dog's crate whenever you place them in it. During the warmer seasons, crates can become very uncomfortable for your dog if it doesn't have a fresh bowl of water. You can purchase a kennel door attachment for small water bowls. They range from ten to twenty dollars.

If your dog has any issues adapting to their crate, you should consult an animal behaviorist.