CRATE TRAINING

• Many people worry that confining their dog to a crate is cruel. Wild dogs sleep in dens and even todays domesticated dogs retain the den instinct.

• The crate needs to be small enough so the dog does not use one end for sleeping and another end as a bathroom. The crate should also be large enough so the dog can turn around in a circle to lie down.

• When you first get your puppy and he/she is small you can use a crate divider to make it smaller so when the puppy grows you do not need to keep buying larger crates.

• The crate must NEVER be used as punishment. You want the crate to be seen as a safe and happy place.

• A dog will not normally soil where he/she sleeps if at all possible. This allows the housebreaking process to speed up.

• When your puppy arrives home he/she should be in the crate during:

• Nap time- even when the puppy falls asleep elsewhere, pick him/her up and put them in their crate.

• Nighttime- this will allow you to sleep knowing your puppy is not getting into anything around the house.

• Mealtime- this will almost guarantee that the puppy is focused on his food rather than what is going on around him.

• When you are busy- it is always better to crate him/her than to have to clean up the mess they make when you are not watching.

• Types of crates can range from fabric, to wire crates, even to crates that resemble furniture to match your room.