Crates!!! I don’t know how many times I have heard people say crates are cruel and mean or they don’t believe in crates because they seem cruel. If a crate is used as a prison it is cruel or as a punishment cruel. If a crate is used properly as your puppy’s/dog’s den or home or safe place to escapes the over zealously loving two foots in its life a crate will be one of your dog’s favourite things.
It is my first recommendation as a breeder to every single puppy person that takes one of our puppies.
The reasons to use a crate are endless.
Best tool for potty training; safety when travelling; keeps puppy/dog safe when you’re not home – we do not know what they do when we are not there or what they might miraculously get into even though we believe our house to be dog proof … the crate ensures puppy gets nothing it shouldn’t and that you come home to your home and possessions in tact; the vet’s office … if your puppy ever has to spend a night at the vets they won’t love it because it’s a strange environment but if they know the security of a crate they will not experience the extra anxiety of never having been in a crate before, also when crate trained they know you always return to take them out of their crate; it is your dog’s safe place which is important for them to get away from hustle and bustle if they feel overwhelmed, they will often hide out there when they know they may not have been the very best puppy that day,; they go there because if it is used properly they know nothing touches them or harms them there … it’s their space and theirs alone; it also provides your puppy with predictability which they love and need, dogs want to know what’s expected of them, they need to know, they are much happier knowing what you want from them than being left to their own devices … it always gets them into trouble.
Crates provide the basis for all our training because what they all say is true, dogs are pack animals and need to know their place in your pack and you better hope you’re the alpha. A crate helps you be the alpha to your puppy because you are making all the decisions, when puppy comes out to play, when puppy comes out to potty, when puppy has quiet or sleep times.
All of our dogs have a crate or their own personal space and they love it and many will just go to their crate and hang out there door wide open. My daughter has a funky little Labrador that is a train wreck without her crate she loves having that space. So don’t approach the crate as wrong, or cruel, or awful, don’t dread the crate because if you have anxiety towards the crate so will your puppy. Look at the crate like you would your child’s bedroom or your bedroom, a place of retreat and quiet. It’s comfortable and warm and cozy!!!! I love my room and I make my children’s rooms something they love and I do the same for my puppies and dogs. Our crates have nice cushions or blankets, toys, and often a bone to chew on who wouldn’t want to hang out there it’s doggie nirvana.
So the crate; we recommend wire crates because puppies can still see everything going on, but also because you can buy the size that will fit your puppy when it’s an adult and just use the divider to make it smaller and grow with your dog. If you plan on vacationing with your four footed friend and travel involves a plane you will need an airline approved plastic crate.
How do you make the crate your dog’s den and a friend for both of you instead of the enemy; slowly and making it fun and comfortable.
We introduce our puppies to a crate at 4-5 weeks. The crate does not have a door but it does give them the concept of a crate and curling up in it. Not all breeders do this though so if you’re puppy doesn’t know what a crate is here are some easy steps to get started on your crate training.
So first make sure it’s the right size; the crate area available to your puppy should be big enough for him to stand up and turn around but not big enough for him to roam around. Set the puppy’s crate up in an area where puppy can still see what’s happening around the house so he doesn’t feel isolated.
To introduce puppy to his crate toss a treat in there and he will go in and get the treat. Do this several times until the puppy is used to coming and going in and out of his crate at will. Praise the puppy every time he goes into the crate making a fun and relaxed thing for him. The next step is to close puppy in for short periods of time (60 seconds) when he goes in for the treat. Then open the door and let puppy come out. Once your puppy figures out this is his domain, his space, he’ll go in on his own give him treats and praise J
When you and your puppy become comfortable with this step, leave the room for short periods of time; when you return open the crate door and let puppy out no fuss no muss just open the door. Keep doing this gradually increasing the time you spend out of the room.
There are exceptions to every rule, but if you are consistent and loving most puppies will be fully crate trained in 2 – 3 days. Then you can leave your puppy alone for an hour at a time (gradually increases it of course) with a toys and some chews. Nothing can disturb or harm your puppy there, it’s his safe place and he will just nap and play with his toy or chew till you return.
Okay now here is the toughest part for every puppy owner and crate training, but it’s really important. Do not … okay … do not remove your puppy from his crate when he is crying and whining. This can be really tough because we all feel just heartbroken for a crying puppy. However, if you remove your puppy when he’s crying he learns he needs to cry to get out. It’s tough I know but let your puppy out when he is quiet and settled. Yes yes I know the next question “what if he has to go potty?” You will quickly learn the difference between a crying puppy and a puppy whining to go potty. You should still shush the puppy and let him out when he is quiet but our puppies don’t whine in their crates once they are crate trained but they will give us a little bark or whine if they need out to go potty. I don’t see a problem with this although I am sure some experts do.
So potty training … I don’t know if we know the “right” way to do this but I do know what works for us. We take our young puppies out every hour, sometimes a few times a n hour and this is why; we take the puppy from his crate outside to potty, if he goes potty he gets tons of praise and a treat, then he gets to come and play with us for a while. If he doesn’t potty after a bit of time outside we put him back in his crate and then take him outside again in 10 – 15 minutes to potty if goes praise and treats and play if not back in the crate. They do not take long to catch on!!! Typically, dogs do not potty in their den or place they sleep and hang out, but sometimes accidents do happen, their bladders are small and still developing. If an accident does happen don’t scold your puppy, just clean it he will learn the lesson he won’t like having gone in his crate. You can take the puppy outside to the potty spot and then go and clean the crate so that puppy returns to a clean place.
Choose a name for the crate, whether it’s crate, home, house, place pick the word and have everyone use the same one. When you start crate training with the first step of treats use this word so your puppy learns to associate it with his crate.
When puppy first comes home put the crate, as I said, in a place where puppy can see you and what’s going on in the house, at night if at all possible put the crate in your bedroom so puppy is close to you and feels more secure. Remember, that the first few nights away from littermates can be stressful for your puppy and he may go through separation anxiety so be patient. A few things we have used to help with the first few nights is a stuffed animal for puppy to cuddle with or a hot water bottle for warmth. When you are dealing with a breeder, find out if they send your puppy home with something with mom’s and siblings scent on it; if they don’t ask if you can bring a blanket or towel or something from home for your puppy to come home with. If a puppy is particularly whiney when they go into the crate the first night sometimes we place a blanket over it, it seems to give them some extra security.
Some of my clients who work fulltime have a special area for their puppy during the day and then use the crate at night only. We litter train our puppies, so some of our clients set up an area (laundry room, bathroom, or porch) that they can close off from the rest of the house, put the crate, some water, food, toys and their litter in it so that while they are away at work for extended periods of time the puppy is not confined in his crate. Then in the evening they work on crate training for potty purposes and then puppy sleeps in his crate. This seems to work well for most.
Crates don’t have to be a permanent thing; many of our dogs sleep in their crates but spend their days outside playing outside or in our living room on their cushions. We do not let our dogs have free run of the house when we are away because labs are wonderful at getting in to trouble when there’s more than one and we feel it’s the safest place for them when we aren’t watching them. Our crates are always set up and the doors are always open so any of our dogs can go to them when they want to be away from us. Our older dogs also rotate through our bedroom, sleeping on a cushion on the floor while the rest are tucked safely away in their space. The point is even if you don’t want your dog to be a crated dog as it grows that’s entirely up to you but, it is an important tool for your puppy.
S~~
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