Crate Training is a training technique used to house train dogs. A crate is a small kennel that can be closed off and is usually made out of plastic or steel wire. Crate training benefits both the dog and its owner.
Crate training is based around the fact that dogs don’t like to use there den’s as a toilet. As dogs spend a lot of time inside a crate during crate training, they learn to resist the urge to pee until they are out of the crate – this building up their ability to control when and where they pee.
While a dog is going through crate training, it will spend almost all of it’s time inside its crate (den). It should in fact be inside the crate all times that it is not being supervised. After letting the puppy/dog free from the crate it should be taken outside immediately so that it has the opportunity to pee.
The crate you buy should be big enough for your dog to easily move around in. A rough guide is to buy a crate that is 1.5 times the dog’s length and at least a couple of inches higher than the dogs head (in standing position). Crates that are too big allow for toilet room. If your crate is too big you should block off one end to make it smaller. Plastic crates that have wire doors are the most functional crates. They are lightweight and easy to clean.
When crate training your puppy; best results are achieved when toilet breaks are frequent and at consistent intervals. This will minimize the number of accidents. Little by little you can extend the time your puppy is inside the crate without a break as the puppy will slowly build up bladder control.
Another way to help ensure good results is to build up a image of the crate with your dog. You can do this by progressively feeding your dog closer and closer to the crate, by filling the crate with your dogs favourite items and by rewarding good behaviour inside the crate. Ideally the crate should be a place your dog wants to go and is happy to be.
Never use the crate as a prison or place of punishment ? this will seriously set you back in your crate training efforts. Try not to leave your dog in the crate for long periods of time as this may cause you dog to eventually fear the crate.
Crate training is in most cases beneficial for both the dog and its owner. Some experts argue however that crate training can lead to psychological problems because the dog becomes so attached to the crate after passing so much time alone inside it.
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