Confused or Frustrated About Training Your Dog?
We know dog training can be a frustrating process for both new dog owners and even people who have trained dogs in the past.
Secrets To Dog Training can help teach you the techniques you need to train your dog and avoid all the mistakes that make dog training so hard.
It's our #1 reviewed product for a reason. We highly recommend it to anyone looking to have fun and properly train their dog at the same time.
How To Start Dog Crate Training
Crates are a safe and secure place to keep your dog while you are away or before you have potty trained it or housebroken it. Your puppy can't be ruining your carpet if its in a crate! You can also use the crate as a safe and simple way to transport your dog when in the car, rather than have it running around in their, trashing the seats. This becomes a big issue with large, adult dogs. If you have a new dog and crate training sounds right for you, definitely start now. It only gets harder later when it grows from a small dog.
Many Dogs Like Crates
The funny thing about dogs and crates is that although it may seem like you are trapping your dog against its will, dog are actually naturally adapted to stay in den-like locations. Properly crate trained dogs will actually almost use the crate as a "home base" they can return to whenever they want, completely on their own accord. It's similar in function to a dog house at that point.
Don't forget however that there is a reason it is called crate training. You can't just force a dog into a small crate and expect everything to be fine from then on. It must get used to it slowly first so that it will learn to get used to having the crate around. Placing a dog that isn't used to this crate lifestyle can cause it to become agitated and feel confined. Also, you should avoid keeping your dog in the crate for long periods of time. You never know its going to need to pee or poop and it's probably not going to wait for you to open the crate to do so.
One thing to watch for is your dog attaching negative associations to the crate. If for example, you punish the dog by putting it in the crate and locking it, after doing this too much, the dog will never want to enter the crate again, which will become a big problem. You have mentally conditioned it to avoid the crate. To avoid this, associate good, positive things with the crate. This is an integral part of the training process. You will also want to try and prevent your dog from feeling any separation anxiety. This will only create bigger issues down the line.
You Decide Whether Crate Training Is Right For Your Dog
Crate training isn't a perfect solution. It has its pros and cons, all of which should be carefully considered by an owner. If you are not sure how well it's going to work out, just go ahead and rent a dog crate rather than buying one. That way, if you decide crates aren't for your dog, you can always just return the rental. Another thing to note is, as a precaution, don't use crate training for puppies younger than 6 months of age for more than three hours at a time. Creating a schedule can help you remember this.
How to cut your dog's crate training time in half
