Crate training has many huge benefits, but the biggest by far is how much easier it makes housebreaking.

Crate training works with the puppy?s natural instincts. A dog is, by nature, a den animal. He will feel comforted and safe in his crate, and he will not want to soil where he sleeps. This is your golden ticket to housebreaking. Of course, you may have to convince him that this is his bed at first.

The first few nights your puppy is home, expect he will cry and howl for you to let him out. He wants to be with you. This is natural, as is your desire to let him out. Restrain yourself. He needs to learn from the very beginning where his place is to be. If you allow him to run the house now, be prepared for the mess that will cover your floors by morning and for many mornings to come.

Crate training works very well and after the initial break-in period, his crate will be a favorite place for him to be. Once he knows it is a warm, safe place, you will often find him putting himself to bed when he is tired.

Here are some basic rules of thumb to get started:

Your puppy should be in his crate if you can?t be right with him. If you need to do something or be somewhere the puppy can?t go then put him safely in his crate.

Make sure the crate is always a pleasant place to be. Give him a favorite toy, or an old t-shirt that smells familiar to him. (Unless he is apt to destroy and eat them, then minimize what goes in with him)

Never scold him when you put him in. If he has had an ?accident? then scold him and put him outside, not in his crate.

You might even feed him in there so he associates the crate with good things.

Once he goes in at night, do not revisit him, he will settle down….eventually.

The reason that crate training works so well for housebreaking is that it encourages the puppy to ?hold it?. The puppy does not really want to mess where he sleeps. Make no mistake, he will soil his bed so make sure everything that goes in is washable. The difference is that he really doesn?t want to go there. He will tend to wait as long as he can. He will start to build control over his body this way.

It is important to mention that if the crate is too big then you are defeating it?s purpose. If he can mess far enough away from where he wants to curl up, he won?t mind going there a bit. The crate area should be plenty big for him, but not so big he has no exposure to his indiscretions.

To encourage success, make sure you take your puppy out to the yard as late as possible before you go to bed, and plan to get up with the sun to take him out again. In time he will be able to hold it longer, but when he is very young you can?t expect him to go more than several hours.

He will have to ?go? immediately on waking up. Don?t even call him to the door, just pick him up and take him out. You will eliminate many accidents this way.

He will have to ?go? about five minutes after he eats. Make sure you are ready to take him out quickly and spend time out there with him until he figures out why he is out there.

Feed your puppy often and offer water frequently. You are creating opportunity to praise! Just be on your toes and try to have him in a place where he should ?go?. The more success he has the faster he will catch on.

When he goes, praise him, praise him, praise him! Do a little dance, cheer, whatever it takes to show him you are delighted with what he did in that spot.

Conversely, fold your arms, scold, and scowl at him when he picks a spot indoors. Show him his mistake and tell him ?No?, ?Outside? and take him out where you want him to go.

If you have no yard and actually want him to pick a specific area of your home for him to go on newspapers or training pads, the same rules apply except that will be your final destination and you may say something like ?Paper? instead.

You need to be consistent with your training for this issue and all others. The more consistent you are the faster progress you will make.

If you can spend a solid 3 or 4 days at this you will probably be able to train him in a week or so. His age will be a variable however, very young puppies simply don?t have the control over their body that they will by 10 or 12 weeks.

Once you have put the crate into play it should not take more than a week until he really understands that it is a good place. You can take his crate, or his crate pad at least, any time you take him somewhere with you. He will feel right at home no matter where he is.

A crate creates a safe place to hide during thunderstorms and windstorms. You will have a safe place to put him if you have construction going on. He will have a safe place to be when fireworks are going off. If there is any doubt as to the surrounding circumstances when you are away, you can put him in his crate and know without a doubt, he will be fine. He will be there when you get home, and your home will be intact. Frightened dogs can do a lot of damage trying to escape scary situations. It is a great relief for you and him.

For more information on raising puppies http://puppys-place.com/

Laura Anderson http://puppys-place.com/

All training starts with taking advantage of your dog?s natural inclinations to reinforce the behavior you want. The only place your dog will not, by nature, mess, is its sleeping place. Crate training works with your dog?s instinct – he never has the opportunity to be ?bad.?

Crate training is fairly intense for you. The rule is: if you are not actively paying attention to your dog, your dog is in the crate. Period. Even if you?re in the same room. If you?re not watching your puppy, it?s in the crate. If you think ?caging? your dog is cruel, get over it. It?s worse for your dog not to know the rules of the house.

Crate training is not an excuse to ignore your dog for hours at a time. A puppy cannot go more than a couple of hours during the day without a ?bathroom break.? If your dog learns to mess in its crate the behavior is very difficult to correct. It?s one of the biggest challenges when adopting strays or rescues from shelters. It can be done, but requires patience and dedication.

Dogs should be taken out at regular intervals; after meals, after naps and after play sessions. And ?business? walks are not playtime. Put the collar and leash on, take the dog to a specific spot you want it to use for its toilet area, give your dog a command ?go potty.? If it does, reward it with praise and cookies, say ?good go potty.? Forget about public embarrassment. If you?re easily embarrassed, don?t get a dog. Of course you can use any words you want – a friend of ours used ?hit it? with her dogs. She just had to be careful not to use the phrase under other circumstances.

Your puppy should also sleep in the crate, ideally in your bedroom. Dogs are social animals, they need to know their ?pack? or family, is close by. If the dog wakes you in the night, take it out on leash. Give it 10 minutes to ?do its business,? go back in, pop him in his crate, say goodnight and go back to bed. Don?t let the dog out by itself, even in a fenced yard. Again, this isn?t playtime.

As your dog learns what?s expected of him, the next phase is to keep the dog on leash, out of the cage. Tie the leash around a belt loop so that you can go about your daily routine with both hands free. Keep one eye on the dog. When you see his ?gotta go? signals, drop what you?re doing and go. Some people are successful in hanging a bell on the doorknob. They ring the bell whenever they take the dog out. The dog learns, over time, to ring the bell when it has to go. Others teach their dogs to ?speak? as a signal to go out.

Our dogs are always crated when we leave the house. At this point, they see us reaching for their crate toys (which we stuff with a little peanut butter or kibble) and run for their crates. We don?t necessarily even lock the crates, but they are available to the dogs at all times. It?s their ?room,? a safe place they can always go to.

Just a note of caution and safety: never leave a collar or harness on your dog in the crate. It can get caught and cause problems.

Hope Saidel is the co-owner of GollyGear, a bricks-and-mortar and online small dog shop featuring fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs. She has trained and competed in Obedience with small dogs for over a decade and is on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Dog Training Club. Check out her blog: GollyLog.

Bringing home a puppy and introducing her to your home is very exciting for everyone. The only one who may be anxious about the situation will be the puppy. If you handle your puppy properly when she arrives, she will quickly relax and want to settle into her new home.

Prior to bringing your new puppy into your home, you should puppy proof it. Take a look at your home from the puppy’s viewpoint. Does that potted plant sitting in front of the glass door look tempting? You may want to consider moving it to a higher place. What about your favorite collection of teddy bears, or magazines you have in a basket by the sofa? They will most certainly raise the curiosity of your new puppy. As you move these things out of your puppy’s reach, remember it is only for a short time. Once your new puppy has learned her place in the family, you can put your things back where they go. Your life should never be dictated by your puppy. However, by removing these curiosity objects from the start, it will allow you to work with your puppy on the basic training she will need to learn.

It is important to understand that as much as you want your new puppy to be a part of your family, your puppy is still an animal. She will take her cues from her environment. If she is allowed to have free run of the home and access to everything, you are teaching her that she is in charge. Dogs have instincts. The main instinct of dogs is to live in a pack. Your new puppy will assume her new family is her pack. If she picks up the clues that she is her own boss and she can do what she wants, whenever she wants, she is being taught she is the leader of her pack. It is much easier on everyone, including the dog, if she learns from the moment she enters the home that she is not the leader and dictator of the family.

One mistake people make is letting their puppy sleep in a utility room, or kitchen. Dogs are from the wolf family, and really prefer to have a den all their own. Some people assume placing a dog in a crate is cruel. On the contrary, if crates are introduced properly, they will be much loved by the puppy. When planning for a new puppy, do not go out and buy the biggest crate you can find for your puppy thinking she will grow into it. This is the worst mistake owner’s make. A crate should be large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around in. Puppies usually learn from their mothers to not soil in their bed area. If the crate is too large, your puppy may designate a portion of her crate for sleeping, and the other half for soiling. You should also never place your puppy’s food and water in her crate.

When your puppy is first introduced to the crate, do not simply put her inside and lock the door. This will greatly disturb her. (You should place the crate in a room in your home where the family gathers. You should not expect the puppy to walk through the entire house to the back guest bedroom to nap. By having the crate in close proximity to the family, the puppy will feel as if she is still hanging out with her pack, even if she is inside her crate sleeping.) Place the crate where it will stay, and simply open the door. You can place a towel in the bottom, and a chew toy inside if you want. Some puppy’s are very curious. They will simply walk inside. Others may be a little more shy with the crate. Give your puppy time to warm up to the crate. Once she does enter the crate, praise her. You may want to give her crate a name. When she enters the crate, you can repeat the crates name, and give her a treat.

After your puppy has warmed up to her crate and has entered and exited it a few times, you can close the door. She may whine and paw at the door. She may even start yelping and barking. This is okay. Do not let her out. After about ten minutes, you can open the door and pick her up. Walk her directly to the area designated for pottying. You should never let your puppy out of her crate and allow her to follow you through the house to go outside. Most puppies will simply squat and go where they please. Once you are outside, set her down. You would then encourage her to potty. Choose a couple of words such as, Go potty, of Do your business. She will not have a clue as to what you are saying, at first. But, after repeated attempts and with being given a puppy treat and praise, she will learn what those words mean. Most puppies will need to go out at least every hour during the first few days to familiarize them with their potty area. This is a chance for you to catch them doing their business where they need to. Lavish them with praise.

The first few nights may make you wonder why you even brought the puppy home. The repeated yelping and whining coming from the crate can seriously upset many adults who need their sleep. You should look at your new puppy as the baby in the family. Puppies less than four months of age may need to go out once during the night. When she does, pick up your pup and take her to her designated spot. After she has relieved herself, place her promptly back into the crate. You should never play with your puppy during the night time hours. This will only encourage her to keep the yelping up. After a few days, your puppy will adjust to the night time patterns of her pack and everyone will get more rest. Most dogs are able to make it through the entire night without a potty break around 18 weeks.

Some individuals may think it is harsh to scold a puppy. These individuals may be the same people who have a dog running wild in their home within a year. Dogs which aren’t disciplined can wreck havoc on a home. You may return to find a shredded couch, chewed up shoes, and garbage strewn all over the place. If there are other pets in the home, you should also consider their feelings. They will most likely be intimidated by such a tyrant, and fights could commence while you are away.

If you catch your puppy chewing on something she shouldn’t, a firm no is usually enough to stop her antics. As with other forms of training, this may take a few days for her to learn. This is why you were advised to move precious things away. Some people have a rolled up newspaper to swat the puppy with if they refuse to heed a no. The rolled up newspaper does not hurt. It is simply loud, and it teaches the dog you are the alpha in the family, and not her. If she were truly in a dog pack, her alpha would nip her soundly. So, don’t feel as if you are mistreating her. In fact, most puppies seem to feel more secure when they know their place.

The most important thing you can do with your puppy besides introducing a crate immediately, instilling a potty routine, and teaching her what no means, is to build the relationship with your new puppy. Get on the floor and play with her. The bond will grow between you and she will love you. This will make your puppy want to please you and be obedient as well. This goes a long way when you start teaching her other basic commands such as stay and come.

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If you are lucky enough to get a 7-week-old puppy, there is no excuse for any bad habits to develop over his lifetime. Puppies learn INSTANTLY when they are that young, and if you use the proper training methods, gentle but consistent, he will behave like an angel his whole life through.

The most important training, of course, is housebreaking. Boys are easier than girls because exploring outside is their favorite thing. They just cannot get enough of all the new smells out there!

The main key to housebreaking is watching. Watch your puppy AND the clock. Once every hour is not too often on a day he is active and the weather is good. The younger the pup, the more often he needs to go out, mostly because he is growing so fast. He must drink more water to fuel his metabolism than he does as an adult. Also, since he eats three or four times a day, you know what that means.

Watch him for subtle changes. If he is happily chewing his toy, and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, move quickly! He is ready to squat! If he has had a nice nap, get him out of his crate and outside right away. If he has just had a good grooming, it stimulates his circulation and guess what? Time to go out again. And of course after a meal, watch him extra close.

Things to remember:

—Do not punish him for mistakes. They are YOUR fault. Every time you take him out he will go, and praise praise and praise! Happy face, laughter, happy noises! He loves your happy face. When he makes a mistake, your frown and your face turned away from him is all the punishment he needs. He will get the point.

—He is learning English, you must use the same phrases over and over. Good go potty! Hafta go potty? Wanna go potty? He can learn in one afternoon that go potty means a jaunt outside and your happy face. Whatever phrase you choose, stick with it.

—I cannot recommend strongly enough getting a crate. They truly help with all phases of his training. They make him more secure, provide him with his very own private space and a place for him to hide his favorite toys and chewies. This is even more important if you have other adult dogs in the house.

—Be consistent, always be kind and gentle, and be patient as he learns your language, and your puppy will always look forward to his training sessions. Dogs love to work!

D. Witt has shown, bred and trained standard poodles for 25 years. Vets and groomers of her pups send word back of how wonderfully happy and easy to handle they are. Gentle and consistent techniques produce a dog that is well-adjusted, happy and obedient his whole life through. For more on her training techniques, visit http://www.DogTraining15MinsADay.com

A modern dog crate is a cage made of wire, wicker, soft-sided material, or molded plastic some of which are foldable, some have three doors, and you can add a cover and bed to some also. Its purpose is to provide confinement for reasons of security, safety, housebreaking, protection of household goods, travel or illness. You may think that putting your pet in a crate is mean or inhumane and might cause your pet to resent you or to feel abandoned. However, dogs view the world differently than people.

As your dog sees it, the crate is a room of his very own – a safety zone. The crate helps to satisfy the cave instinct inherited from his cave-dwelling ancestors and relatives. Your dog will feel secure once accustomed to his crate. The crate can help you achieve a better relationship with your dog by preventing unwanted behavior when you aren’t available to supervise him.

The advantages of crate training

With the help of a crate

• You can enjoy peace of mind when leaving your dog alone, knowing that nothing can be soiled or destroyed and that he is comfortable, safe, and not developing bad habits.

• You can housebreak your pet quickly by using the close confinement to motivate your pet to wait until taken outside, since canines naturally avoid soiling their sleeping area.

• You can travel with your dog without risk of the him getting loose and becoming lost or interfering with safe driving. And he may be quieter and more relaxed in a crate as he will feel protected and less inclined to bark.

• Your dog can enjoy the security and privacy of a crate of his own to which he can retreat when tired or stressed.

• Your dog can avoid much of the fear and confusion caused by your reaction to problem behavior.

• Since he can more easily adapt to staying in unfamiliar places as long as he has his familiar safety zone along, your pet can be included in family outings, instead of being left behind alone.

Buying a crate

Look for a wire crate that includes a removable metal floor pan. Plastic crates can also be used, although some dogs will chew the plastic. For your pet’s comfort, look for one with a smooth floor, or you can add a crate bed for more comfort. Purchase a crate large enough for your pet to stretch out on its side and to sit or stand erect. If you have a puppy, it is more economical to buy a wire crate that will accommodate him as an adult, then partition it to the right size. A movable wire or pegboard partition can be made or purchased. Too large a crate can undermine housebreaking because your pet may eliminate at one end of the crate and lie down at the other. Depending on size and construction, a new crate may cost $40 – 250. This is a bargain compared to the cost of replacing a sofa, woodwork, or carpeting. Where’s the best place for the crate?

Dogs are social animals. Place the crate in an area where the family spends a lot of time – kitchen, family room, living room, etc. The top of the crate can serve as extra shelf or table space. At night, move your puppy’s crate into your bedroom so you can hear him if he needs to go out.

Will the crate work for all pets?

Unfortunately, no. There are some animals (usually adults) that can’t or will not tolerate this form of confinement. A few will show no desire to keep the crate clean.

By crate training, you are doing your pet a real favor by preventing him from getting into trouble when left unsupervised.

Dog Crates are available for purchse at Dog Crates and More at affordable prices. We can help you in finding and choosing the correct crate for you and your dog. Please contact us with any specific questions and we will be happy to help.

Victor Gilbert – CEO
http://www.dogcratesandmore.com

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Just like we need a nice and comfortable home, your dog also needs one too. Most of us keep our pets inside our room after all we dont want the poor dog to stay outside wandering around looking for a comfortable place to sleep. But is it healthy? Talk about the mess especially having a puppy around the house. They chew everything, terrorize the poor kitty and bite your valued furniture and you spend the whole day cleaning up the mess. For that matter a dog crate is the solution to your problem. A crate is not a prison to be feeling guilty about keeping your dog in there. Your dog wont feel bad about keeping them in a crate infact they would be delighted to have a room of their own where they feel safe and secure. Stop cringing at the thought of sending your dog to a crate. Your dog needs privacy and you should know that before people started domesticating dogs they lived in dens or small caves. So they still retain some of their ancient instincts.

A crate is a small and cozy home for your dog where they find solace and satisfaction in their own space. It comes in different sizes and shapes. The prices vary from the different qualities of the crate. There are plastic crates which are portable and light weighted and can easily be taken apart for travel or storage. Wire crates are more popular and may be a better purchase than the plastic crate. They offer better ventilation but the only disadvantage is that it isnt approved for airline use. The quality and style vary greatly so it is important to shop carefully. You dont have to worry about buying a new crate for each stage of growth because dividers are available for some brands so you can shrink and expand the puppy’s space as needed.

Having a crate for your dog has so many advantages for instance traveling becomes safer for both you and your dog when he’s in a crate. You can easily carry your dog around where ever you go be it by road or by flight. Even some motels nowadays allow -crated- dogs.

You can keep your dog in the crate when you are away from home so that it wont litter the house. You dont have to worry about your dog chewing your shoes or furniture or peeing on the carpet because a crate offers a positive solution to house-training and minimizes your headache and destructive chewing becomes easier to control too.

A crate can be kept in any room of the house and you can even decorate it just like the way you decorate your kids room. A little training is required for a dog to sleep in a crate at the inception. But with time they become comfortable enough. You can keep toys or rubber balls for the puppies to play with and keep themselves busy. They need a nice and comfortable bed so it is important to keep soft cushions or pillows. Having a crate at home is so much better not only for you but for your dog too.

Dog Crates are available for purchase at Dog Crates and More at affordable prices. We can help you in finding and choosing the correct crate for you and your dog. Please contact us with any specific questions and we will be happy to help.

Victor Gilbert – CEO
http://www.dogcratesandmore.com

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