Crate Training Your Dog Crate training your dog may take some time and effort but can - PDF document

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CTYD_R0904CRATETRAININGYOURDOGCrate training your dog may take some time and effort,but can be useful in a variety of situations.If you have anew dog or puppy,you can use the crate to limithis access to the house untilhe learns allthe house rules,suchwhathe can and can’tchew and where he can and can’teliminate.A crate is also a safe way of transportingyour dog in the car,as well as a way of taking him places where he may notbe welcome to run freely.If you Step 2: Feeding Your Dog His Meals In The CrateAfterintroducingyourdogthecrate,beginfeedinghim his regularmealsnearthecrate.Thiswill create �� &#x/Att;¬he; [/;ott;&#xom ];&#x/BBo;&#xx [1;@.4;w ;5.1;# ;Ҁ.;㤱&#x 48.;煶&#x ]/S;&#xubty;&#xpe /;oot;r /;&#xType;&#x /Pa;&#xgina;&#xtion;&#x 000;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;ott;&#xom ];&#x/BBo;&#xx [1;@.4;w ;5.1;# ;Ҁ.;㤱&#x 48.;煶&#x ]/S;&#xubty;&#xpe /;oot;r /;&#xType;&#x /Pa;&#xgina;&#xtion;&#x 000;© 2003-2006 Dumb Friends League. All Rights Reserved. CTYD_R0904eating.beginswhinebe letout,youmay have increased the length of time tooquickly.Nexttime,tryleavinghiminthecrateforshorter timeperiod.does whine cry in thecrate,it’s imperativethatyou not let himoutuntilhe stops.Otherwise,he’lllearnthatthe way getout of the crateiswhineand he’llkeepdoing it. Step 3: Conditioning Your Dog ToThe Crate For Longer Time PeriodsAfter your dog is eating his regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety,you can confine himthere for shorttime periods while you’re home.Call him over to the crate and give him a treat.Give him acommand to enter,such as,“kennelup.” Encourage him by pointing to the inside of the crate with a treatin your hand.After your dog enters the crate,praise him,give him the treatand close the door.Sitquietlynear the crate for five to 10 minutes and then go into another room for a few minutes.Return,sitquietlyagain for a shorttime,then lethim outof the crate.Repeatthis process severaltimes a day.Witheach repetition,gradually increase the length of time leave him in the crate and the length of time you’re outof his sight.Once your dog willstay quietly in thecrate for about30 minutes with you outof sightthe majority of the time,you can begin leaving him cratedwhen you’re gone for shorttime periods and/or letting him sleep there atnight.This may take severaldaysor several weeks.Step 4:PartatingYour DogWhen Left AloneAfter your dog is spending about30 minutes in the crate withoutbecoming anxious or afraid,you canbegin leaving him crated for shortperiods when you leave the house.Puthim in the crate using yourregular command and a treat.You mightalso wantto leave him with a few safe toys in the crate (seeourhandout,“Dog Toys and How to Use Them”).You’ll wantto vary atwhatpointin your “getting ready toleave” routine you putyour dog in the crate.Although he shouldn’tbe crated for a long time before leave,you can crate him anywhere from five to 20 minutes prior to leaving.Don’tmake your departures emotional and prolonged,butmatteroffact.Praise your dog briefly,give hima treatfor entering the crate and then leave quietly.Whenyou returnhome,don’treward your dog forexcited behavior by responding to him in an excited,enthusiastic way.Keep arrivals low key.Continue tocrate your dog for shortperiods from time to time when you’re home so he doesn’tassociate crating withbeing leftlone.PartCrating YourDogAt NightPutyour dog in the crate using your regular command and a treat.Initially,may be a good idea to putthe crate in your bedroom or nearby in a hallway,especially if you have a puppy.Puppies often need togo outside to eliminate during the night,and you’ll wantto be able to hear your puppy when he whines tobe letoutside.Older dogs,too,should initially be keptnearby so thatcrating doesn’tbecome associatedwith social isolation.Once your dog is sleeping comfortably through the nightwith his crate near you,can begin to gradually move itto the location you prefer.Puppies thatare healthy can have their watertaken from them a few hours before bedtime to help decrease the frequency of potty trips they need make during the night.Potential ProblemsToo Much Time In The CrateA crate isn’ta magical solution.If notused correctly,a dog can feel trapped and frustrated.For example,if yourdog is crated all day while you’rework and then crated again all night,he’s spending too much time in toosmall a space.Other arrangements should be made to accommodate his physical and �� &#x/Att;¬he; [/;ott;&#xom ];&#x/BBo;&#xx [1;@.4;w ;5.1;# ;Ҁ.;㤱&#x 48.;煶&#x ]/S;&#xubty;&#xpe /;oot;r /;&#xType;&#x /Pa;&#xgina;&#xtion;&#x 000;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;ott;&#xom ];&#x/BBo;&#xx [1;@.4;w ;5.1;# ;Ҁ.;㤱&#x 48.;煶&#x ]/S;&#xubty;&#xpe /;oot;r /;&#xType;&#x /Pa;&#xgina;&#xtion;&#x 000;© 2003-2006 Dumb Friends League. All Rights Reserved. CTYD_R0904emotional needs.Also,remember thatpuppies under 6 months of age shouldn’tstay in a crate for more than three or four hours attime.They can’tcontroltheir bladders and bowels for longer periods.WhiningIf your dog whines or cries while in the crate atnight,may be difficultto decide whether he’s whining to be letoutof the crate,or whether he needs to be letoutside to eliminate.If you followed the training proceduresoutlined above,your dog hasn’tbeen rewarded for whining in the pastby being released from his crate.Try toignore the whining. If your dog is justtesting you,he’ll probably stop whining soon.Yelling athim or pounding onthe crate will only make things worse.If the whining continues after you’ve ignored him for several minutes,usethe phrase he associates with going outside to eliminate. If he responds and becomesexcited,take him outside.This should be a trip with a purpose,notplay time.If you’re convinced thatyour dog doesn’tneed to eliminate,the bestresponse is to ignore him until he stops whining.Do not give in,otherwise you’ll teach your dog to whineloud and long to getwhathe wants.If you’ve progressed gradually through the training steps and haven’tdonetoo much too fast,you will be less likely to encounter this problem.If the problem becomes unmanageable,may need to startthe crate training process over again. Separation AnxietyAttemptinguse the crateremedy for separation anxietywillnotsolve the problem.crate maypreventyour dog from being destructive,buthe may injurehimself inattemptescapefrom thecrate.Separationanxietyproblemscanonlybe resolvedwith counterconditioningand desensitization procedures(seeourhandout,“Separation Anxiety”).