Crate Training
Does it work like they say?

Yes! crate training does work and it's the best method but there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

You CAN'T just get a crate and put your puppy in there. You want to make sure that you "form good habits" and "prevent bad habits" regarding your puppy's behavior without stressing him out or traumatizing him. During your puppy or dog's learning stages, using the crate appropriately ensures that your furniture, carpet, etc. will survive while your puppy is learning his acceptable behaviors. (A crate or an acceptably confined area can be used in the beginning stages of puppy potty training.)

Using confinement in the right manner makes your puppy's potty training progress much faster with very few messes to clean up.

Basic Principles for correct training:

1.Make sure you don't use the crate to confine your puppy too much. But, if you're home try to make a way that you can watch your puppy so that he's 100% supervised at this time.

You can also use a leash for this, as you do things around the house or sit and read, have your puppy on the leash so you can see what he's up to.

2.Be sure to introduce the crate to your puppy gradually and gently. If not properly introduced, your puppy may likely be nervous about it since it's a new thing to him.

3.As with any good thing, if approached incorrectly or roughly, even a good thing like crate training can become a bad thing. So be aware of your puppy's personality, his sensitivites, and make all associations with his crate training positive.

4.Never yell at or scold your puppy, especially while inside the crate. This can be the start of many behavioral problems such as fear based aggression, obssessive compulsive disorders, submissive urination... and the list goes on.

Again, be sure your puppy's crate is big enough to turn around in, but not so big that your puppy can go to one end to eliminate and go back and sleep at the other end.

It's not a good idea to put food or water in the crate. For water purposes, just a few ice cubes can be good, as they can melt slowly and your dog will have small amounts of water to refresh himself. Remember what goes in must come out, and puppies only have a limited capacity to hold it.

Crate training must be approached with patience and consistency in order to be completely successful.

Anyone can get a crate and call it crate training, BUT it's the methods you use that will make the difference. I've always used the same consistent and gentle method and it's ALWAYS worked.

The steps I've laid out in puppy potty training will establish and build the bond between you and your puppy (or dog) and so you can have the happy and loving relationship you desire. Your puppy's potty training does NOT have to be a series of endless potty messes. There is a better way and it works.

You can see your puppy grow more fond of you and listen to you attentively as you experience these puppy training stages with one happy success after another.

There is a right way and a wrong way for crate training dogs. Did you know that 90% of pet owners use the crate inappropriately, and still end up with a multitude of problems?

Here in Puppy Potty Training you will find complete, step by step instructions, and everything you need to know about the correct way of crate training your puppy or dog, so you can both escape subtle and common pitfalls.

copyright © 2004 Kathleen Amaro. All Rights Reserved

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