Crate Training a Puppy
The most important thing to know when you approach crate training a puppy is that they do not have the muscle control to hold their bladders.
This is not a training issue - they simply can not "hold it" any more than we can do triple backflips. This is especially true for very young puppies less than four months old. Even a puppy four to six months old can only reasonably be expected to hold its bladder for three hours, and even puppies up to a year old can not go much more than five hours. Of course, all puppies are different, and ever the same puppy will behave a bit differently one day to another, but we need to be clear on what is fair to expect from our dogs before we start.
Here are the steps to crate training a puppy. If you want more detailed instructions, and a lot more information about making your puppy as happy as possible in their crate, consider buying our downloadable crate training book.
1) Get the right crate
The right crate will give your puppy enough room to stand up in without his head touching the ceiling of the crate, and enough room to turn around in. Any more room than that and he will have a corner to do his business in, which you do not want.
2) Introduce your puppy to the crate
Put the crate in a room you spend a lot of time in. Set it up and leave it alone. Let your puppy investigate the crate on his own. When he does, give him treats and show him that the door opens and closes, but do not close the door with the puppy in it yet.
3) Get your puppy to go in and out of the crate
Put a treat at the entrance of the crate, then let the puppy go get it. Then put a treat just inside the crate, so the puppy has to lean in to get it. Keep putting treats further and further into the crate until the puppy is comfortable with going all the way in to retrieve the treat.
4) Close the door of the crate with your puppy in it
When your puppy is inside the crate, while you talk nicely to it and stay relaxed, gently close the door of the crate just a second, then open it again slowly. Keep talking to your puppy and give him a treat when he comes out and make a big deal of this success.
5) Keep the door closed for a few seconds, then a few minutes
Continue closing the door with the puppy in it, first for a count of three, then five, ten, fifteen and twenty seconds. Slowly work up to having the puppy be in the closed crate for five minutes. Liberally reward the puppy each time, and if they get stressed here, or at any point of the crate training, go no further with your crate training until they become comfortable with the step they are on. Panting, by the way, is a sign of stress in dogs.
6) Make a cup of coffee with your puppy in the crate
When your puppy is comfortable in their crate for a minute or so, give them a really great toy, or a bone, or something special and let them play with that in their crate while you make a cup of coffee.
7) Leave the room for a moment with your puppy in the crate
With the puppy playing in its crate with its favorite toy, step out of the room for just a moment so they can not see you. Come right back. Work up to being outside of the room for five, ten, fifteen, thirty seconds. Go slowly -- this should take over a dozen practice runs to build up the time.
8) Leave the room for ten minutes with your puppy in the crate
When you can leave the room for ten to twenty minutes with your puppy in its crate, your puppy is essentially crate trained.
Train Your Dog to Love Their Crate.
Get Our Crate Training Made Easy ReportARTICLES:
Crate Training a Puppy
Crate Training a Dog
How Crate Training Uses Your Puppy's Den Instinct
Potty Training for Puppies Under 16 Weeks Old
Your Puppy's First Night Home
Puppy Growling & How To Handle It
How to Stop Puppy Biting
Does Your Puppy Whine in Its Crate?
Crate Training for Very Young Puppies
How to Pick the Right Crate for Your Dog
Crate Training for Puppy Mill Puppies
The Importance of Eye Contact in Dog Training
How to Potty Train your Dog
How to Stop a Dog from Pulling When Walking on a Leash