Crate Training

Jornada Veterinary Clinic

Crate Training

Crate training can be a fun, effective way to allow you and your dog to enjoy a great start. No one likes to deal with the hassles of house training but by observing wolf behavior in the wild, veterinarians have effectively applied these observations to the dog. In the wild, a wolf and her pups spend much time in the protection of the small home referred to as the den. The den is a small area, out of the “flow of traffic” where there is safety. Feeding, playing, and safe sleeping is done in the den. The “crate” should mimic the den. The crate should be an enclosure that is big enough for the dog to stand and move around a small area (about 1 ½ to two times the body length of the dog should suffice). He should be able to eat, sleep, and play with a few toys in the “den”. It is rare that the “wolf/dog” will ever soil the den therefore the process should go as follows:

1. Get up in the morning and IMMEDIATELY take the puppy outside. You should not carry him outside but encourage him to walk by saying something like, “Come on, lets go outside!” Always try to sound happy and excited. If your puppy stops to soil on the way to the door, try moving the crate closer to the door the next evening, so he has less distance to travel in the morning.

2. Once you get outside, pick a command to let the puppy know what you want him to do. Maybe use the command, “Go potty!” (try to have one person do the potty training with only one command until the puppy gets the idea, or it may be confusing). So once you both are outside, this is not the time to pet the puppy or play with him. You are outside for only one purpose. Sometimes you just have to wait it out until he goes, but just keep saying, “Go potty!” Once he does his business it is important that you make a big deal out of it. Jump up and down and love him while telling him what a good puppy he is.

3. Next, you go back in the house and your puppy goes back into his crate. Next feed him in the crate with the door locked. If he starts to whine or bark, you need to correct him in a way that he gets negative reinforcement without knowing it is coming from you. Sneaking up from behind the crate you can hit the side with a pillow while saying NO! All the puppy knows is that when he whines, his crate rocks and he hears a very loud disturbing noise. Eventually he will get the idea that eating and sleeping and playing with is toys in the crate are much more enjoyable than the rocking and the loud noise.

4. About 20 minutes after feeding, open the crate and walk outside again using the same procedure as you did the first thing in the morning. He should now also defecate and probably urinate again. Wait it out, he will do it. Remember, no playing yet and certainly remember to praise.

5. Once he goes to the bathroom and you come back in the house, now it is okay to say good morning and love him. If you are going to play with him now, great, just watch him closely so you learn how his mannerisms change when he is going to have an accident. If you see him start to squat, act or encourage him to run to the outside with you. There is no reason to push his nose in it, or hit him with a newspaper. Once you are outside and he finishes, praise him again.

6. Now you come back in and you play for a while more with no accidents. You can’t directly watch your puppy all of the time, so he needs to go back to the crate when you are not able to watch him. Encourage him to enter the crate by throwing a favorite toy into the back. If he just will not go in, gently push him into the crate. Before you leave, he needs to go out to potty one more time. Same procedure as above. Command, wait it out, then praise.

7. A young puppy, less than 6 months old especially, cannot make it through the whole day without urinating, so try to make arrangements. A very young puppy, less than 12 weeks, usually can’t make it through the night without a break, so many people set the alarm for 3 AM and take the puppy out, so their sleep is not interrupted. Remember a puppy who is sleeping soundly in the night will not wake up and whimper unless they need to go. It only takes a minute.

8. When you get home from work, you need to follow the same procedure as above. Command, wait it out, then praise. After the puppy has relieved himself it is time to eat (in the crate, then back outside again before play time).

9. Puppies younger than 12 weeks old, will need to go out hourly, then three to four times daily. When the puppy is older, and it is time for bed, the puppy needs to go back into the crate with the door locked, at least until he is old enough to tell you he needs to go out. Accidents are rare.

10. This technique has saved many a family. It’s easy, inexpensive and effective. It is also useful for your dog to feel comfortable in a crate when you travel so the method serves more than one purpose.

Helpful Hints and Reminders…

· Patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement are the keys to any training method.

· Your puppy should NEVER be given the opportunity to soil in the house without you seeing it to correct him!!

· It is important that you have time to yourself at home, without having to watch your puppy each minute, so use the crate to give yourself some relief.

· If you have any questions, feel free to call our office at any time.

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