LifeWithMyDogs is supported by our audience. When you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a small affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Your cost is not affected.
**********
How To Crate Train A Dog And More
It’s an excellent idea to know how to crate train a dog. You should consider this if you don’t want to end up with a messy home when you leave and keep your pet at home. Also, it can help make a pup that is adjusting to its new environment. This technique is even helpful for canines of all ages. So think about this if you’re interested in housebreaking or giving a cozy and safe spot.
Here, we will discuss why you and our four-legged friends would enjoy having a cage to use. Included in this article are valuable pointers for dog crate training. Thus keep reading to know the specifics that explain the topic further.
Choose A Cage To Crate Train A Dog
To become successful in dog crate training, you need to have the right shelter first. They come in different shapes and sizes. Manufacturers made them as such to cater to various dog breeds. Hence, it’s crucial to have a look at the ones within your reach and on display to compare. Yet it pays to have an idea of what to buy before you even shop.
Crate Dimensions
Start by measuring your pet’s height and length. Know how tall your canine is from the floor and measure from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail. Add 4 inches to that and you already have an idea about the right dimensions of your pet’s cage. Getting one that is too small makes for an uncomfortable shelter. A crate that is too big may encourage a pooch to go potty at any time while inside. So get the kind that can allow your buddy to stretch but is not too spacious for it to relieve itself. With these things in mind, also choose the kind with durable parts and extra useful features.
Cage Types
If you’re going to get a shelter to crate train a dog, buy the right one. You need to do more than have the right size. Think about how you and your pet are going to use it. For instance, to get the type that is too soft and small for a large breed. Don’t select a huge crate for a tiny pup since with it your dog may end up moving from side to side when you carry the cage. Thus be careful when you decide what product to have for dog crate training.
People go for sturdy and decorative shelters called heavy-duty and furniture crates. These are usually placed somewhere very visible or concealed from guests. Due to the materials that they’re made of, moving them is challenging. For portable models that a lot of pet owners own, there are solid plastic and wired or folding cages too. Soft-sided versions are only ideal for disciplined plus lightweight or medium-sized canines. Hence, when shopping for a cage, it would be best to bring your buddy to a pet store.
Shelter Placement To Crate Train A Dog
In dog crate training, you must consider the placement of the shelter you’d buy for it. It would be great to put it where your fur kid spends most of the time in your home. Going for the living room or bedroom is a good idea. Choose a cozy spot where it isn’t too noisy and there aren’t a lot of things that could tempt it to go outside. Pick an area that’s not near corridors since you need to make your pet have some quiet time too. So, before getting a crate, have a look at your home’s interior first.
Even if you were to put a cage in a concealed spot, make sure it isn’t in a secluded area. Despite that your pup needs privacy to do whatever it wishes, it needs constant attention too. It’s the same when deciding where to put a cage for a grown canine. Still, place it where there’s a steady source of appropriate water and food. After all crate training, helps prevent or reduce the mess inside of a home because of a dog. So be wise where you install your four-legged friend’s shelter.
Crate Train A Dog With Food And Toys
As part of dog crate training, you may want to start feeding your canine companion inside the shelter for it. For the same reason, put some or all toys that it owns inside. The purpose of this is to help your buddy understand that its cage is something that should make it feel good. When it associates the thing with positive feelings, it would use it more. Some pooches have no trouble acclimating to a new shelter. Others need coaxing to appreciate a crate. So feed and play with your pet there. If you can’t get things right in an instant, be patient. In time, your dog will see the thing as a favorable place to be in.
When feeding your pet in the cage, use its favorite food bowl. At first, don’t try to close the crate door. As time goes by or after a day or two, be gentle and attempt to shut your buddy in. Stay with it the entire time to make it feel safe. Do the same by using its preferred playthings too. This will help prevent or address aggressive and destructive biting. Make its crate a space where it could have the freedom to bite its toys without repercussions. It’s okay if your buddy doesn’t get these points right away. Be patient and keep doing these things for weeks or months. Hence, with the right techniques and consistency, crate training can become so helpful.
Side Note
You can give your pet a toy that can let it play and keep it nourished while inside a cage too. Companies like Kong have playthings that can accommodate treats inside. With the food challenging to reach when inside a toy, it makes a dog stay inside a cage longer. Some even use frozen treats because pooches tend to take a while to finish them. Hence, oftentimes it takes strategy to gain success when training pooches.
Supervise And Reward When Dog Crate Training
After introducing the thing to crate train a dog, direct and give rewards to it. Call your pet over and give it a treat once it goes inside or at least near the cage. Provide praise and even an extra treat once your buddy enters and stays there. Repeat this several times for your canine companion to get your point.
Aside from it, try to close the door of the room where the cage is in. Yet you must shut it from the inside. This is so you won’t leave your pet until it gets used to using the shelter. You will know that it’s fine with it when it’s already opening its mouth and wagging its tail in the cage. If it starts to lie down for long periods even when you’re not around then it’s already accustomed to it. Thus, with the right measures, you can achieve success. You only need to be patient enough to wait until your four-legged friend loves the crate.
Use Tools
While training, you could try using a cushioned bed. Even if a lot of pooches prefer to sleep on hard surfaces, they may like a soft bottom to lie down and sleep on. It would only be wise to use a waterproof product that is easy to wash. After all, your canine companion may enter its cage even when it’s filthy and end up soiling the cushion. So pick a soft mat or bed that is cozy and also convenient to maintain. Put it inside the shelter and let your buddy treat it as a reward.
Why Crate Train A Dog
This instruction is for your pet to know that a cage is a good thing to have around. A crate can give it space to relax and stop it from playing wherever it pleases. It also aids in keeping it from peeing or pooping everywhere. With success, your furry pal will have something to use for comfort and safety. It can also aid in promoting better bladder and bowel control. On your end, as a pet owner, because of it, you will end up having a controlled and disciplined canine. This also means reducing your chances of having a messy home because of your pooch. So making your buddy trust and use a crate for various reasons is a sensible thing to do.
Dog crate training also addresses a canine’s natural tendency to set up a den. Pooches are instinctive creatures and must have an outlet for their territorial nature. Still, like all indoor animals, they could do well with a spot for privacy. They have preferences and feelings too. Sometimes, they want to be alone for a moment to rest, recover, and sleep. Thus, a crate for your four-legged friend helps a lot.
Last But Not The Least
There you have it. You’ve finished reading about everything you need to know about how to crate train a dog. With this information, you’re ready to adopt or acclimate a new puppy. Also, you could manage your home better even when you have a grown canine. But, when you get a cage, be patient, consistent, and loving with your four-legged friend. Dog crate training may be intimidating at the start, but it’s worth it due to the benefits it has for you and your buddy.
Are there any more ideas you would like us to cover? We love hearing from our readers so tell us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading and you can share this post with some friends who may be looking to get a cage for their dog soon.
