dog crate

Puppy Crate training demystified

I wish I'd known this trick for my first few dogs! Crate training is the answer to caring for a new puppy. It keeps him out of harm’s way – from overexcited children, older dogs, clumsy feet, jealous cat, car wheels – and all the hazards a tiny puppy can meet. 

And then, when you're ready to give him your attention, out he comes: to play, interact with children and other household pets, to eat, and – Importantly! – to relieve himself.

 

Chewing, too …

Crate training is the answer to unwanted puppy chewing too. If you leave him in his crate when you go out, then the only thing he can chew are his bones and chew-toys, so when you come back there can be a blissful reunion unmarred by the horrors of discovering your dining room table with a gnawed leg, the computer cables chewed right through, or your favourite jumper loved to death.

To acclimatise your pup to his crate is simple: just bring him home and put him in it! He’s a baby, he’ll fit in with what you want, don’t worry. The less fuss you make about this the easier it is.

Teaching an older dog to enjoy his crate takes a little more time, but if you encourage him slowly and gradually with treats, feed all his meals there (without at first shutting the door on him) he will soon cheerfully go there of his own accord, knowing this is his own den.

I would choose a wire crate that will fit your puppy for the next six months to a year. You don’t want something massive. The smaller the crate the easier it’ll be to manoeuvre. The best crates are lightweight tough mesh with a metal pan. They fold up for transporting - really useful for travel - and are very easy to clean.

You can get crates tailor-made for your car too. This is essential for transporting your puppy safely – and legally. A dog loose in the car is considered “an unsecured load” and can cause much damage to other occupants of the car (as well as himself) in the event of an accident. And a secure and comfy cage means there is never a danger of your dog jumping out of the car onto a busy road.

 

Make it cosy

I line the base of the house crate with newspaper or a blanket, and fill the whole crate with comfy machine washable bedding.  And if you have a tunnelling, thin-coated dog like a Whippet, she’ll think she’s in a cold prison cell if you don’t provide plenty of cuddly bedding!

A puppy who has come from a conscientious breeder will be unlikely to soil his bedding. See this video of very young puppies learning to eliminate away from their sleeping area:

Position the crate in a corner of the room, so the puppy is sheltered on two sides – from drafts as well as traffic – but he'll be able to see everything that goes on, so he’ll feel secure and included when you need to set about your chores. However, most of his time in the crate he’ll be asleep, so being able to close the door on the room with the crate in is very useful to ensure the correct amount of sleep.

To begin with a young pup will spend all his sleeping time in the crate. If he's happy there during the day, there's a good chance he’ll be happy there overnight. He may need to relieve himself once during the night to start with, so get up and take him outside on a lead – no playtime – and then pop him back into bed again. Get my Cheatsheet for Errorless Housetraining and focus on what you have to do to make this fast and easy. You’ll be surprised how quickly it will work for you!

At night, have the crate in your bedroom, maybe partly covered with a blanket for warmth and cosiness. Your puppy is much more like to settle quietly if he doesn't feel abandoned.

Of course you'll be taking him out on the lead to the garden during the day - every time he wakes, after each meal, after an active play session, and at least once an hour. Never scold him for doing it in the wrong place – regard it as a management problem and resolve to be more proactive next time. Before long you can add your vocal cue – you could say "hurry up" or "busy" or "be clean" or whatever you like (that you don't mind saying out loud in public for the next 12 years!).

 

The natural method

As this method of crate training is totally without pressure – simply building on the dog’s natural desire to keep his nest clean – you can start very young. In fact I had my very quickest housetraining results with a pup I had from four weeks (his mother was sick). By the age of six weeks this little puppy was clean and dry by night. Not long after that he would go outside and relieve himself on cue.

I would expect a puppy normally to be reliable between nine and fourteen weeks. The smaller the dog the longer it may take, though not necessarily - it’s really up to you! The beauty of crate training is that it does the work for you.


An added advantage of early crate training

At some stage in his life your dog may need surgery or confinement after an injury. Imagine the stress of trying to introduce him to a crate at this time! On top of that, he’ll go easily into the crate at the vets, thereby minimising stress.

It’s so useful to be able to park the dog contentedly in his crate when he comes home from an operation. He’ll feel secure from being trodden on and can switch off and relax, and concentrate on getting better.


But is crate training cruel?

I have found people may have misgivings about using a crate for a puppy at first – but these fears are usually dispelled when they find out what crate training is actually about.

We're not talking about shutting a puppy away and neglecting him – far from it! Crate training gives you the chance to build a great relationship with your puppy very quickly. After all you never need to tell him off for anything!

What better way to start off a lifelong partnership?

Check out New Puppy! the only puppy book you will need to get you step-by-step through the early weeks!


Check other post that might help your brilliant dogs:

I have a new puppy: will I ever get any sleep again?

How much time does your dog spend sleeping?

How much does your dog sleep?

I love my dog AND I love my sleep!

Errorless Housetraining and Crate Training


 

The right dog bed for your dog, and you!

So rather than fit the dog bed with YOUR decor, make sure it’s a bed your dog will love and be happy to spend time in! And, of course, make sure it’s washable. Brilliant Family Dog is committed to improving the lives of dogs and their harassed owner…

Some dogs like luxurious dog beds, some are more Spartan. Some dogs like to burrow into their beds and make a nest, others are happier dozing on top of the kennel with a layer of snowflakes covering them . . .

I know because I have a Whippet who thinks almost exclusively about her own comfort, and Border Collies who have coats designed to keep them warm in a blizzard on a Scottish mountainside.

Want more tips like this for everyday living?

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You need dog beds that are serviceable and easy to wash for the working dogs in the family and beds that are cosy and warm for the lapdogs (for when there is no lap available!).

The advantage of having a dog bed that your dog actually likes is that you can position the bed where you want your dog to be when he’s switched off, then you don't have to be tripping over him every time you turn round.

I have beds under one of the worksurfaces in the kitchen instead of cupboards. That's where the crate goes too, when we have a new dog in the household.

 

Keep it clean

I think the most important factor of a dog bed - from the owner’s point of view - is its cleanability. You don't want nameless stains showing up on your carefully laundered bed! That's where a patterned finish is handy. A removable machine-washable cover is ideal, and I find the fleece that you can buy by the yard is excellent. You can bio wash it or hot wash it in the machine, and it dries in no time. Great beds for dogs who like to bundle them up, carry them to their preferred spot, and hide their toys in them. You can easily fit them into a car crate too.

I have hard floors downstairs, so the 2-metre lengths of fleece double as beds and non-slip walkways. These can be very useful at corners where puppies and old dogs in particular are likely to slip in their haste. This can cause serious ligament damage.

Also in the car you can have tough plastic-backed blankets or even fully fitted dogproof seat covers. Just imagine how much time that's going to save you picking up hairs and mud! But your best option for the car is washable beds inside a fitted crate. See this post for more info.

 

It all depends on the dog

Tunnelling dogs will appreciate a cosy bed to dig down into. They tend to be thin-coated dogs, like Terriers and Whippets. Cricket the Whippet took some time to learn how to get herself under her duvet without needing help every time she wanted to get into her bed. But now she’s a pro and can whoosh herself in and under in seconds.

Such dogs often like to sleep in heaps. A pair of noses peeping out from a pile of lambskins is very appealing, as you can see here with Sky and Bolt.

So rather than fit the dog bed with YOUR decor, make sure it’s a bed your dog will love and be happy to spend time in! And, of course, make sure it’s washable. Brilliant Family Dog is committed to improving the lives of dogs and their harassed owner…

As to the wicker basket so beloved of artists and birthday card designers . . . well, they may look good, but don't put your dog in one till you're quite sure he won’t chew it to shreds. Not only will it make a mess of your costly bed, but lengths of willow are not easily digested!

Instead, get one of those hardshell dog beds which are easy to sweep out and hose down. They can take up a lot of space but are excellent for keeping the dog’s bedding in one place.

 

That’s MY bed!

The important thing about your dog’s bed is that it’s his! He must know that he can rest there in peace without being trodden on, badgered by children, hugged by affectionate toddlers, or shoved off it onto the floor by another dog (or cat!). He needs somewhere he can relax and treat as his den.

Make sure it’s a bed your dog will love and be happy to spend time in! And, of course, make sure it’s washable. Brilliant Family Dog is committed to improving the lives of dogs and their harassed owners through books and online learning, all force-f…

If you have multiple dogs be sure you've got a bed per dog plus one extra so you never get arguments over beds. It’s easy enough to teach them to share - either to share a bed together, or move round to a different bed - though this can result in some comical sights when the cat commandeers the big dog bed and the big dog tries to squish into the cat donut!

In my own household of four very different dogs, we have flat memory foam beds for the hot dogs (Collie and English Shepherd), and heat-reflective bed with duvet for Cricket the Whippet - along with tunnel beds and soft cushionbed-on-armchair for her, so her majesty can select the right bed at the right time! Coco Poodle is happy in his fleece-lined bucket bed at night, and chooses to perch on lambskin-covered footstools in the day.

At the last count there were 14 dog beds here and 3 cat beds, though these are often shared.

What bed do you find best for your dog?