Living With a New Puppy

Or “Why Crate Training Will Save Your Sanity”

Crate training is a popular and effective method of training that uses a kennel, or crate, to confine your puppy whenever he is unsupervised in the house. A crate might be used when you are at work, when the family is sleeping, or when you have to run to the grocery. It’s also a great way to housebreak a puppy or an untrained adult dog.

Before you declare that a crate is cruel and inhuman and no puppy of yours will ever be put in a crate, an opinion shared by lots of people, stop and think about it. Dogs are by nature den animals. In the wild, they live in caves or other small, confined spaces. When used properly, a crate becomes a place of security for your puppy, a place of retreat and quiet, his very own bedroom.

Crates are never to be used for punishment. Every time you put your puppy in his crate, he should get a quiet pat, a kind word and a toy or two. His crate should be big enough for him to stand up and turn around in, but not so big that he’ll be inviting his friends over.

While your puppy is crated, he is safe. When you’re not home, he’s not eating the Gucci loafers or chewing electrical cords. He’s probably giving his toys a chew or two and settling down for a nice nap. Sure he’d rather be sleeping on the sofa and munching on whatever he can find in the garbage, but think how happy you will be to return to an intact home. And think how happy your puppy will be to have an owner who’s not yelling about the mess. After your puppy has matured a bit and you’re confident that he won’t destroy your house, crating may not be necessary, but many dogs love their crates and freely use them for naps and a little peace and quiet.

Crates are also great for housebreaking. Most dogs do not want to mess their beds. If they are taken out to do their business immediately after coming out of their crates, they quickly learn where they need to go and what they need to do. Lots of praise and a little treat as soon as they perform will almost guarantee a housebroken adult dog within a week. Puppies make take a little longer to train, but the method is the same. Puppies begin developing bowel and bladder control around 8 weeks old, so they need a little more attention. Have patience - they will learn, but they probably won’t be 100% until around 5-6 months when they have full control of their bladder.

By the way, don’t bother to yell at your new puppy unless you catch him in the act of doing his business where he’s not supposed to. He won’t understand why you’re angry and you may frighten him so much that he will be even harder to train.