A crate is a prtable "kennel" that is used to train a young puppy or safely transport your dog in a plane or car. It can also be used as a "home" for your dog when you travel, making a dog a welcome visitor in a freind's home or motel.
How does crating work?
Dogs are den animals who seek small, cavelike enclosures to crawl into. Most puppies will look for a place to go sleep that is a tight fit, like under the coffee table. With a crate, you are supplying a pefectly safe enviroment for your puppy. It is a safe haven away from underfoot and small children, and it is a private bedroom which it will not soil if it can help it. Using a crate can alleviate numerous problems, can stop other problems from starting, and can housebreak a puppy with ease.
Where do I put the crate?
The crate should be in a "people" area, the kitchen or family room. The crate should be within easy reach during the day, so that when things get busy and you can't watch the puppy, the crate is handy, not in the basement or on another floor. If you need two crates in different parts of the house, get two. Dogs are social animals and if you lock a puppy away where they can't see what's going on, you will have a harder time getting the puppy to adjust to a crate.
What do I do now?
Set up a routine that works for you and the puppy. First thing in the morning let the puppy out to potty. If you want them to eliminate in a certain area, take them there and praise them when they go. Also, a catch phrase like"go now" or "hurry up", if said every time, will help your puppy learn faster. The puppy should take all naps in the crate it will make nighttime easier as the puppy adjusts to being confined. When the puppy is loose in the house it should confined to the room you are in with a babygate. If you can't be with the puppy, use the crate. If the crate is properly introduced, the dog will grow to think of the crate as it's den. Most dogs that are crate trained will use the open crate as a resting place. The major use of crate is to prevent the dog from doing something wrong. Houise manners are just as important as house breaking. It is useless to correct a dog for something that it did 5 minutes ago: you must catch them in the act. If the dog is out of the crate unsupervised, it may do something wrong and not be corrected, or worse, corrected after the fact.
Do's and Don't
* Do let the dog out often so that it is never forced to soil it's crate.
*Do take the dog out if it wines or barks because it needs to eliminate. IF they were just out and eliminated, correct for whining or barking.
*Do clean the crate regularly, especially if you have added a floor.
*Do adjust your schedule so they get out every 4 hours during the day. When you are home and can supervise them, they should not be in the crate(except at night when you are sleeping).
*Do put safe toys and beeding in the crate. Most dogs will destroy foam bedding and need only a soft rug or a pegboard, cut to fit the crate, to sleep on.
*Do let the dog out of the crate to potty after eating or drinking a lot(the dog will have to eliminate).
*Don't punish the dog if it soils the crate. Sitting with "it" is punishment enough.
*Don't use crate as punishment.
*Don't rush to give the dog too much freedom out of the crate unsupervised. Start with very short periods and work your way up to longer periods.
*Don't give your crate away. Keep the crate handly even for older dogs: they are great for special situations that require the dog to be confined.