Crate Train Puppy
So you want to crate train a puppy huh? Well that's probably one the best things you could do early on in his development. By crate training the pup early, you are establishing yourself as the pack leader, and he will learn early on who is the boss in the family.
Dogs love consistency, it makes them feel comfortable, which is another reason to crate train a puppy. If a dog can predict what is going to happen in certain situations, like going for a nightly walk at 6:00 pm, then they are more apt to behave better more often than not.
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The foundation of any good pup training is a strong and sturdy crate. You don't want a crate that is too large, because this will suppress his house breaking. He should be able to twist around and have no problem standing up inside it.
The perfect size crate will be one your pet sees as his cubbyhole. They will not soil in a crate that they consider their home, and will learn to hold it for as long as they can. Any Puppy under eight weeks old should never be left in a crate for longer than an hour.
The whole idea is to get him acquainted with his new crate. If he is reluctant to go inside, place a tasty bone in there and wait for him to enter. Once in, give him some positive feedback by saying what a good boy he is. Keep doing this until he it feels natural for him to go into the crate. When you crate train puppy, always make sure the session ends on a good note, because positive reinforcement is critical in his development.
Once your mutt sees the crate as his own personal den, he will feel free to go inside on his own. Again, when he does, give him praise and reward him with a treat or two. Slowly start to leave him in there for a few minutes at a time, gradually increasing the time everyday until he is fully crate trained. If done properly, it should only take about 3 or 4 days to crate train a puppy.
Leaving a puppy alone usually creates some form of separation anxiety which could lead to an assortment of bad behavior. When you crate train a puppy, the dog begins to feel safe and secure, like nothing could possibly harm him in there. This is what you are looking for, that security blanket will make him feel and behave as much better.
Do not remove him from the crate when he cries, he will associate that behavior with getting out. Instead, make sure he is behaving good before you let him out. He will slowly learn that he has to be a good boy for you to let him out. After you have taken him out of the crate and brought him out to potty, always praise him, so he learns that this is the proper thing to do.
There is probably nothing more critical in your puppies early development than when you crate train a puppy. Do it right the first time, and you will enjoy many happy years with your loving pet.