Crates can save your dog’s life. If there was only to be one life-skill I could train my dogs in, it would be crate training. Being able to be comfortably crated in the car, or when you travel, or after a surgical procedure is vital. The last thing you want when your dog is recovering from surgery is added stress, and if that’s their first time in the crate, it’s going to be a nightmare for them. Teach them young, and reinforce it often.
I require, both for my puppies and for the classes that I teach, that dogs travelling in vehicles be in crates. Dogs loose in cars become projectiles in accidents. Crates are the safety equivelent of a car seat for a baby; we wouldn’t dream of putting an infant loose in the car, so don’t do it to your dog.
Crate training can seem like a daunting task, but it’s really not. Start small. Feed your dog their meals in their crate. Keep the crate nearby where you are during the day, and in your bedroom at night while crate training. Play games that revolve around the crate. Make it positive.
Crate training is essential to the house breaking process. By this I mean that we are teaching our dogs not to potty in the house, and that the house is not theirs to destroy. Puppies don’t understand that the furniture isn’t theirs to chew and pee on; it’s their owner’s responsibility to teach them.
When you are potty training your puppy, it’s important that puppy not have opportunity to potty where you don’t want them to go. Baby gates, waist-leashes, enzymatic cleansers, and honing your observation skills are all important parts of the process.
If puppy does potty in the house, DO NOT get angry or upset with the puppy. YOU made the mistake; they did what comes naturally.