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How to Crate Train a Puppy

March 23, 2017 by Mary Telesz

How to Crate Train a Puppy
With proper training, your puppy will grow to love the private space of its crate

Some pet care professionals believe in the use of crates for puppies and dogs as a training tool and as a safe environment for the dog to use throughout its life. When one wants to crate train a puppy or dog, this may be for several different reasons. Some experts recommend crates as method to manage house training and to act as a tool for puppies and dogs to manage their environment so that the pet and owner can avoid some of the behavioral troubles in some puppies and dogs: chewing, destruction of property, etc. The use of crates also makes travel more safe for your pet whether it be in an airplane or in a car. Crate training also can be beneficial in other situations. Many times, when used properly, dogs seek out their crates for private time—think of the crate as a room for your pet.

It’s important to use the crate as a supplementary tool. Avoid crating as punishment—to put a dog into “time out” for making a mistake—and avoid crating if it upsets your animal. Sometimes, crate training can increase a puppy or dog’s anxiety, especially if they are already upset by outside factors like storms, new environments, or other strange animals. It is recommended that crate training be used with guidance from a veterinarian or pet care specialist.

Selecting a Crate

When selecting a crate for your crate training a puppy or dog, it’s important to select a crate that’s sized to fit the breed of the animal. Consider the weight and size of the puppy before you pick a crate. Ideally, the crate should be big enough for the dog to stretch out, and to be able to get up, stretch, and turn around without touching their body against the cage. A crate that is too big is always better than one that is too small.

Take your pet’s measurements: for a fully-grown adult dog, measure from the tip of the dog’s nose to the base of the tail and add inches for the proper crate length. Measure from the ground up to the top of the dog’s skull for height. For puppies, unless one plans on buying a puppy-sized crate then an adult-sized crate, do the same measuring but add from 12 inches to 18 inches for growth.

The size of one’s pet may vary, but here are some crating size ideas: Pick a crate that is at least 32 inches by 32 inches for an animal weighing up to 50 pounds, such as a Chihuahua, Pomeranian, or Jack Russell terrier. If the dog is a medium-sized animal weighing between 50 and 80 pounds, like a beagle or chow, consider a crate at least 36 inches by 36 inches. For a dog weighing between 80 and 100 pounds, such as a bulldog or border collie, use a crate at least 42 inches by 30 inches. For larger dogs, like German shepherds and greyhounds, use a larger crate, like a 48-inch by 36-inch crate for dogs up to 100 pounds. For the largest dogs, such as mastiffs and huskies, use the largest crate: at least 60 inches by 36 inches.

Making the Crate Comfortable

Remember, the more pleasant the crate is for the dog, the easier it will be to crate train a puppy or dog. Consider the personality and needs of the dog when setting up its crate. Is the dog a chewer? Does the dog like to lay on a blanket? Adding bedding to the crate, such as towels, blankets, pillows, or dog beds can help make the space more comfortable inside the crate. Items that are soft and smell like their owner, like old t-shirts, may provide a sense of comfort to a crate training puppy or newly-adopted older dog, and may help them with any anxiety issues.
However, one must check regularly to make sure that the puppy or dog doesn’t become destructive to the items in their crate. If the dog is a chewer, reconsider the bedding in place of a sturdy toy that can’t be digested. If the dog uses the restroom in its crate, this may also be a time in which to remove bedding. Consider feeding the pet inside its crate—this may associate another positive action with the crate process.

Dealing with Crate Anxiety

Pets can experience emotion just like any other creature. A common emotional response to any new action or environment is anxiety. Dogs and puppies that suffer from anxiety may have issues with crate training. It’s important to notice any of the symptoms of distress, from barking, pacing, panting, and trembling to aggressive or destructive behaviors like aggression, chewing, destroying, or snapping.

If a puppy or dog shows anxiety about being in the crate, use the crate in small increments. Use positive reinforcement techniques to teach the pet that the crate is not a negative or scary place.
Do not lock anxious pets in crates for extended periods of time—this may make the crate training process into a fully negative experience for a pet.

Instead, introduce an open crate to the pet. Let them in the crate for 30 seconds, leave, then come back and let them out. You can also feed an anxious dog in the crate to increase the sense of positive association with the crate. A pet owner can up the reward by making the last meal of the day special by adding a scoop of peanut butter or some animal broth to their hard food.

Another method for dealing with puppy anxiety and acclimating a dog to the crate to place the crate near where the owner will be, where the dog can see them. Use a calm and happy voice to praise the pet for calming sitting in the crate.

Once a dog or puppy has successfully been crate trained, the owner can leave its doors open to the rest of the house. The puppy or dog, over time, will go to the crate for relaxation and privacy.

House and Crate Training a Puppy or Dog with Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement training techniques use a combination of praise and treats to reward a pet for doing something correctly—whether that be performing a trick or using a crate. Using a reward for your pet lets them know that positive action gets rewarded and makes the pet more likely to continue the positive behavior.

Remember, when it comes to crate training, use positive reinforcement techniques to get the results out of your puppy or dog. Remember, the dogs have shorter attention spans than human beings, and within seconds of performing the action, the pet should receive an award.

Using positive reinforcement techniques along with crate training is a great first step in teaching a puppy or dog how to house train with a crate, but along with any training situation must come patience. Remember—this is the dog’s first time completing tasks that may go against their first instinct. Be firm and kind to pets when training them. When it comes to any sort of training, it’s also important to be consistent—reward them for the positive behavior every time and avoid sending mixed signals to your pet. This could confuse them.

When first house training a puppy or dog, many people leash their pet and keep the dog close to them. That way, the owner is able to watch the dog and provide supervision if they notice the dog is about to use the bathroom indoors. Knowing what signs to look for may differ based on the dog. Remember, dogs, like humans, are unique individuals. Each animal has its own ways of making its needs known. Watch for a squatting posture—and remember, puppies squat quick and fast. Older dogs may have more established bathroom routines, but puppies are still new and getting used to their bodies.

When house crate training a puppy or dog, remember that the dog or puppy should be kept in the crate when it is left without supervision. Since puppies have smaller bladders, release them from the crate every couple hours. When the puppy is outside, try to lead them to one general area for their bathroom use

If the puppy uses the bathroom… give then a verbal cue while they are in the process of eliminating, like “Do your business,” “Go potty,” or “Eliminate.” If the puppy or dog successfully uses the restroom, immediately give them a treat. Use a calm and happy voice to praise your pup. High-pitched voices may make them more excited than proud of their accomplishment. Once the puppy or dog has eliminated, feel free to let it run loose under supervision. Again, if the pup or dog is unsupervised, let them go to their crate and restart the whole process again in a couple hours.

If the puppy does not use the bathroom… take it back to the crate for another 10-15 minutes. Do not praise or scold the dog or puppy and do not give the treats. Then take him back outside to the same place and try again. If the training is consistent, over a few days to a couple weeks, the puppy or dog will learn that if they eliminate outdoors, they will get a treat.

Potential Problems

While in the crate at night, some puppies or dogs may lash out, whine, and bark. It’s important to tell the difference between whether they want to be let out of the crate, or whether they need to eliminate. Try to ignore the noise. If a dog is just testing its boundaries, they will stop whining when they realize it will not help. Yelling at them or pounding on the crate will provide negative reinforcement and may make crate anxiety or the training process harder.

If the whining continues after being ignored for several minutes, try to use the phrase they associate with the bathroom. If they act agitated or excited, take them outside.

Another problem common with crate training is dealing with pet anxiety. If the puppy or dog is being incredibly anxious or destructive, contact a veterinarian, pet trainer, or pet health specialist to see what further steps need to be taken. Sometimes, professionals can use training steps, like counterconditioning.

The Perks of Crate Training a Puppy or Dog

If training and positive reinforcement stays consistent, any puppy or dog will learn that the crate is a safe and comfortable space where they can lie down in a soft spot and keep its toys. When a dog has a place to chew on something they like, crate-trained puppies and dogs may be less destructive with any household items such as shoes or pillows when left out of the crate

Filed Under: Pet Adoption, Pet Advice, Travel

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
laceyrt
laceyrt
18:03 08 Mar 23
The folks at Paw Pals pet sitting are fantastic to work with. This review includes a bit of a long story but goes to show how dedicated they are to their job and the care they have for the animals they watch over. I reached out to Paw Pals, even though I live outside their service area, in a bit of a panic because our scheduled dog sitter for our family vacation suddenly wasn't available. The local sitters we've used in the past seemed like they wouldn't be able to accommodate us on such late notice and so we were scouring the internet for other options.When I submitted a request to Paw Pals, I expected to get a polite no thank you - you're out of our service area. Instead I got a call from Jen, who was so kind, helpful and accommodating and essentially bent over backwards to help set up a sitter for us. We met the sitter at her home and it was more of the same. So friendly and welcoming to our dog and fully prepared to watch her for two weeks.We ultimately didn't end up booking with Paw Pals, only because our local sitter had an opening that allowed someone to stay in home with our dog (who is a very anxious senior shepherd-collie mix). But just based on the limited experience I had with them, I would highly recommend Paw Pals. These folks are fantastic and I only wish we lived closer so we could utilize their other services on a regular basis. Five stars all the way!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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