Although it takes some time to train your pup to consider his kennel a safe and wonderful place, it´s worth it for many reasons. Following are just a few of them:
You can potty-train your puppy via crate training
Because they are den animals, dogs will avoid soiling their crates. As long as you don´t keep your puppy in his crate too long and remove him to his potty spot outside frequently enough, a crate will help reinforce his training. Rather, when you have a young dog, crate the puppy for a few minutes at a time, eventually increasing the time the pup stays in the crate. One source recommends taking the puppy out of his crate and immediately carrying him to his outdoor "go place," and praising the youngster when he goes in the right place.
You know your puppy is safe in his crate
Although we try to puppy-proof our homes as much as possible, you absolutely know that your new dog won´t get into trouble if he's safe in his crate. A pup in his crate can´t:- Chew up electrical cords and zap themselves;
- Pick fights with other pets in the home;
- Eat people food and get ill;
- Rummage in the trash, making a mess, and getting in trouble;
- Be "trained" inadvertently by a visitor ("Aw, isn´t that cute? He´s chewing/jumping up/drinking out of my coffee mug." Eek!
- Pick fights with other pets in the home;
Using the crate on an everyday basis
Don´t just crate your pup when you are leaving the house. Rather, start putting the dog in the crate for regularly short periods so that they won´t associate the crate with you leaving. Rather, make the crate a safe, fun place for your dog, a retreat from the world. Some people leave the crate door open much of the time, only closing it when they can't directly keep an eye on their new family member.
You wouldn´t leave a human baby wandering around. As an infant has a crib or playpen, puppies have crates.
