CRATE TRAINING YOUR PUP

It may look like jail to you, but to the dog that has been trained from puppyhood to use it, a crate becomes a favorite place, the dog's own haven. Crates should be pleasant places and should never be used for discipline. Crate training facilitates house training and reduces potential destructive behaviour. 1) Before starging crate training, place soft bedding, a food treat, and an interesting toy inside the crate. Leave the door open initially. 2) Using a tasty treat and the verbal command "Go to your crate," entice the puppy into its new home. Leave the door open so that the puppy can leave the crate at any time. 3) Once the puppy has become accustomed to the crate, it will continue to use it without any prompting from you.

4) While the puppy plays contentedly, close the crate door for a few minutes. Keep the crate in a busy place like the kitchen. 5) A relaxed puppy falls asleep in the security of its crate. Fully crate-trained puppies should not be left in crates for more than two hours during the day, and should be exercised before confinement. Having become accustomed to its crate, a puppy is content to be confined to a playpen. Some dogs, especially adopted ones, have a more difficult time with crate confinement, but this rarely happens with puppies.