CRATE TRAINING

No matter what age your dog is - we highly recommend training your dog to be accepting of the crate. This will help you and your dog immensely.

Crate training your dog may take some time and work, but it is well worth the effort. When used properly, a crate will confine your dog to a safe, secure area when you are unable to watch her closely. Who is watching your dog while you are at work, school, out running errands, in the shower, cooking dinner, etc.? While she is confined to her crate, you can be absolutely sure that your dog is NOT relieving herself on the carpet, chewing your belongings, digging in the yard…or doing a variety of other “jobs” that you don’t want her to do!

Once you crate train your dog and use the crate to get through the transitional period, you don’t have to use it forever. A crate is a wonderful tool to use to limit your dog’s ability to get into trouble while she is adjusting to your home and your rules. Once she knows the rules, it is also a great tool to use during travel or for confinement during activities that might overwhelm her (disruptive home renovations, large dinner parties, or noisy playdates with neighborhood children).

Size & Time: A crate for an adult dog should be large enough for her to comfortably stand up, turn around and lay down in. Crates come in a variety of durable materials, including hard plastic and wire. Using the crate, you can confine your new dog and ensure her safety and well-being for up to 5 hours. Small dogs and puppies under six months of age aren’t able to control themselves for quite as long as an adult dog, so you should make arrangements to come home or have a friend stop by to give them a potty break. Very young puppies (under three months of age) can be crate trained, but they require more frequent potty breaks to allow for their tiny bladders. A good rule of thumb for determining the maximum time for young puppies is Age in Months + 2 hours.

How to Crate Train: Begin to get your new dog used to the crate right away. Put it in an area of your home where the family spends a lot of time, such as the living room. Put a soft towel or blanket inside. Bring her over to the open crate on leash, and attempt to lure her inside with some high value treats or a toy. Don’t force her to enter! If she doesn’t want to go all the way in at first, keep tossing treats or toys inside until she is willing to enter on her own.

Your dog’s experiences with the crate should be all positive, so remember to reward her for staying inside the crate quietly. You can close the door to confine her, and continue to pass her treats through the bars of the crate while she remains calm and quiet. You can also give her appropriate chew materials (sturdy rubber toys or bones that can’t break down for her to choke on) while she’s in her crate. Covering the crate with a blanket or towel (especially at night time) might also help your help your dog view her crate as a safe, cozy, den-like retreat.

Tether Training

In combination with crate training, tether training can be a wonderful way to integrate your new dog into your home. Keeping your dog on a 4-6 foot leash in the house at all times for the first two weeks or so (whenever she’s not in the crate) guarantees that she will not be allowed out of your sight until she has learned the rules of your house and proper indoor behavior.

Tether training allows your dog the opportunity to be part of your daily routine while confining her to the area allowed by the leash you are holding, which helps to facilitate the bonding process. If your new dog exhibits any undesirable behaviors (housebreaking mistakes, chewing inappropriate objects, jumping on furniture, etc), you are at the other end of the leash, ready to interrupt the behavior as it happens (and hopefully before!) and redirect her to the proper behavior.

Tie-Down Training

You can use your tether as a temporary tie-down by tying your end to a secure surface such as a heavy coffee table. Tie-down training can alternate with crate training when you are home. Please do not leave your dog unattended on a tie-down!