Crate Training Puppies – Crate Training Schedule and Process

Feb 13

While many people feel that crate training puppies is an inhumane thing to do because it is like putting them in a jail, others understand that crate training puppies is only a method for keeping them safe when they can’t be watched. Once you understand the reasons why crate training puppies is important, then you can learn the process and recommended crate training schedule for house training.

4 Reasons to use a Crate

House Training
Protection
Teaching Respect for your Property
Preventing Separation Anxiety

Crate Training Puppies Process

Ensure the crate you have chosen will be comfortable. Never use your crate as a place for punishment. A successful process will use positive reinforcement. Your puppy should eventually actually like going into the crate.

Begin by getting your puppy familiar with the crate. To do this, put a treat just outside of the crate. Leave the door open. Once she is comfortable with going up to get the treat outside of the crate, then put the treat inside. Still leave the door open. Every time she goes in on her own to get the treat, say a special word or phrase, such as: “kennel up” or “go to your room.”

This process will be repeated several times. Eventually, you will be able to close the door. Your puppy will squeal and yelp. Do not let him out until he has settled down. Once he has settled down, pick him up and go straight outside to let him go to the bathroom.

Crate Training Schedule

Now that your puppy is used to the crate, you will need to create a crate training schedule so that he can feel comfortable in the crate and not just used to the crate because he has to be in it. Crates can actually be a safe place where your puppy may want to go to get away from all of the commotion.

This is why you should not use the crate as a punishment, and why you should not leave him for very long. If you do, this might as well be jail and it is inhumane. You want your puppy to enjoy crate time, not fear it.

Please understand that crate training puppies overnight is simply not possible. It will take time at first; however, once you have fully trained your puppy, life will be simpler and happier for both you and your puppy.

Listed below is a recommended crate training schedule. These are the steps to take in a specific order. You will need to put in the specific times to tweak it to fit your lifestyle.

Morning

Take your puppy out of the crate and outside to go potty.
Feed your puppy. Take him back outside. Play with your puppy.

Afternoon

Take your puppy outside. Bring him in for a nap. Put your puppy in the crate.
Once he wakes up. Take him directly outside. Do not talk to him at all until he has done his business. Once he goes potty, praise him unconditionally.
Go back inside and play with your puppy.
Take him back outside after hours of play. Bring him back in for rest time. He will likely whine a little and finally settle down.

Evening

Take your puppy out of the crate and then outside.
Feed him and then take him back outside.
Bring him in for playtime.

Bedtime

Take your puppy outside.
Bring him in and put him in his crate.

Before you go to bed, take him back out of the crate and go directly outside. Praise him for going potty and bring him right back in. Do not get him excited. Put him back in the crate and say goodnight. Hopefully, this will be the last you see or hear of him until morning when you will repeat this crate training schedule.

Crate training puppies is not a difficult task; however, it does take time and patience. Once your puppy is familiar with his crate training schedule, you will not have to be as consistent. Until then, be consistent with this crate training schedule and give your puppy a lot of love.

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Comments

Larry Galt
May 13th, 2011 at 4:08 AM
Although I don’t necessarily agree with the schedule, the idea of crate training a puppy is NOT inhumane. In fact, a dog is a DENNING animal. That means that wild canines find or make dens– which is exactly what a create is.
When we trained our poodle, we did something similar to the schedule in this article, but it was a little more elaborate since we both worked at home. But after a few months, the crate became his safe place and he knew it. Anytime he’d get scared, he’d go inside the crate, proving that he felt safe there. Additionally, when company comes and they have kids (Rex is old now), the crate is a comfortable place to be and he’s completely safe from kids pulling on him.

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