Common Crate Training Problems

One thing many pet owners do when getting a new puppy is crate training. Crate training, which provides confinement for a short time to a crate or certain area for the purposes of housetraining, protection of your home and belongings, or safety, is an excellent way to train your dog.

But just like any type of training, there are complications or struggles pet owners may face with crate training. The following are some common crate training problems you may come up against while training your dog:

Whining or crying

Whining or crying after your dog is put in the crate is a common problem, particularly if your puppy is used to spending all his time with his mother and littermates. Dogs are pack animals and like to be with members of their human "family." However, whining or crying when left in a crate is not only bothersome, but it also can potentially create problems with neighbors if it is not taken care of.

The first thing you will need to do is determine whether your puppy is whining because he is lonely, he wants to be let out of the crate, or he needs to be let outside to eliminate. You should never reward your puppy for whining by taking him out, even if you just want to stop the whining temporarily--this will only teach your puppy that it's ok. Yelling at the dog or pounding on the crate is also not going to solve the problem.

If you're sure your dog doesn't need to be let out, then ignore the whining. It should subside within a few days.

Leaving the puppy in the crate for too long

Crate training can be difficult, but it will cause more harm than good if you're leaving your puppy in the crate for too long, leaving your dog trapped, skittish, and unmanageable. One common problem with crate training is leaving your puppy in the crate for too long. You should never leave a puppy under six months of age in a crate for more than three hours at a time--they can't control their bladders and will be forced to sit in their own mess until you let them out, which negates the purpose of crate training for housetraining.

You can leave your puppy in the crate at night when you are housetraining or making sure he doesn't destroy things, but (like a real baby!) you will have to get up every few hours to let him out. If you work during the day, you can still crate train, but try to come home for lunch, or leave the puppy in a closed off area like a laundry room where it can't destroy anything.

Separation anxiety

Dogs can experience separation anxiety just like people. If this is the case, you will have to reevaluate the way you are training your dog. If your puppy becomes skittish and tries to escape the crate, chances are he is having separation anxiety issues. If this is the case, reevaluate how you are using the crate. Is your puppy spending all day in there while you are at work, then all night when you are in bed? Do you use the crate as punishment or a "babysitter" even when you're home? If so, you may want to read up on how to properly crate train a dog, then recondition him.

Crate training can be very useful, but it can also be problematic. These are just a few common problems with crate training.

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