The Benefits of Crate Training

If you are thinking of getting a puppy, you probably know one of the first things you will need to begin doing is training your puppy, from housetraining to keep him from making messes in the house to teaching him not to bark while you're gone.

One form of training that many dog owners, breeders, vets, and other professionals swear by is crate training. Crate training works by confining your puppy to a small crate for short periods of time until the puppy is completely trained.

Some people think crate training sounds cruel, but crate training is not designed to keep a puppy confined in a small crate for long periods of time; rather, shorter periods of no longer than a few hours when you are not home. When done correctly, it can actually be very beneficial to your puppy and your home.

The following are some of the benefits of crate training your puppy:

Safety

In many ways, your puppy is like a baby or toddler. He wants to explore, get into things, and put them in his mouth. Obviously, this can cause harm to your puppy if he ingests things like certain plants, foods, or chemicals, or if he goes exploring and gets caught in something. Crate training is also safer than keeping your puppy in a yard, because puppies are often master escape artists. Using crate training helps keep your puppy safe until he learns not to get into certain things.

Protection of home

Most puppies chew anything they can get their mouths on, including shoes, furniture, pillows, toilet paper, kids' toys, and anything else. Puppies also have a tendency to get into pantries or trash, strewing messes all over the place. If you are gone and can't supervise your puppy, there is a good chance you will come home to a mess or some destroyed personal belongings. Crate training will keep your puppy from wreaking havoc in your home. Once out of the crate, you can supervise your puppy and then teach him what is and is not ok to chew on or get into.

Housetraining

One of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks of training a puppy is housebreaking it. It requires constant supervision and dedication. Crate training can help immensely with this process. Puppies will learn that it's not ok to eliminate in the house or when you are not there. Because dogs are naturally clean animals, they do not want to make messes in the area they are confined to. As a result, they will learn to hold it in until you come home to let them out into the yard.

Acclimation

Crate training your puppy is a good idea because it helps to familiarize your puppy to a crate, so he won't fear it as he grows older. (For this reason, it's never a good idea to use a crate as punishment for a puppy or dog, or he will associate it to social isolation.) If your puppy becomes used to a crate, he will be much easier to transport if you are traveling by car or airplane and need to transport your dog safely. When the dog is already used to the crate, it will be a less traumatic experience for him and easier for the owners.

Training your puppy is a time consuming process that requires dedication and patience. Crate training is a form of training that is beneficial in many ways.

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