Crate Training Your Puppy
Crate training is a great way to protect your puppy and gives them a ’safe place’ of their own. Dogs are natural denning animals - they like somewhere comfortable and safe. We recommend crate training but suggest that you learn how and when to use a crate to make this training both successful and in the best interest of your precious little one.
Before you start actually using your crate, your new puppy will need to learn that it is a good place to be. Many breeders begin the crate training before the puppies leave, if this is the case with your puppy, still follow the steps below. *For puppies coming from Trinity you are ahead of the game. We start letting our puppies sleep in a crate as soon as they can walk so by the time they leave us at eight weeks old you are well on your way!
1. Take a tasty treat and/or a favorite toy. Lure the puppy into the crate, praise and make a general big fuss with the puppy while they are in the crate, give the treat, have a little game with the toy and then allow the puppy to come out of the crate. Do this 2 to 3 time in a row, several times a day. Your puppy will soon be running into the crate of his own accord, so you can now put a ‘word’ to the crate for your puppy. “Kennel”, “Crate” or “Bed” are quite good words to use. (Be sure not to leave anything in the crate that the puppy could swallow!)
2. Once your puppy is happy in their crate, close the door and leave them in there for a couple of minutes. (If you do this when your puppy is tired, they may even lay down and sleep when you close the door.) Keep repeating this, letting the time your puppy spends in the crate build up. If the puppy cries ignore him. Only open the door when the puppy is quiet and calm. If you do comfort the puppy or let him out of the crate when he is letting his displeasure show, he will be very quick to work out that this type of behavior works to get what he wants.
3. You will soon be able to extend the time your puppy is in the crate. Many pups and adult dogs will retreat to their crate (or ‘den’) if they want some quiet time. The crate should be your pups own personal space, just for them, somewhere quiet but where they can still see what the rest of their pack (you and your family) are doing.
Never leave a young pup or adult dog in a crate for long periods of time unless absolutely necessary. The crate is just a training aid and safe house for your pup and should not become a total way of life. Young pups should be crated or denned for their own safety when they can not be supervised, but they need to come out frequently to go potty - even at night.
As your puppy gets older and more sensible, you will have to crate him less and less. You may find that you go several days without using your crate, but it is still a good idea to have your Lab go into his crate occasionally so he is happy with it when you do need it. Many people leave the crates up all the time with the door permanently open and their dogs can go in and out of them as they please.
“Crates are cruel!” - This statement is very true for the poor dog who is crated for 23 hours out of 24 (not to mention that lack of exercise has been linked to joint problems), but like anything, if used properly they are a wonderful tool. If introduced to the crate properly, they love it. A dog accustomed to a crate will gladly run into it when the command is given, and be happy to spend some time in the crate. It is far more cruel to leave a young puppy to roam the house or yard unsupervised, as they could get into many things which could make them very ill or even be fatal. It is far better to have them safe and snug in a crate when they cannot be watched over. Remember - a your new puppy is like a toddler and will need to be trained. He/she does not know what is dangerous and is just so curious to explore this great big world - and their new home - that they can easily find themselves getting into something that could harm them.