If you have never had a dog before, it could be just as hard on you as it appears to be for your pet to put him or her in a crate. But once you observe happy and well-behaved dogs, you will see that they enjoy having a den to relax in. Crate training can take some adjustments, but it is well worth it in the end. Read on for tips on how to crate-train your new dog.
Make the Crate Comfortable For Them
First, buy a crate that will be big enough as your puppy grows. You will want to make sure that you put a bed in the crate so that it feels comfortable to sit and lay on. If you find yourself thinking “how much sleep do I need” before bed, consider that may be how long your dog is in the crate overnight too. So, make sure that the crate is made comfortable for your dog to sleep in.
At night you may want to put a blanket over the crate so that it is dark and cozy while they sleep. Be sure to put your new dog’s toys in the crate for them so that they feel like the crate can be a fun place to hang out. Make sure that you have all of this set up before you bring the dog home. This way you can immediately introduce the new crate to your dog as soon as they come home.
Put the Crate In a Good Location
Ideally, you will bring your puppy home on a weekend or a day that you can spend some time together before they are left home all alone. You can start putting the crate in a room where your family spends most of your time, like the living room or den. This way your puppy will still feel like they are a part of the family when they are in their crate.
At night you may even move the crate into your bedroom so that your puppy is still with you in the same room and feels more comfortable. If you do this you may start to see that when your puppy is not crated, he or she will go into his crate on his own to play with his toys or take a nap. They will start to see the crate as their own little bedroom.
