There are so many good reasons to crate train a puppy, it is surprising that more people don’t do it. First and foremost, crate training a puppy makes house breaking MUCH easier, barring that you don’t get distracted like I did yesterday and let the puppy out from under your watchful eye when she is not in her crate.
Dogs are naturally reluctant to soil their sleeping place. As a result, when crate trained and the time comes that they have to go, they don’t just scamper across the room and go potty. They will let you know that they need out. Taking them out to where you want them to go potty at this time sets in place the groundwork for housebreaking.
Ah, if only it were so easy with human children, but I digress!
Secondly, dogs have a need for an enclosed area. In the wild they will set up a den somewhere. Crates satisfy this need. By crate training your puppy, you are giving them a place that will be a safe haven for them for the rest of their lives.
Shelby is already putting herself in her crate when she gets tired and wants to nap and this is only after 2 days of crate training.
An added benefit to crate training is reduced destruction. Puppy’s chew, it’s a fact of life. If you crate them during the times you cannot watch them like a hawk, they won’t be getting into and chewing up the things you don’t want them to. Be sure to supply your pup with a good selection of approved chewing items. Believe it or not, carrots make wonderful chew toys for puppies. They can chew them up and if they are swallowed there is not the fear of a blockage as there is with many of the plastic, rubber or nylon dog toys.
If you travel with your dog, and he or she is crate trained, you have an automatic home away from home that your dog is familiar with and comfortable in. Less stress for your dog equals less stress for you! While more and more motels are allowing pets to stay with their humans while traveling, most of them require the pet to be crated while in the room.
One thing that needs to be remembered, because you want the crate to be a safe haven for your dog, never use it as punishment. You don’t want your pup to associate her crate with a negative experience.
If you have a dog breed that has a tendency towards bloating, crates can help to reduce that potential. One way to help avoid bloat is for your dog to have quite time for about a half hour (sometimes more) after meals. If you feed your dog in their crate, they will usually take a nap after eating. Viola! Quiet time achieved!