How to Crate Train a Puppy?

Without any doubt, crate training is a time taking and challenging process, but when you look at its benefits, you’ll definitely try to crate train a puppy. For example, a crate can help you safely transport your puppy from one location to another. Moreover, it can limit your dog’s access to the house. Now, you might ask how to crate train a puppy.

Moreover, some new pet owners often ask, why to crate train a puppy? Keep reading this guide because here we’ll answer all these questions. We have a detailed guide ahead for you.

Table of Contents

What Does Crate Trained Mean?

Dogs prefer to have their own space where they can take a nap, take some rest, and hide from thunderstorms. When you introduce a crate to a dog, it’s called crate training. The main goal is to ensure that dogs consider it a safe location. So what does crate trained mean? When dogs love to sit in a crate and spend most of their time there, it means they’re crate trained. Got it?

Best Practices for how to Crate Training a Puppy

You can follow the below-given practices for crate training your puppy.

1. Choose the Right Crate

Ensure that you purchase a flexible, durable, and comfortable crate for your dog. Keep your dog’s size in mind when purchasing a crate.

2. Start Slowly

Don’t put your dog in the crate all day. It can make them nervous. Start with 10 minutes and increase the timing gradually.

3. Create a Comfortable Environment

You can use blankets, towels, or a dog bed to create a comfortable environment for your puppy. Put one blanket over the crate as well.

4. Praise and Reward Your Puppies When They Go Into the Crate

When you want to train your puppy, positive reinforcement is the key. When your dogs use the crate, the best way is to praise them because, in this way, dogs will consider it a positive activity.

5. Be Patient

Some dogs get used to crates more quickly than others. So, don’t get annoyed with your dog if your furry friend is taking more time to get used to it. But your patience will bring some excellent rewards. So, stay consistent, patient, and calm and enjoy the following benefits.

Benefits of Crate Training a puppy

There are plenty of benefits of crate training, such as:

• It Prevents Stress

When dogs do not feel well or they’re stressed, they can spend time in the crate and enjoy a sense of security and privacy. Moreover, during emergencies, a crate can help prevent stress.

• It Prevents Complications after Surgery

When the vet suggests some rest after surgery, the crate is the best location for dogs. It makes the recovery process quicker. So it will prevent further complications.

• Crate Training Provides Them Much Needed Break

Sometimes dogs get anxious and stressed when they’re too many people around. Moreover, they want to take a break from everyday life to rest and deal with anxiety. When the situations outside are too scary, dogs prefer to sit in the crate.

• Dogs Enjoy Peace of Mind

When you leave your dogs alone, they suffer from separation anxiety. More importantly, they’re afraid of different things. But when they’re crate trained, they feel more secure and relaxed even if you’re not present at home. The best part about crate training is that they will not develop any bad habits.

• It Makes Traveling with Dogs Easier

Some people don’t want their dogs to sit alone at home when they go for an outing. But they hesitate to bring dogs in their vehicles because they don’t want them to create a mess. Remember, putting your dog in a crate during traveling will make your experience pleasant and easier.

More importantly, when dogs are in the crate, it helps them settle into new environments easily

• It Makes Them Toilet Trained

It’s another crucial benefit of crate training. You must have noticed that dogs don’t create a mess where they sleep. It means when they’re crate trained, it will help you in toilet training.

• It Can Help You Confine Your Dog

Sometimes the best approach is to confine your dog, especially when your dog is overexcited; there are guests around or at mealtime. Children running around the house can confuse dogs, so crate training can confine them and help them relax.

Is Crate Training Cruel?

Many pet owners feel that it’s cruel to confine dogs. But it’s not true. A crate provides a sense of security to dogs and their owners. When dog owners properly crate-train their dogs, it can become a lifesaver for them. But some owners don’t use positive reinforcement to crate train their puppies then; it can be considered cruelty.

On the other hand, with positive reinforcement, a crate becomes a safe and private place for dogs. They prefer to spend time there when they want to relax, nap, or feel safe. So, it can’t be considered cruelty when crate training is done with positive reinforcement.

Should I Crate Train My Dog?

Yes, you should because crate training has many benefits. Moreover, when crates are used properly, they’re not cruel. There are various reasons to crate train your dog, such as:

Vet visits can become less stressed
Crates help you with housetraining
A crate is the safest place for your dog to relax
Crate training ensures the safety of your house
Crate training makes traveling with dogs easier and safe
During emergencies, dogs can get relax and feel comfortable in the crate.

Now, you can understand why it is important to crate train your dog.

Why Crate Train a Puppy?

As mentioned above, there are various reasons to crate-train a puppy. Moreover, crate training has many benefits. But we would love to add a few things here about why crate a puppy. If it is not possible for you to supervise your dog all the time, then crate-train your puppy. It’s essential to crate-train your curious dogs.

More importantly, a crate helps them strengthen their bowel and bladder muscles so they’ll not crate mess everywhere in the home. Finally, crates can help you confine your dogs so they will keep your expensive items like furniture and other belongings safe from damage.

Crate Training First Night

As a new dog owner, you’ll be making lots of arrangements, especially when you bring a new puppy home. Crate training first night is itself a challenge. But after following the below-given tips, you can make the process easier.

Keep the dog crate next to your bed for a few weeks
Put some blankets in the base to make it cozy for your dog
Put a blanket over the top of the crate to make your dog feel secure
Don’t use a crate as a punishment, and reward your dog for using the crate

If you don’t follow these tips, your dog will not enter the crate or will start crying the whole night. So, the best approach is to follow the tips mentioned above so that you and your dog can enjoy good sleep.

Puppy Barks at Night in Crate

There can be various reasons for barking at night in a crate, such as fear, loneliness, the need to visit the toilet or incorrect crate size. Remember, I’m quoting a few examples here; there can be many other reasons. You can stop them from barking at night by following the below-given tips:

Take your puppy to the toilet to provide him relief. When the puppy finishes his business, put him back into the crate.
Stop feeding your dogs at least an hour before putting them into the crate.
Tire your puppy by playing with him for a long time.
Put a blanket or a sheet in the base to make it cozy for the puppy.
Keep the crate next to or close to your bed so that when a dog starts barking, you can take action.
Praise your puppy when he’s in the crate and remains quiet.
Provide your dog’s favorite chew toy in the crate to stop him from barking.
Train your dog and tire them mentally before allowing them to enter the crate.

So, this is how you can stop a puppy from barking at night in the crate.

How to Crate Train a Puppy for Potty Training?

Almost all pet owners agree that crate training is the most efficient way to potty train a puppy. Crate training teaches them to hold their bowels and bladder. Moreover, they don’t do their business where they sleep. So, you can use a crate to potty-train your puppy.

At the start, put your puppy in the crate for just 10 minutes. After every 10 minutes, when you get your dogs out of the crate, take them to the toilet. By doing this, you can potty train your puppy. You can increase the time slightly, but the process will be the same. Whenever your dog does business in the right place, praise and reward your dog.

Best Way how to Crate Train a Puppy at Night?

When you have an exciting day with your puppy, you need to provide them with a cozy, comfortable, and safe environment where they can relax and rest. But it will not be easy to crate-train young puppies because they’ll cry and resist the crate training initially.

Sometimes the crates can make them nervous as well. The following tips can help you crate train a puppy at night without too much hassle.

• Find the Right Location

If you want to promote a sense of calmness and safety in your puppy, ensure that you place the crate in the right spot. For new puppies, the best practice is to place the crate near your bed. Moreover, you can place a crate in the corner of a room or an open kitchen.

When deciding or choosing a place for your puppy’s crate, ensure that you consider temperature, sunlight, and other factors. The best approach is to place a crate where the temperature is moderate because too hot or cold temperature can be dangerous for puppies.

• Don’t Give Food and Water At Least One Hour Before Bedtime

It’s another tip for nighttime crate training. Too many potty breaks can disrupt your pet’s sleep. Therefore, the best option is to avoid feeding water or meal to your puppy at least one hour before bedtime.

Some people will consider it a harsh approach, but it can help your puppy adapt to a proper feeding schedule. This practice can significantly reduce nighttime potty breaks.

• Tire Out Your Puppy

If you want your puppy to enjoy a good sleep and don’t resist crate training, then tiring your puppy through mental stimulation and physical exercise during the day can be the best option. If you can spare some time, take your dog for a walk.

Moreover, exercise can also do the trick because it will eliminate the excess energy that your pet has.

For puppies, playtime is crucial. You can play with your dog or bring some enrichment toys to tire them mentally.

• Take Your Puppy Outside Before Bed

As mentioned earlier, you’ll have to take some extra measures to crate train a puppy at night. When you do this regularly, your dog will understand that there is a connection between evening crate time and outside trips.

When you follow this practice for a few days, you’ll notice that your dog will start going to the crate after returning from the walk or trip.

This step can be crucial when you potty train your pet. When your pet wakes up in the morning, you can repeat the same steps.

• Wake Up Before Your Pet

You must have noticed that puppies wake up early. But if you want to crate train a puppy at night, ensure that you wake up before your pet. It will help you prepare food for your pet. Moreover, when the puppy wakes up, you can immediately take him outside for a potty break. This practice can make training easy and strengthen your bonding with your pet.

• Consistency Is the Key

When it comes to training your puppies, it doesn’t matter whether it is crate training or obedience training; your patience and consistency will always be tested. Don’t get angry with your puppy, and follow a consistent routine. But crate training at night can bring good results for both of you.

Remember, some puppies can be crate trained within a week, but others might take a few months. But you don’t need to give up because, ultimately, crate training has many benefits to offer.

When to Stop Crate Training?

Now one thing is clear there are various reasons and benefits for crate training your puppy. But you might want to know when to stop crate training.

There is no need to stop crate training completely. If you still want to stop crate training, do it when your dog is around 2 years of age. During that age, you can leave your dog unsupervised around the house.

But some dogs take more time to get mature, so we can’t say anything about what’s the best time to stop crate training. Each dog has a different learning capability and interest so you can make the best decision about it.

Cautions for Crate Training Your Pets

No doubt, there are many benefits of crate training, but when used incorrectly, it can make your dog nervous. More importantly, crate training isn’t an option for some dogs.

You can use a crate to manage a behavior but never use it as a punishment.
Don’t keep your dogs in the crate for longer periods of time. Puppies that don’t get exercise and interact with humans can get frustrated and nervous. If you don’t have time to spend with your pet, hire a pet sitter and ask them to spend time with your pet. It will significantly reduce the time your puppy spends in a crate.
If your puppy is less than 6 months, don’t keep him in the crate for more than four hours. They don’t have strong bowels or bladders.
When you feel that you can leave your dog alone unsupervised, stop crate training.
There should be a blanket at the base for a dog and don’t shut the door of the crate, especially during the daytime.
No doubt, a crate is a safe place for dogs, but they wouldn’t love to spend their entire life in a crate. So, when you feel that your dog is getting bored, stop using the crate.

Final Words on How to Crate Train a Puppy

It’s the most frequently asked question. Therefore we have tried to answer this question with lots of valuable tips. If you’re unsure about how to crate train a puppy and the benefits of crate training, then this guide is for you.

The best thing about crate training a puppy is that it’s beneficial for both owners and pets. So, if you still have any queries or confusion about crate training a puppy, you can ask in the comment section.

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