Five Tips for Crate Training Puppies
Using Dog Pens for Housetraining and Play
Want to housetrain your new pet fast? Crate training puppies is a great way to do it—they also work as a travel accessory and can even serve as a fun play spot.
Dog pens may not look very much like canine toilet-training devices, but they play a crucial role in helping a dog develop the control she needs to become a housetraining ace. That’s because crate training puppies capitalizes on a dog’s instinctive desire to have a warm, cozy den of her own—a dog play pen, if you will, but, also, a private home or den, and no self-respecting dog wants to dirty that den.
Considered in that light, crates for dogs can help your canine companion develop the control she needs to keep from doing her business anytime, anywhere—but crates don’t work unless you choose the right one for your dog.
Here are some tips for doing just that:
- Dog pens need to be strong. If you’re crate training puppies, pass on a soft-sided crate, even if it’s light and easy to carry. A puppy can demolish such a crate in minutes simply by chewing through the screen. Instead, opt for a metal or plastic crate, both of which can stand up to a canine assault.
- Assess your dog. Certain dogs do better in one type of crate than another. A shy dog might appreciate the relative darkness of a plastic crate. A snub-nosed breed like a Bulldog or Pug, however, might do better with a metal crate’s better ventilation. Crates for dogs are as different as dogs themselves, so pay attention when choosing.
- Consider size. A crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down in, but not much more than that. If you go any smaller, you’ll cramp your canine companion. If you go any bigger, your dog will certainly be comfortable, but she’ll also be able to potty at one end of the crate and sleep at the other, defeating the potty-training purpose of the crate. If your pup will enjoy the crate as a special dog play pen, make sure it has just enough room for cozy fun.
- Divide and conquer. Of course, a crate that’s just the right size for an adult dog will be way too big for a growing puppy, especially if you have a large breed. Unless you know you will be crate training puppies over and over, buying new dog pens as your dog grows can get pretty pricey. If your cute little puppy is likely to grow up to be a large dog, consider a metal crate that comes with a divider. The divider is a barrier that walls off part of the crate and can be adjusted as your puppy grows.
- Get some padding. The bare floor of a crate is too cold and hard for a dog to sleep comfortably on. Buy a crate pad to make your dog’s crate a little cozier. Crate pads come in a variety of sizes to match the dimensions of standard-sized crates and fit snugly on the crate floor. Many crate pads have waterproof plastic covers and others come in machine-washable synthetic lamb’s wool, either of which are good to have in case your puppy has an accident in her crate.
Follow these tips and your canine housetrainee will have a leg up—so to speak—on learning proper potty protocol.
Susan McCullough is an award-winning writer whose books include Housetraining for Dummies and Senior Dogs for Dummies. She lives in Vienna, Virginia.