How to crate train a puppy

What is crate training?

Crate training is when you introduce a puppy to an indoor dog crate in a positive way so they have a comfortable area where they can relax and be kept secure for those times when you are distracted and can’t keep a close eye on them. 

It is also useful to help with toilet training at night, as being in a confined space will encourage them to hold on until you take them out rather than soil their bed. 

By building positive associations with the crate it can also help your dog feel calm and secure in new or potentially stressful environments - such as if you’re staying away from home.

While it may look like a cage to us, for a dog it can give them a safe space to relax or sleep, where they can see the whole family and so don’t feel ‘locked away’. It is important however to use a crate appropriately – as they can be misused or overused.

Top tip: Many breeders will have already crate trained their puppies, as it’s a lot easier for them not to have puppies running riot around their house. Even if they haven’t, they will have almost certainly used a puppy pen. This will make things so much easier for you – so it may well be something you want to ask the breeder right at the very start.

Extra top tip: Another great way to protect your pup is with peace-of-mind puppy insurance.

Should I use a crate?

It is entirely up to you. They have fallen out of favour over the past few years, and in some countries, they are not legal, but this is often because they can be badly misused. 

Used properly – i.e. for short periods of time, while you are there but just can’t give your puppy your undivided attention - they can keep your puppy secure and safe while they can still see you, and be a great help while you are rearing your puppy. They can also help with making sure they get the naps they need during the day. At night, they can be used beside your bed to help with toilet training by limiting the space your puppy has to wonder around, get into mischief, and use the corner of the room as a toilet! 

If you plan to use them to enable you to leave your puppy for hours on end, or to live in the majority of the time, or even be in there on their own or locked away from you, then this is very definitely misuse.

If you are in the former category, read on to find out how to introduce the crate to your puppy.

How to choose the right crate

First of all, make sure you get a crate the right size. The puppy needs to be able to stand up comfortably, lie stretched out and be able to get up and turn round.

But if you are using it for toilet training, you don’t want it to be any bigger than this or else your puppy might snooze and one end and use the other end as a toilet area.

Find out more about toilet training your pup here.

Make sure it’s one that’s safe, without any sharp edges or ‘sticky-out bits’ - even when the door is open. This will prevent any injury to your puppy – and also to you when you are walking past it!

Also, if you’re planning on staying in other places – with friends, family or in hotels - get one that fits in your car and is easily portable.

Make it comfortable

Make the crate really comfortable. Line it with veterinary bedding that goes up the sides to keep the pup warm and comfortable. Make sure the bedding is washable too.

You can also make it extra-inviting by adding additional blankets and toys.

Also, make sure your puppy has access to fresh water while they’re in the crate - such as a hook-on or non-spill bowl. Even though they are only going to be in there for short periods of time, they can still get thirsty. 

Introducing the crate

The best spot for a crate is somewhere quiet and central, but also where your family spends a lot of time. Avoid putting it in direct sunlight or draughts – or in places where people pass by all the time..

Make the crate really comfortable, line it with soft veterinary bedding (vetbed) that goes up the sides to keep the pup warm and comfortable - and that is washable. Then introduce it slowly to your puppy. Leave the door open – and when you are playing with the pup, encourage them to go into the crate – possibly to chase a toy, or to get a tasty titbit.  Make them feel happy about being in there and that it is a safe place to be. Don’t shut the door yet!

Feed them their meals beside the crate to start with, and then when they are going in and out happily you can feed them in the crate. While they are eating you can shut the door for a few minutes. Whenever the pup is sleepy, put them in the crate so he gets used to going in there whenever they want a nap – so they state to think on this as a special sleeping place. 

Make a hard and fast rule that on one ever disturbs the puppy when they are in the crate – this is their sanctuary which is going to come in really useful in the weeks to come.

Once they are happy and relaxed about sleeping in the crate, they can be put in there to spend the night – for most pups this doesn’t take long at all. Every pup is different thought and so you need to be sensitive to your own dog and not rush this (or make your puppy feel locked away from you!). The crate should always feel positive and safe.

Thankfully many breeders will have already crate trained their puppies (as it is a lot easier for them not to have puppies running riot around their house) and this will make things so much easier for you – so it may well be something you want to ask the breeder about.

Using a crate for toilet training

A crate makes toilet training easier as a puppy’s mother will have already taught them not to toilet where they sleep – so by restricting their space to just a sleeping area, you can build on what mum has already started.

Have the crate beside your bed so you can start to build the bond with your puppy and give them comfort from your presence – and also hear if they are awake.

• Don’t make your puppy’s last meal too late – otherwise they are definitely going to need to toilet before the morning! A last meal around 6-7pm works well. Don’t however reduce access to water. A puppy who has constant access to fresh water is unlikely to take great long drinks before bed anyway.
• Give them a chance to play and have a game with you an hour or so before bedtime – movement stimulates the digestive system and they are more likely to toilet fully before you want them to sleep. Plus a tired puppy is more likely to sleep for longer!
• Go to bed fairly late. It is a reality that having a new puppy means you will get less sleep for a while – but if you toilet train your puppy properly, it will take a surprisingly short time before your sleeping patterns get back to normal!
• In the last half hour or so before bedtime, let your puppy relax so they are fairly sleepy and then when you are ready to go to sleep, put them quietly into their crate and go to bed!
• It may take them a little while to settle but resist the temptation to take them out and play with them - otherwise they will quickly learn to wake you up when they want a game!
• The first few nights and in some cases the first few weeks, you will have to get up in the middle of the night - so don’t let that comes as a surprise to you!
• You have to remember that puppies only have small digestive systems (and if you have a toy or small breed, this is especially true) and no bladder control. Also they may never have had to ‘hang on’ before. Your number one aim is to avoid accidents in the crate or play pen. Soiling their sleeping area is stressful for your puppy - and will have a negative effect on your toilet training. This does mean getting up in the middle of the night and taking your puppy out to go to the toilet. If they are a toy breed, you may well need to do this twice. One of the advantages of having them next to you is that you can easily hear if they are awake and restless which if they don’t settle straight away again is nearly always a sign of needing to toilet – plus puppies nearly always need to go to the toilet when they wake up.
• When you go out, carry them to the toilet area without much interaction, wait till they go to the toilet, reward them with a small food treat, and go straight back to bed. Try not to play or get involved in a game - otherwise your puppy will try and wake you up when they are bored! This is what they will have done with their littermates but you want to encourage them to learn that night times are for sleeping. Once again, a crate can help with this.
• Then you need to get up early and the very first thing you need to do before you do anything else is get your puppy out to the toilet once more. They will need to go to the toilet the instant they wake up - especially with the excitement of you being up and about. 

It won’t take long until you can make the middle of the night toilet visit later and later, and eventually cut it out all together and your puppy will be sleeping through the night clean and dry. 

Using a crate during the day

During the day, a crate can be used at times you can’t watch your puppy 100% of the time or at times that having them underfoot could be unsafe. This could be while you’re cooking, eating, maybe have visiting children or when games get boisterous, or even when you are working from home. Or when you want them to settle and sleep. A puppy needs 18-20 hours of sleep a day and this is a good way to help encourage that.
Have the crate beside you so your puppy doesn’t feel locked away as this can lead to stress or frustration.

Alternatives to using a crate

If you do not want to use a crate, you have alternatives. One is a puppy playpen – which is similar to a crate but can be made bigger or smaller as you prefer. 

Or, you can just watch your puppy all of the time, guiding them into good toileting and sleeping habits.

A crate can be a really useful tool for puppy rearing – but it is no substitute for spending quality time out and about with your puppy.

Want to know more?

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