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Housebreaking and Crate Training a Dog

Many, if not most people who are considering getting a dog or puppy have at least heard of the concept of crate training a dog. Generally this is understood to be a matter of how to potty train a dog, and many people have the mistaken notion that in this process the use of a crate will somehow magically instill in their new pet a desire to take care of business in some location preferred by the owner.

Too few people realize that house training a dog will require a commitment of discipline on their part for at least several weeks that they may be unable or unwilling to sustain. All too often this leads to an unhappy relationship between the owner and the pet or the dreaded ‘we sent him to a farm where he can be happy’ fairy tale being told to weeping children.

How to train dogs is not a mystery; it has been happening for millennia. The primary ingredient is consistency. If a potential dog owner hasn’t the circumstances to provide consistency in the crate training, the prospects of success are slim.

Dogs, to a greater or lesser degree depending upon breed and individual temperament, prefer not to soil their sleeping quarters. this is the underlying basis for the whole concept of crate training. However, this preference is not without limits, and a dog left for long hours alone without a viable option will take care of business in his sleeping place and soon enough accommodate himself to that reality.

Thus, it’s critical that the dog be given sufficient, if not ample, opportunities to relieve himself on a regular basis. When he does so, another key principle of dog training can be put into effect, which is to provide positive reinforcement for that behavior. Some hugs and loves, or even just excited vocal rewards will condition the dog to repeat the desired behavior. There’s a split of opinion about providing food treats for compliance, but it’s up to the owner to decide that matter.

Ideally, the person whom the dog will (hopefully) come to regard as the ‘leader of the pack’ in the household will be able to consistently provide these toilet opportunities for the pet. as dogs come to realize their place in the household structure, they will naturally choose to engage in behavior of which the leader approves.

Anyone considering dog crate training should arrange to be available consistently and to do his part regularly in the toilet training process. this may mean arranging to take possession of the new pet at a vacation period, or at least having someone else consistently available to perform the chore.

Taking on a pet that you may have for upwards of twelve years is a bigger choice than many people realize. Maximize your chances of having the time together be as stress free and happy as possible by committing to doing your part in crate training your puppy.

Housebreaking and Crate Training a Dog

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How to Teach an Old Labrador New Tricks

Just because a dog is not a puppy is absolutely no indication that he cannot still be trained. In many ways dogs are a lot like humans in the sense that they continue to learn things throughout their entire life. Contrary to what many believe, older dogs can be as easy, if not easier to train than puppies.

The reason that this is true is because older dogs are more settled; they are not as playful so they tend to have a longer attention span than a puppy would. Think about a small child in school compared to an adult that decides to continue on with their education and maybe you will get a clearer picture.

Older dogs are familiar with the fact that they have a master and they know who that person is…they also understand pecking order…plus they are used to being told what to do and listening from this person. Older dogs are more likely to react to your commands simply because older dogs have the desire to please their owners because they seek praise.

The puppy stage is unquestionably the best time to initiate training, but in certain circumstances when an adult dog didn’t get proper training earlier in life, it becomes essential to teach an adult dog. Dogs react well to rewards and praise regardless of what age they are. While you are training be consistent and repetitive with your efforts.

The way to start training an older dog is to keep in mind that he has probably previously been trained before regardless if it was done right or wrong. This means that the dog has a pretty good idea of what is acceptable and what isn’t. If you want to modify one of these behaviors you have to change the dog’s way of thinking.

Always give the dog plenty of praise and love since this strengthens his good behavior. These rewards are imperative in training older dogs because they help in retraining their minds that this conduct is excellent and is rewarded, consequently making them desire to duplicate the behavior.

In order to teach an old dog something new you have to first recognize the dog’s prior training and then decide what is appropriate and what needs changed. Then reinforce the good parts of the dog’s behavior with ample rewards and verbal praise. Redirect the areas of the behavior you want to bring to an end. It is crucial to make changes gradually rather than a complete change all at once. This process is easier on an older dog and not quite as confusing. Small steps help the dog feel like he is learning new tricks rather than a total behavior change. It is crucial to use persistence and be consistent so that you may train your old dog some new tricks.

Any dog can be trained regardless of his age. You just need the right information and the right tools to get the job done.

How to Teach an Old Labrador New Tricks

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Jessies Buying Tips To Abide By When Purchasing Dog Crate Beds …

Dog crates were designed to look like little dog houses, it might be easier to convince people that they are — not — cages! First, let’s talk about what a crate actually is and how they will be able to improve your relationship with your dog.

Way back, when dogs were still wild animals, they often slept in dens – shallow holes they dug in the ground hidden away in places where they felt safe from predators. These were little, dark places, just large enough to turn around in and to lie down comfortably.

Even after centuries of selective breeding and living in individual’s homes, dogs still retain some of their ancient instincts. One of the instincts is a desire to get a den – a little, cozy place of their very own where they can feel safe and secure.

A dog crate bed

Jessies Buying Tips To Abide By When Purchasing Dog Crate Beds …

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Crate Training Your Labrador Retrievers

Every dog owner has their own reasons for using crates in training their Labrador Retrievers. Crates are being used as confinement when housebreaking, traveling or during illness. It is also used to ensure security, safety and to protect household items and furniture. Some says that putting your Labrador Retrievers in the crate is an inhumane practice, depriving them to wander and might cause psychological problems. But those are a human’s point of view.

Because of their den-instincts inherited from their ancestors, dogs consider their crates as a safe place they can call their own. It is their haven where they can safely stay to keep them warm during cold season and keep them cool during hot days. Dogs do not like to soil their haven only if they have the opportunity to eliminate waste elsewhere. This idea is helpful in housebreaking your dog. You will get your dog used in controlling his desire to urinate or defecate and will later develop into a routine in which your dog will eliminate only in the right place you specified.

Remember that your dog should not have a negative connotation to the crate. The use of crate is effective provided your Labrador Retrievers are accustomed to it. Open the crate door and encourage him to go to his crate by adding familiar smelling toys, blankets, chews and his other favorite stuff inside the crate. Do not force your dog to enter his crate immediately. This may take several minutes or even hours and days. Once your dog is used in going in and out of the crate, start feeding him there but keep the crate door open. You can close the door while he is eating if he is already comfortable eating inside his crate. The first time you close the door, remember to open it as soon as he finishes his meals. This will a positive association with the crate.

Since dogs do not like soiling their sleeping area, remember to open the crate door usually after eating to eliminate outside. Remember also to take him out regularly once he has developed his elimination schedule.

As for the correct location of the crate, place it in a location where the family spends a lot of time and does not get too hot or too cold. A crate is your dog’s home, not his jail, so never use it as his punishment place.

Crate Training Your Labrador Retrievers

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So, You Want to House Train Your New Puppy | AskaBreeder.com

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Summary: 99.9% of all dogs can be house trained and yet there are hundreds of thousands abandoned by people who claim their dog couldn’t be trained. They just haven’t tried hard enough to train their dog or have not had the patience to do it right. We give you some ideas to try in this popular article.

Throughout this article, we will be discussing three house training techniques for you to try. They are the following:

Crate Training
Paper or Pad Training
Litter Box Training

Crate training teaches the puppy to eliminate outside, whereas paper training is usually considered an intermediate step. Litter box training is simply that. You train your puppy to use a dog litter box.

Crate training is fairly simple. Crates become your puppy’s personal den. Dogs instinctively will not want to soil their “den”. Unless you leave your puppy in the crate too long, he or she will not have an “accident” in the “crate”. You need to take your puppy outside frequently to the same spot for him to eliminate. Taking the puppy to the same spot each time will reinforce its desire to potty since it can smell what happened there last time. Some even use the words like “potty” or “hurry up” or “its time” while their puppy is doing his or her business. They do that so that when the puppy is in an unfamiliar place it will know what is expected when he or she hears those same words.

Paper or pad training is training the puppy to eliminate on a pad or on newspaper. You need a small room or part of a room in which you will cover the floor with newspapers. The puppy will need to be confined to that space. When your dog soils on the paper, pick it up and dispose of most of it leaving a small part (1/3) of the paper that is soiled on top of a clean paper. The puppy will instinctively go back to that spot where it smells its urine and do it again. Keep up that process.

You can use a potty pad that is especially made for puppies. The puppy pads come with a non-skid tray to put them in. You either spray a product or sprinkle a product especially made to help your puppy want to go on the pad. There are many different products on the market to help assist in puppy training.

PetSmart has a product from Simple Solutions called ‘Oversized Puppy Training Pads’. They are much larger than standard sized pads. They measure 30 inches by 30 inches. They describe the product as, “these pads contain 63% more coverage, include super absorbent polymers which convert liquid into gel to prevent leakage and are treated to attract your puppy to the proper potty spot.” After a day or two, leave a small part of the floor bare. If your puppy does not use the bare floor to potty, then you can gradually take away more papers until you have only one or two newspapers spread out for your puppy to potty on.
Simple Solution Oversized Puppy Training PadsLitter box training is great for those who live in condos, high rise apartments, or who have physical problems that make it hard to get out often. Litter box training works best for those who have a small pet.

You can purchase or make a dog litter training box and fill it with dog litter. The dog litter will contain smells that makes a dog want to use the litter box. Set up the litter box in a convenient place; introduce your puppy to the litter box. Try to catch him or her the first few times he or she needs to go and place them in the box.

PetSmart has a product from Ralston Purina called ‘Second Nature Dog Litter’. They also sell the dog litter pan as well. When your dog has successfully done his or her “business”, praise and reward them with a treat. The dog litter box is used in the same way a cat litter box is used. It is important to keep it clean.
Second Nature Dog Litter by Ralston Purina
PoochPants Diapers for DogsThere are pads on the market that puppies can wear around in the house which are really absorbent and protect your floors while you are training your puppy. This is a great idea for the owner that does not want to confine their puppy, but would like to give him or her free reign of their newfound castle. One of these products is carried at PetSmart. It is called ‘PoochPants’. It is described as, “protects floors, carpets, and furniture. Great for housetraining, incontinent or geriatric dogs.”
Simple Solution Disposable Diapers for DogsAnother option for your puppy are disposable diapers for dogs. PetSmart carries a product by Simple Solution. They describe it as, “these diapers are comfortable and secure with a super absorbent polymer that converts liquid into gel to prevent leakage. Repositionable tabs will not stick to your dog’s fur. Perfect no-leak fit!”When your puppy inevitably makes a mistake on your floor, don’t worry, there are products to help you clean it up. There are many great products that help in odor control and many other wonderful products that help in removing stains. We’ll discuss these in a future article.

If you have further comments or questions about ‘How to House Train a Puppy’, feel free to visit our Forums, Use our ‘Ask a Breeder a Question Link’ or make a Comment on this article below. We encourage participation and feedback.

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So, You Want to House Train Your New Puppy | AskaBreeder.com

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How to Turn the Mini Jail Crate into Your Dog’s Natural Den

There is more to the crate than meets the eye. It provides a safe haven for your puppy and frees up time for you to go about your daily chores without worrying for the security of your new pup. Those who are not aware of the usefulness of a crate will see it as a form of torture for dogs, however, if crate training is carried out properly, it can be a fun and rewarding for both you and your puppy. It’s effectiveness cannot be denied, as shown by the number of professional dog trainers who swear by it when potty training.

Getting the Right Crate Size – An ideal dog training crate should be large enough to allow your dog to stretch out without hitting his head and allow him to be able to turn around easily. The size of the crate is consider too large if you find your dog relieving himself in one corner and playing and sleeping in another. You can block off and make the crate smaller by blocking off certain section with wooden cardboards if your pup is still young.

Critical Crate Training Rules – You must introduce the crate slowly to your dog when you begin crate training. Crate him in short intervals, about 10 minutes, and gradually increase the duration over time. All dogs need some time to get used to staying in the crate. Do not leave your dog in the crate for more than thirty minutes when you begin to crate train him.

It is not recommended to left a pup in a crate for long hours. Your puppy should have the chance to exercise and urinate before being crated. Dogs are fastidious creatures and have no desire to soil the surroundings of their private spaces. However, he might be forced to relieve himself if you cruelly lock him in for longer than he can hold it in.

A rule of thumb to gauge how long your puppy should be in his crate is to add an hour to his age in months. For example, a puppy who is two months old must not be left in a crate in excess of three hours.

It’s common for pups to bark and moan to attract your attention while in the crate. If any of these things happen when he is in the crate, do not give him any attention! Yes! Do not even look in his direction.

Dogs are intelligent animals. Do not let on that he will be able to get your attention and change your mind when he is upset. Simply ignore him. Reward your dog with a little treat or praises only when you find him behaving well in the crate.

Offer a treat or toy to distract and calm your pup down if necessary. No matter what you do, you must not let your pup out of the crate, this is a very critical moment where you must not give in.

If you notice that your dog displays hyper active behavior as compared to before, you might be crating him for too long. If your dog starts to chew on himself, let him out immediately and consult a trainer or behaviorist.

Below are some suggestions and tips to aid you in crate training your puppy:

1. To make it easier for your pup to accept his crate, play with him there, or spent time near the crate doing whatever you like, reading or playing video games while he is busy playing with his new toy. If he is there all by himself, he begins to associate the area with isolation and may resist being there at all.

2. Start crate training at the start of dinner. Give him his food, one piece at a time, by throwing bits of kibble in to the crate and making him search for it. This is one of the many ways that you can do to make crate training fun for him.

3. You can place his favorite toy, or even surprise him with treats hidden in the crate for him. To surprise him, you can even hide a biscuit in the crate – that’s fun!

4. It is not advisable to keep him in the crate for long periods until he is pressured to relieve himself. If you are gone for long periods each day, you should consider a larger confinement area such as an exercise pen or a small room.

5. The best place to place the crate would be where your puppy can see the environment and family members, hear and smell you, the owner.

6. Do not punish your dog in his crate, it will backfire. Your pup will tend to enjoy his stay in the crate more readily if you can make him associate crate stay with a time for fun. The crate is suppose to be your dog’s natural den where he feels safe and comfortable, not where he’ll be punish and associate it with “bad things”.

7. Crate training cannot be used as a permanent solution to ensuring your dog is kept safe without supervision. Pups must not be left in crates alone for long period of time. Your training duration will be affected greatly if you crate him for too long and he urinate in the crate.

In sum, crate training is a necessary training tool when instilling obedience. The main benefits are to provide the owner with a peace of mind knowing that the dog is safe, reduce unwanted destructive behaviors in the house and make it easier to travel during short term confinement, whenever the owner requires it

security, safety, reduce potentially destructive behaviors, add to the ease of traveling and protection for short term confinement, whenever the owner needs it. It is a vital lesson that all pups should pick up since young.

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Moses Wright is a dog lover and owner of Dog Obedience Tips site. He loves to help dog owners with their dog problems and do so by consolidating his years of dog ownership experience into a free book filled with simple yet powerful dog training tips: Free Dog Problems Book