CRATE TRAINING
Before you crate train, please be aware: a dog that is left in a crate all day long, gets
let out in the evening after work for a few hours, then gets put back in the crate for
the night can become neurotic, destructive, unhappy and ver-r-r-y noisy! If you work
all day, we recommend that you find someone who can take your dog out for a long
walk in the afternoon. If this is not possible only use the crate at night. If you have
no other choice but to leave your dog all day long every day, find a room with no
rugs, easy clean up and plenty of poochie piddle pads. Water, food and lots of toys.
Change the toys once in a while so boredom does not set in. Dogs are not fish, so
they need something to occupy their mind.
The crate training method is as follows, buy a crate and for the next 3 to 4 weeks
keep your puppy in it when you are not with him. Make sure the crate is not too big.
It should be large enough for the pup's bed but no larger. Dogs really do not want to
soil their bed and the use of the crate teaches them to control their urge to eliminate.
When you let him out, you must keep an eagle eye out at all times. As soon as you
see him pacing, sniffing around and turning in circles, immediately take him outside
or to the area you want him to do his business. He is telling you "I am going to go
pee-pee somewhere, and this rug looks like as good a place as any." NO...you do not
have time to put on your shoes, just get going! When you get to where you want to
be, be patient and do not rush the little guy. He may have to go several times in one
pit stop, so give him about 10 minutes before you go back inside. Remember not to
play with him or her while we are on this mission....this is a business trip. Don't
forget to praise the pup for performing this wonderful feat.
Make sure you take him out after every meal and play session BEFORE you put the
pup back in the crate. Be consistent and establish a schedule, most important of
all....BE FAIR to your puppy, mistakes happen and his or her boo-boo will not stop
the earth from spinning. I forgot to mention this...the toy rule applies to the crate as
well as the playroom.
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