Archives
January 2007
1/31/07
1/26/07
1/25/07
1/22/07
1/21/07
1/19/07
1/18/07
1/17/07
1/15/07
1/12/07
1/10/07
1/9/07
1/5/07
1/4/07
1/3/07
1/2/07
Hard Time in 'da Joint
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Sure, a crate looks like a prison, but it is actually one of the most helpful tools of puppyhood. Used correctly, it helps to speed the potty training process, and keeps your pup from destroying the house.
The key is introducing the crate slowly. Leave it in a well-traveled room, and toss treats inside for your pup to discover. Better yet, leave the door open and tie a stuffed chew toy inside so your pup has to be inside the crate in order to enjoy the goodies. To illustrate:
I had to include a photo for clarification, because one client actually hung the toy like a pinata from the top of the crate. That poor pup must have been so frustrated!
Most pups seem to prefer a wire crate (like the one above) over the closed-in plastic airline type. It goes against dog logic though - all dogs want a closed-in den, right? Not according to my field research!
The most common mistake I encounter with my puppy clients is a too-big crate. The crate should be sized so that your pup can stand up, turn around and lay (lie?) down comfortably - no bigger. The most unfortunate mistake I encounter is when dogs are crated for too long.....this is where a good training practice lapses into cruelty. I see it most often with adolescent or grown dogs who are physically capable of "holding it" for longer periods of time. Just because your dog can hold it for 10+ hours doesn't mean that you should make him do it on a daily basis, folks. Ooh - this is getting heavy. Let's move on to something cute.
Bernie's back! He's a master at "Go to your crate" (which is just like "go to your bed" - the same training technique works for both). He actually has an advanced behavior in this clip as well....he rocked "sit at a distance", a tougher exercise because most dogs are only used to sitting right in front of the trainer. You'll hear my client say "crate!" at the very beginning of the clip....we're a good 10+ feet away from it. Bernie is a star:
dogsindeed at 4:10:00 PM EST Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | 
digg this
Hard Time in 'da Joint
Sure, a crate looks like a prison, but it is actually one of the most helpful tools of puppyhood. Used correctly, it helps to speed the potty training process, and keeps your pup from destroying the house.
The key is introducing the crate slowly. Leave it in a well-traveled room, and toss treats inside for your pup to discover. Better yet, leave the door open and tie a stuffed chew toy inside so your pup has to be inside the crate in order to enjoy the goodies. To illustrate:
I had to include a photo for clarification, because one client actually hung the toy like a pinata from the top of the crate. That poor pup must have been so frustrated!
Most pups seem to prefer a wire crate (like the one above) over the closed-in plastic airline type. It goes against dog logic though - all dogs want a closed-in den, right? Not according to my field research!
The most common mistake I encounter with my puppy clients is a too-big crate. The crate should be sized so that your pup can stand up, turn around and lay (lie?) down comfortably - no bigger. The most unfortunate mistake I encounter is when dogs are crated for too long.....this is where a good training practice lapses into cruelty. I see it most often with adolescent or grown dogs who are physically capable of "holding it" for longer periods of time. Just because your dog can hold it for 10+ hours doesn't mean that you should make him do it on a daily basis, folks. Ooh - this is getting heavy. Let's move on to something cute.
Bernie's back! He's a master at "Go to your crate" (which is just like "go to your bed" - the same training technique works for both). He actually has an advanced behavior in this clip as well....he rocked "sit at a distance", a tougher exercise because most dogs are only used to sitting right in front of the trainer. You'll hear my client say "crate!" at the very beginning of the clip....we're a good 10+ feet away from it. Bernie is a star:
dogsindeed at 4:10:00 PM EST Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
This entry has 2 comments: (Add your own)
-
oh how nice. we use the create in the beginning but now they are just loose in the house
6/15/07 10:08 PM
How do you know when/if it's okay to no longer crate your dog when you're not home? The dog in question is an almost 2 year old mix breed - I say wimaraner/whippet/husky/terri
I really enjoy your blog. I'm glad I stumbled upon it!