Charra in Her Crate
This is the second post in a series of three to help you housebreak your dog fast!
BUY A CRATE.
Let me be clear.
Crate-training is NOT cruel.
Crate-training helps them stay in your home forever.
Crate-training gives them security and protection.
Really. Their crate becomes their safe spot when they are scared or simply tired and need to rest. (Doesn’t everybody need some quiet time once in a while?)
Assuming you are progressing with Step 1, keeping your dog on a regular routine, Step 2 will be a breeze.
At bedtime, put them to bed in their crate. Do NOT put food or water in the crate! They aren’t going to die overnight.
When you leave for work, or errands, put them in their crate. Do NOT put food or water in the crate! They aren’t going to die while you’re at work.
Leave them with a toy and a hoof or something to chew on. Puppies NEED to chew, it’s an important part of their development and, with the appropriate hoofs or bones, will help keep their teeth clean.
I don’t usually let them have toys at night, especially noisy toys. They need to learn that bedtime is BEDTIME.
During the middle of the day, come home and let them out to potty, or have someone else do it if you can’t be home. Have a parade for them, and give them a little treat when you put them back in their crate. (If you have more than one dog, you should give everyone a treat.) In the very beginning, they may need to be let out during the middle of the night, until they learn to hold it through the night.
For the first few weeks, I usually put just a towel in the bottom of the crate rather than a bed, so that it’s easy to wash. If they are pottying in their crate, the crate is either too big, they have a medical or dietary problem, or they are just not mature enough to hold it for the period of time you’ve required them to.
If your dog is naughty, scold them with a firm “no” and simply put them in their crate for 10 or 15 minutes. That’s an eternity to a dog!
Charra wanted to play with Daisy once, and Daisy objected. Charra informed Daisy that SHE would be the one to decide if, and when they played, and she wanted to play. NOW. And Charra was promptly escorted to her crate to chillax.
When we returned from Florida, I ‘retired’ Ekko’s (formerly Charra’s) crate to the basement. We had crated her for over a year because of a random chewing habit, and she finally grew out of it. She followed me down and inspected it for one last time, and looked at me. She was ready. She was a Big Girl now! And she was proud. 🙂
