[pamperedk9]

Regardless if you have had a puppy in the past or if you are a first time parent, we all know that owning a puppy is a huge responsibility. You’ll want to start crate training right away. Not only should the crate give your puppy a sense of security whether the owner is home or not, it should be comfortable too. The important thing to remember when crate training is to be patient and take the time to do it right.
Crate training a puppy has proven to be an effective method of teaching a puppy to be house trained. The benefits of crate training done properly are numerous. Dog have a very strong “den” instinct. Most will not eliminate in their den, and being in there gives them a more secure feeling. Your dog will grow up a little more confident if she knows that she has that safe place to go to when the world becomes too much for her to handle. The crate, however, is NOT a substitute for social interaction, and leaving a young puppy in a crate for hours on end is abuse. A good rule of thumb is no more than one hour of crate training for every month of life your pup has. A good crate should be just big enough for her to lie down, stand up, and turn around comfortably. Too big of a crate will ruin the ‘den’ feeling and you may find that your puppy has established a bathroom in a corner. To keep your puppy safe, she should be crated when you cannot watch what she is doing, but never for too long. Done successfully, crate training will result in a happy, clean puppy that will grow to be a well-adjusted member of your family.