[poppy_chapman]

Crate training your Australian Cattle Dog Puppy can be a valuable and useful training tool to ensure your puppy feels secure, provide protection for them and also to reduce anxiety resulting in destructive behavior and barking.

Cattle dog puppies like to be around you all the time so crate training your puppy will allow them to be near you, but you also have your space. Dogs love having a safe warm place to burrow into and in the wild they will seek out a small place to feel safe.

The crate can be made of wire, wood, wicker, soft fabric, hard plastic and you an even get portable camper types. The wire ones don’t always look attractive but with a nice soft lining they can be made into their own comfortable personal space with their blanket or other soft bedding material, their favorite toy and a water container.

If you crate train your Australian cattle dog puppy from a young age remember to keep the times short and build up from 10 minutes to an hour. Later when they are older you can extend that to a few hours. It’s a good idea to exercise them first before crating them.

A good place to put the crate is in a room that you spend a lot of time in. This will usually be your lounge/living room or even your kitchen. When you Australian cattle dog puppy is very young lift the crate around to where you are, like the bedroom at night.

The crate should be big enough for the full grown dog and you can block it off with cardboard or other material while your puppy is growing so the space feels more cozy and secure.

When crate training your Australian cattle dog puppy they may get upset at first but try and ignore it and only lift them out when they have settled down. If you give them your attention then this will reinforce this behavior. You can offer them a treat at first but don’t make this a habit. Slowly getting your Australian cattle dog puppy used to the crate will help with this and they will get used to it and love it in time.

Don’t forget to keep the crate clean and have water available when you are crate training your puppy. The familiar smells of the house and the noises of family life will reassure your puppy and they will want to go there.

Crates also are great when you are traveling as you can take their bed with you easily and your puppy will feed right at home in it. Transporting your dog in the car or on a plane in a crate for your vacation will mean your pet is safe and happy.

One rule I must mention though is never punish your dog by putting them in the crate. It should be a warm and safe place and not somewhere where they feel deprived of your attention.

[Lara's mom]

I tried crate training twice and was a complete and utter failure at it both times. My dogs considered their "warm safe spot" to be with me, not in a crate. They both howled bloody murder until I couldn't stand it one more moment and let them out and onto the bed with me. I have since admitted defeat and have given the damn crate away.