Dog Training Basics: Crate Training A Puppy At Night

There’s an unfortunate perception by many dog owners that crate training for puppies is cruel and unusual confinement.

Yes, space inside the crate is limited, but when crate training a puppy at night is done correctly, your dog will learn to love their crate in the same way that you love retreating to your bedroom.

 

The Benefits Of Puppy Crate Training

Puppies are excitable little critters. Once wound up, it’s almost impossible to wear them down. See our post on how to train a puppy to stop barking if you have that issue as well.

Puppies that are crate trained learn to expect downtime during the day and quickly learn how to calm themselves down.

To comfort them while they are in the crate, all you need to do is add in a few chew toys and a comfy surface to rest on.

Dog owners use crates to keep their pets confined when they have visitors or when they will be away from home for a while. This is essential to ensure your pet doesn’t cause any mischief while you are gone.

You could also monitor your puppy’s activities with a good dog camera from wherever you are.

However, dog crates also eliminate potential problems with visitors who aren’t dog-savvy and corrals them to eliminate the destructive behaviors that anxiety-prone pups act out when their owners are away.

In short, when you teach a dog to love their crate, pet ownership problems can be radically reduced.

How To Crate Train A Dog Fast

The first step of crate training a dog involves selecting the right type and size crate for your puppy or dog.

Small crates work best for puppies, so many owners purchase a small one for young dogs and move them to a larger one as they grow.

Plastic crates provide a greater sense of security for dogs because the walls are mostly solid. However, that same sense of enclosure can be attained with a wire crate simply by throwing a blanket over the top.

Crates that are too large for your puppy pose a problem.

With too much room, young pups will be tempted to use an area as a toilet area. Learn how to potty train a puppy in an apartment to avoid this.

Either start with a small crate and move to a bigger one later or wall off the back portion to reduce the amount of available size.

When you first bring your pup home, the first step will include crate training a puppy at night so that everyone in the household can get a good night’s sleep.

Place the crate as near to your bed at night as you can. This way, you’ll be able to comfort your pup easily when they wake up during the night.

Your pup should be gradually introduced to the crate in a way that makes the crate feel inviting and comforting to them.

If your pup is already sleeping on a dog pillow, move that familiar bit of warmth into the crate. In addition, you can feed them a few meals inside the crate to increase their positive feelings about it.

Always leave the door of the crate open and keep it stocked with toys.

Soon, your dog will happily run to the crate to get doggie toys when it’s playtime with you.

Crate training a dog is one of the best things that you can do to keep your dog and your entire household happy and well-adjusted.

If you liked this post, be sure to pin it to your dog training board and share it on other social media networks.