Meet Stella!A four-month-old puppy and, as we were told, a bundle of Lab-ish mischief. Before we arrived at their home, we pictured the typical lab greeting: incredibly excited puppy anxious to jump all over us, smothering us with attention... then trying to chew off our shoelaces.
When we arrived, Stella’s dad came out to meet us; we had a fantastic “nice to meet you” chat and slowly made our way inside. Immediately, we realized that something was wrong! Where was the whirling dervish? Why were our shoes still tied? And why was it so darn quiet and peaceful?!
We took a look around the living room and finally saw a pair of emerald eyes looking at us from a crate next to the couch. And even though she was dying to meet us (and boy was she excited when we let her out) Stella knew that during crate-time she was expected to be calm, settled and quiet. Wow! What an easy, fun visit it turned out to be! The hard work was already done for us!
Starting from her first night home, Stella had been introduced her to the crate and understood the ground rules. The crate was to be her happy place. She was fed meals in her crate. Her crate had a towel to block out the light. Inside she had a soft washable bed, her favorite chewy, and a food dispensing toy (Busy Buddy).
Since dogs are den animals, they tend to want a safe, quiet place to call their own. By properly introducing Stella to her crate, her family had created a place for her to feel safe and — best of all — those "tough" new puppy problems were easier to solve!
- Housetraining becomes a breeze since you know when your dog is full. If they've just had water, then went to sleep in their crate for 30 minutes....than you know they probably have to go pee? Now you can show them where you want them to go and reward them when they do!
- Independence training, the most important (but often overlooked) skill to teach a young puppy is almost effortless if you practice sometimes leaving your dog in the crate — while you are home. That new puppy over-the-top, nervous, attention-seeking, whining and crying for attention can be safely ignored.
- Destructive chewing becomes easier to stop because you don't have to think about your dog all the time. With puppy in the crate, you can put in a movie or make dinner without worrying if your dog is chewing the cable wire or peeing behind the couch.
- Separation anxiety can be avoided because your dog learns that when you are around they are not always the center of attention. Of course, crating a dog who already has Separation Anxiety can be harmful! (Call your Zen Dog Trainer for help!)
Bottom line, the crate is an invaluable tool when living with a puppy — or with a dog of any age. It is instrumental to house training, and a place where a wound-up, over-tired, puppy can learn to settle-down and take a nap.
To learn more about crate training your dog check out our Separation Anxiety or Housetraining eBooks at Zen Dog Training Online.
