How long for a puppy to be in a puppy crate? This is the third article in a series definitive guide to crate training puppies. Be through plenty of thought and concept in the prior articles, now it is time to actually put it into practice. In this second article, expose you how to properly crate train a puppy quickly and take them from simply never having seen a puppy crate at all to being happily spending time inside it and even looking for it out of habit, as their favorite place of rest.
How long should a puppy be crated for? This depends upon a number of factors, and none more important than the age of your puppy. Young puppies need to be crated until they have developed their chewing skills, because when they are small, they can be injured by getting their fingers stuck into the wire mesh. Crating should last only a few days, as soon as they have grown out of the puppy crate and can handle having their sleeping area in a different location, one that does not hold them in their crate all day. As a rule, dogs should not be crated for longer than a week.
How long should you leave a dog inside a crate for? This varies depending on how much you want to train your dog. If you are simply trying to confine your puppy to an area of the house, which you frequently leave, you can leave them inside for short time periods during the day. For long term confinement, you can leave them in their crate for longer time periods, perhaps once a day, but no more than three hours.
How long should you leave a dog crated for? The shortest amount of time, between waking to potty or arriving home from a walk or visit, is about five to ten minutes. Then, if you are trying to house train your puppy, begin taking them out immediately after each meal, to begin their elimination. If you are using a crate, start early, so that they can go into the crate shortly after you leave the room.
How long for a puppy to be in a crate during the crate training process? Most dogs whining in the crate are not showing any physical signs of discomfort. You may be able to tell that your dog whines by looking at them, but then again, it could be their way of saying, “I’m tired, I’m hungry, let’s get started on my to-do list.” If, however, they’re whining because they are suffering from separation anxiety, they should be crate trained within five to ten minutes. And then, should they be whining due to over-stimulation, you should take them out immediately and praise or treat them kindly for their behavior.
The next step in the crate training process is to take the dog out of the crate and put them in an acceptable place, such as on your bed or table. You should then close the door, even if you’ve just turned on the lights, to show that you mean business and to set up your expectation for the dog’s reaction. Keep in mind that dogs are very social animals and will respond to a positive stimulus (such as being lifted into your arms) much better than a negative stimulus (like being closed in a room). As soon as the door is closed, give the dog one of their treats (the same one they got before) and praise them. They should begin to understand what comes next in their reaction to your stimulus.
When the puppy whines, immediately grab them by the collar and place them down until they calm down. Take the puppy outside of the crate to the designated area, where they can go over again. Repeat this process at least 20 times per day for a week. After one week, the puppy shouldn’t whine when you put them in their crate anymore. If they do whine, you’ve successfully crate trained your puppy.
If after a few weeks the puppy doesn’t enter the crate during the hours of darkness or if they tend to whine or cry when you take them out, you may have developed a habit of leaving them in their crate for very long periods of time without allowing them to relieve themselves. To break this habit, simply begin leaving them in their crate for short periods of time with their food and water. You’ll find that after a few days, they won’t mind going in their crate and by the end of the week, they won’t whine or cry when you take them out.