Do you have a new puppy? Did you just get a new dog? Chances are that you'll probably want your dog to have his/her own special place in your house.
This could be in the form of a dog house or as simple as in a box or crate.
Crate training is a type of dog training wherein you teach your dog that a certain crate is his/her own personal space.
This works the same as a dog house since dogs usually feel safer in his/her own abode.
At the same time, crates provide shelter in case it rains or if he/she feels stressed out.
This type of training can be done to any dog at no particular age.
It is important, however, to make sure that the size of the crate fits the size of the dog.
Think of how uncomfortable it will be if you have a big dog and the crate you've gotten for him/her is a small one.
Once you have the correct crate, you may then proceed with familiarizing your dog to his/her crate.
Like in any type of training, patience and understanding must be exerted by the trainer or the owner.
A dog may investigate the crate on their own out of their curiosity.
Another dog may need a little nudge along the way.
It might be a good idea to place your dog's favorite toy or a particular doggie treat in the crate.
If the dog has investigated the crate, you might want to try feeding her/him in the crate so that he/she will feel more comfortable in it.
Sooner or later, your dog will spend more and more time in the crate.
Once the dog starts venturing and staying in the crate out of his/her own accord, it is time to leave your dog in the crate for longer amounts of time.
Although they may be noisy and whine at first, your dog will soon get the hang of it.
This is the reason why it is important to be patient with your dog.
There are even some times when your dog may refuse to come out of the crate even with the door open.
However, dogs are still social animals so try to get your dog to stay in the crate when it's time to sleep.