Crate Training Puppies
Some families who are inexperienced with raising dogs, will sometimes give up on crate training puppies, due to the puppy crying. What needs to be realized is that puppies are going to cry for a night or two.
©Photo Courtesy of Thierry Marysael When you first bring home your new Golden Retriever puppy, make sure you already have his crate in the area of the house that he will be living in. Training him now, will help him understand housebreaking faster, and will also greatly cut down in his chewing of inappropriate objects. I always have my cage in the kitchen. This is the only room that puppies get access to, while training, and it is in the center of the house, with lots of traffic. I prefer to have my Golden Retriever puppies where they can see the activities going on in the home, including all people, other dogs, sights, sounds, and smells. This way they quickly learn to accept things, such as the sound of the vacuum cleaner, without fear. ©Photo Courtesy of Andrea Spence Always introduce puppies to the training crate several times during the day, do not wait until bedtime to do this!
Have the door to it open, just in case your pup decides to go inside to investigate it. He may not do that on his own though. Some people put snacks inside of it, to bribe puppies to go in on their own, but I don't. A puppy going in to eat a treat and then exiting on his own, is not the same as actually being locked inside, and he won't be fooled by it either! Puppies will be on an intermittent schedule in their crate training. After your pup has played for awhile, put him into his enclosure. Use the same sentence every time you do this. Such as, "Get in your kennel", or "Go to your bed". Lock him in, and simply go about your business. He is going to cry, I guarantee it! Just ignore him. Though it will seem like an eternity, he will settle down. While he is in his crate, don't worry about being quiet, or avoiding the room so that he can't see you. Just follow your normal routine, except do not speak to him at all. Do not tell him, "it's okay", or "calm down", or anything. Ignoring him completely, is one of the most important rules, when crate training puppies. It's fine to make all your usual noises while he's in there, like talking on the phone, washing dishes, etc., just don't speak to him directly. When you decide to get him out of the training crate, make sure he is not making a sound. No crying or whining. If he has spent most of his time crying, wait until there is a moment of silence before you let him out.
©Photo Courtesy of Susan Jackson Each time that you put him into his cage, extend the time that you leave him in there. Do not shorten the time. When it is bedtime, follow the same technique. If he has been in his cage several times during the day, he will not cry all night, only part of the night! It is usually on the 3rd night after properly crate training puppies that you will be able to sleep all night, unless of course, you lay awake wondering why he isn't crying! At night, do not get up to check on him, thinking that maybe he needs to go to the bathroom. Even young, 8 week old puppies are capable of holding themselves for 6 to 7 hours. This will also greatly help in training him to hold himself when housebreaking. In the morning, I usually lay in bed and the minute I do not hear my puppy crying or whining, I jump out of bed and let the pup out of his crate. He soon will associate that it is his silence that gets him out of his crate, and once he learns that, life is good!
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