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Saturday, October 8, 2011
By now your puppy should be pretty comfortable going in and out of the crate on his/her own.
The next time they do go in on their own give them a treat and use the word kennel and close the door. Leave it closed
for a short time. If puppy starts to howl do not let them out until they stop crying. (Otherwise you are rewarding bad
behavior) Once the puppy stops crying, open up the door, pick the puppy up and take them outside to a designated
area for them to go potty. ALWAYS use the same door for the puppy to go to eliminate otherwise they will get mixed up
in the beginning, of which door do I use. Stay outside with the puppy until they go, don't assume they will go without
you. I will guarantee you that If you let them in and you haven't seen them go, they will eliminate once inside your home.
Once back inside the house, it's playtime for about an hour and off to the crate for a nap, and then back outside.
If you puppy should have an accident inside the crate it's not thier fault. It's probably because they did not go potty when
they where let out. I always leave the water outside also, because if you leave the water inside they can drink
as much as they want and go potty whenever and wherever they want.You can have a puppy house broken by applying these methods
faster than any other methods we have found. They have to learn to respect your home. This is your home and
your rules.
12:52 pm pdt
Monday, March 28, 2011
What goes in the crate?Your puppy or dog goes in the crate of course! Start this in the morning and plan on having the whole
day to crate train if you want any sleep that night. We recommend putting in a bathroom mat or something with
a rubber backing so he/she does not move the mat around, yet it should be absorbent if the puppy has an accident.
You want something to be easily laundered.
Chew Toys are a must. You want something to be able to keep the puppies
attention for a little while, if you are not at home.
I also like chewies, such as a big rawhide bone. This will
keep them interested for quite awhile.
No water or food in crates ever. If they get their bladder and bowels full
they will have to eliminate and the whole point of crate training is to get them to not make a mess in the crate.
Place the crate in an area where you and your puppy spend a lot of time together, preferably
near the door that you are going to be taking the puppy out to eliminate. Place your puppy in the crate with a
yummy treat and some fun toys in it and leave the crate door open. Whenever your puppy shows interest in the crate give him/her
another yummy treat. Keep repeating this over and over at least 4 or 5 times. You'll soon see that your puppy becomes
very interested in their crate.
When your puppy is comfortable in the crate CLOSE THE DOOR AND GIVE HIM/HER A TREAT THROUGH
THE CRATE. To start, leave the crate door closed for only 10 minutes or so, gradually increasing the time. If
the puppy is comfortable and falls asleep in there, let him sleep until he wakes up and Immediately take
the puppy to the same area you will want him/her to go potty. I would never let a puppy outside of his crate for more than
one hour without taking them outside. Never let the puppy play outside of a supervised area. They are babies and
they need to be supervised at all times.
11:13 am pdt
Friday, March 25, 2011
Selecting a crateThere are several different choices, sizes, materials for crates. I don't believe in buying more than
one crate for the lifetime of the puppy/dog.
My personal preference is the wire crate for a vizsla the size we recommend
is 36x23x25. Golden Retrievers and weimaraners will need a bigger one to stretch out into and the correct size would
be 42x28x30. They are easy to clean, there is a lot of air circulation, puppies/dogs see what is going on around them,
and they are easy to collapse and take with you when you are traveling or need to move it from place to place.
That may
seen huge for a little puppy, but remember that your little puppy will grow into a medium or large breed dog.
Most
of the wire crates come with a divider to make the crate small and comfy when the puppies are small and as your puppy
grows you can make the crate larger by moving the divider into a more comfortable space.
There is also a plastic crate
that you can purchase. These are harder to clean and you most likely would have to purchase different sizes because
they do NOT come with dividers. Also the circulation is not as good, because it's all enclosed. In the summer
it gets really warm and moist in there.
The other choice is the material mesh type crate. These are ONLY good for
adult trained dogs, puppies would chew out of this type in a flat minute. While they are light weight, and collapsible
they are not the safest for dogs.
Our suggestion is check out WalMart for these supplies
Pet Edge.com, King
wholesale, are two other resources available on-line.
9:46 am pdt
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Introduction to Crates and TrainingIn these blogs I hope to be able answer some of your questions regarding training and puppy/dog care.
Please feel free to email me with suggestions for the blog.
Crate training is a fantastic method of managing the
safety and well-being of young puppies. When used properly the crate is an invaluable tool for establishing good habits in
your puppy and also for preventing problem behaviors before they arise.
In spite of what some people may think,
the truth is that we crate our puppies for their benefit - that's we do it. Secondary to that is the fact that using
a crate also benefits us.
Over time the crate will become your puppy's own private area which they will grow to
love and feel secure in.
As soon as you bring home your puppy begin the introduction process. The longer you wait
the harder it will be for your puppy to understand the process.
One of the first and most important uses for
the crate is for housebreaking. Crate training is the best way to quickly teach your puppy to go outside to eliminate.
I will go into this further in my futureblogs.
If you have any questions please feel free to email
me at evestar1@earthlink.net
Gaila Brickus EveningStar Kennels
1:22 pm pdt
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