Getting a protection dog for your family is a wise choice, but crate training is as essential for them as it is for other puppies. However, crate train has to be done the right way for it to be most effective. Improper crate training will be unlikely to prevent your dog from having accidents or getting into trouble. In fact, bad crate training methods can make your dog unwilling to stay in the crate. The right methods, on the other hand, will help ensure that your puppy behaves better.
Why You Should Crate Train
All puppies need guidance to learn what is and isn’t expected of them. Trained protection dogs often behave better than many other dogs because of a training regimen that includes crate training. Benefits of Crate training your puppy include:
- A greater sense of security
- Less destructive behavior
- Easier housebreaking
Dogs have a natural instinct to seek out a safe place they see as a den. A training crate that they can sleep in at night, stay in when you’re not home, or have access to when frightened help makes puppies easier to train. Puppies and dogs that are free from separation anxiety are less likely to misbehave.
A crate that acts as a safe place for your puppy when you’re not at home will also help prevent your puppy from being destructive. Chewing is a very typical behavior when a puppy is teething. Crating also prevents separation anxiety-related behavior.
The most important benefit of crate training is easier housebreaking. Dogs instinctively want to avoid defecating or urinating where they sleep. Crating helps prevent this undesirable behavior.
Watching When Your Puppy Needs to Go Out
When family protection dogs are puppies, their training goes a lot more easily when owners learn to spot the signs their puppy needs to go out. Puppies will usually have to go outside about half an hour after eating, during play, and after waking up. If he or she starts circling the room and sniffing, you will need to get them outside right away.
The puppy needs to be on a regular schedule for the crate training to be most effective. Take your puppy outside first thing after waking up. Make sure you leave your puppy’s food and water down for no more than half an hour.
If you’re going out to work during the day, make sure the puppies had a few chances to get outside and go to the bathroom. Do not leave food and water in the crate. Otherwise, your puppy will be likely to have an accident. Once you’re home, ensure your puppy has several trips outside before going into the crate for the night.
Avoiding Accidents
Get your puppy used to going to the same spot when you take them out. They will get accustomed to going to this spot because of the scent and will know it’s okay to go there. Be sure to praise your protection dog puppy, so they will know they’ve done the right thing.
Don’t let your puppy get away with playing outside without urinating. When this happens, take them back inside and put them in the crate for 20 minutes, then take them out again. It’s very easy for puppies to get distracted and not do what they are supposed to outside.
Crate your puppy whenever it’s not possible to watch him or her easily. Also, make sure the collar o harness isn’t left on in the crate. You want to keep the puppy from having accidents, but also protect them from injury.
Common Crating Mistakes
Avoiding common mistakes made when creating trained protection dogs will help your puppy adjust better. Making these mistakes can hinder your puppy from learning what they are supposed to do. Learning how to avoid and overcome the mistakes will help your puppy react in a more positive way to their training.
Don’t leave the puppy’s crate where they will feel isolated. Dogs are natural pack animals that need to be near their family, which makes up their pack. Seeing and hearing what’s going on will help the puppy feel far more at ease.
Crying, barking, and howling are all common behaviors in the first few days, and should be ignored, as difficult as it may seem. Taking a puppy out of the crate because they complain or comforting them makes it harder for them to get used to things. The whining and other noises usually start to subside after a few days.
Don’t use the crate to punish your puppy for bad behavior. Making staying in the crate train a positive experience is essential to the success of your crate training efforts. You don’t want your dog getting into a situation where they resist going into the crate at night.
Making Sure the Training Works
Crate training works well for family protection dogs, but you want to be consistent about your puppy’s training. Don’t make the mistake of keeping the puppy out of the crate at night or when you’re not home unless you’re completely sure of their training. Depending on whether you have someone available to take the dog out a few times during the workday, you may want to keep your dog crated when you’re not home, anyway.
Proper crate training not only prevents frustrating accidents but helps contribute to your puppy’s overall behavior. Your puppy will have a better idea of what you expect of them, and be better-adjusted during the training. When your puppy is properly house trained, it will be easier to teach them how to protect your family as well.
