Eric Gift Okeoghene

HOW TO CRATE TRAIN A DOG FOR POTTY TRAINING Dogs are man’s best friend, at least from the animal kingdom, and training them results in bringing them even closer to us than that statement implies. They become family. Housetraining dogs can however turn out to be a very tiring and demanding prospect, if you don’t know what to do especially. After all, doggie accidents (house soiling) are the leading reasons why dog owners often choose to release dogs from their homes or end up in shelters. On the other hand, if you know what to do, like how to crate train your dog for potty training., it WILL turn out be fun and rewarding venture, this I can promise you. If you’re ready to go on this adventure, then look below for tips on how to get the most out of it. The Crate Readying your dog – be it an adult dog or a pup – for your home (housebreaking) can be a challenging prospect but taking advantage of the dog den’s instinct (their longing for a place they can ball up in comfort at) they all seem to possess will be the chosen battle weapon. A crate, when presented properly to your dog as a happy and gratifying place, can provide a harbor for your dog. This will be used to start up the housetraining process as most dogs never soil where they sleep, exceptions to this conjecture are the dogs from puppy mills, who have gotten used to excreting where they sleep. It might take quite some more time – and patience – to help them understand that there should be a difference between where they should potty and where they sleep. Although many people might not be readily open to confining their pets, there are two points they should keep in mind, firstly, what you’ll find out after a few days of living with your pet is that regardless of whether you provide this secure haven for them they are naturally inclined to find a spot for themselves where they can feel safe. Secondly, it will be a wise decision to get your pet accustomed to confined areas to ease several eventualities like travel, those visits to the vet, convalescence and safety. Getting the Crate The crate can really have any design you wish, of course you must provide for proper ventilation and its location should be cool. In short, you should create a mini sized house. What you should focus on should be the size of the crate. When you initially consider how to crate train your dog for potty training, you should have an idea of the size you want for the dog crate. However, you should start with a little smaller crate with enough room for standing, lying, stretching and turning around comfortably. If the potty is too big, the dog might feel he can potty and get away from it, which goes against the objectives of considering how to crate train your dog for potty training. An easy choice for the crate material is plastic since it’s easier to clean. However, wire crates are not bad alternatives as long as you can get a towel or blanket for covering the crate to get the dog to feel more sheltered. You’ll also need to make a bedding, if he doesn’t chew fabric or soil bedding, you can go ahead to use light blankets or towels. Just make sure you don’t try to use newspapers or even any type of paper at all as that signifies to most dogs that ‘this is the place to go,’ especially if they’ve been previously trained to go on paper, and if your dog continues to soil bedding, remove it from the crate until he or she understands that beddings are for resting not potty locations. Introducing the Crate Dogs are sensitive, no kidding, an I’m not only referring to their otherworldly sense of smell and hearing, they pick up the smallest emotional tips. The trick then is to present the crate in a positive manner, encourage the dog by throwing treats into the crate while the door is open. Most dogs will go in to get their dose of the treats, once they’re in comfortably, you close the door till they are done with the treats, all the while tossing more treats through the door, once you’re done, open the door and let them back out. Additionally, you can even choose to feed him his or her regular meals. Doing so will guarantee that you dog will automatically associate the building with a place of pleasure. In case of your absence, your dog should always be in his crate, the key to ensuring that he doesn’t cause accidents is to prevent the opportunity from arising. To do so, every time you take your dog out of his crate, take him to a designated potty area you’ve prepared and give him the order to do his business which could be in the form of a phrase such as “go and defecate” or “do your business”. When he gets the message, and does start to go, don’t let your excitement show, but continue to lightly repeat the phrase you use to give the initial potty order. Repeating the order in a loud voice might distract the dog or make him forget what he’s doing. What to Do After Be consistent, the best dog trainers know the importance of repeating the same schedules. Be aggressive with the frequency you take him to potty, even when he just drank water or does something out of the ordinary. All the while take note of the signs your dog makes when it wants to go, it could be sniffing the floor, wandering towards the door etc. Also, know that most dogs will have to potty the more the dog exercises, sometimes even twice in one walk, so make sure he or she completely empties its bowels. When accidents happen, first soak up the urine or feces using a rag or cloth. After this, use a good carpet cleaner to tidy up the spot and clean off bacteria using a good enzyme cleaner to neutralize odors. When it gets drier, spray it with a dog repellant spray such as Boundary™, or with a vinegar solution, to dishearten impending accidents in the same area. If you catch the pup just beginning the event, a quick and calm no while rushing the pup outside is always a good response, never scold the pup for defecating. Conclusively, the journey of how to crate train your dog for potty training is not one to be dodged as the memories of this adventure will drive the bond between you and your pet to be as strong as it can be.