Cockapoo - North American Cockapoo Registry Crate Training

NACR Info on Crate Training

The NACR feels that the most effective and easiest thing for both you and your puppy is to crate train your dog. Dogs are by nature denning animals - they like to have a snug hide-away, safe and secure. In nature, they would pick out a small cave that is their private place or home. Just as you would not mess in your bed or where you eat, neither do they and for this reason crate training will greatly enhance house-breaking. For this reason in addition to providing a safe and secure place for your pup now as well as he grows into adulthood, crate training is highly encouraged. Other benefits of crate training include a better relationship with your pup since you will be greeting it on good terms rather than in cleaning up messes, security and peace of mind for you since you know that your puppy is safe if you are not immediately there to supervise it, and it will also provide for better manners later on. Also, should you need to confine your dog for health reasons, or boarding your dog will be used to crate time. Make no mistake - a dog should not LIVE in a crate - but using it when needed can benefit both of you.

Wire crates are preferable since they are easily cleaned and sterilized, and most have a removable pan in the bottom that can be easily removed for cleaning. Metal crates do not absorb odors like plastic can. It is wide open, allowing the pup to see and hear what is going on around it and feel part of the activities, rather than being removed from the action. The wire crates allow for better ventilation. In cooler weather you can put a towel or blanket over the top and sides for a cozier environment, and to provide that snug feeling when your pup has grown up enough to want that over being in the middle of everything. Wire crates also are designed to fold up for easy storage and transport when needed. Now too, many pet suppliers sell fabric covers to dress them up if you are keeping the crate in your living or family room - but, beware of the newer ones with rattan or caning as decor - these are not for puppies or heavy chewers.

You should plan on the crate being in an area where YOU are - not stuck in a corner or unused room. Your puppy will be undergoing a lot of adjustments when it comes to live with you - new surroundings, leaving what it's known all of its short life, and leaving mom and litter mates as well as other dogs at the kennel. You have become its new pack - so your puppy needs to be where you are. You many also find that taking the crate into the bedroom at night so your pup can sense you will help. Some people have two crates - one in the family room or kitchen for the day and another in the bedroom at night.

The best way to housebreak your dog is to establish a routine. They need to have a schedule of going out to eliminate that they become used to and rely on - they will rapidly adjust to that as long as they are old enough to control bowel and bladder. This means that they depend on you for this schedule and to stick to it. (Remember though that until a pup is three months old it does not have the muscle control to voluntarily control elimination).

First thing in the morning, take your puppy out to the place that you will continually use for it to eliminate. After you are sure that both items have been taken care of you can let him have some free time in the house (supervised, of course). If the pup does not eliminate, then return him to the crate for 15 minutes and then take him out again - repeat until you are sure she's done her business, and then let there be some free time; then take your puppy back "home" to its crate. After feeding be sure to take your puppy out again, within 15 to 30 minutes. During the rest of the day, take your pup out every hour for very young dogs, then every two, gradually increasing the time in between trips. When your pup goes outside, offer lots of praise and loving to indicate "Good job!". Allow some free time in the house if it goes, otherwise return it to the crate. As your pup grows and learns, you begin to allow more time outside of the crate. Your dog will also teach you how long it can be in between trips outside. As a general rule, puppies that are younger than 12 weeks need to go 4 to 6 times a day, 3 to 6 months usually 3 to 4 times a day, and adult dogs 1 to 2 times a day.

It's not at all unusual that your puppy may first let you know that it's not happy with its crate..... as much as it will come to like it, at first it's strange to him or her. Remember to NOT take your puppy out of the crate if it's crying or barking. If you do, the pup learns that if it makes noise, the reward is to be taken out. Not a good habit to learn! Try petting, talking to it, anything to get it's attention and quiet it (even taking a paw and giving a gentle squeeze), and then in that moment of silence, praise it and take it out. On this and all matters of training, you will find much greater progress by rewarding positive behavior and ignoring bad, rather than by punishing bad. And - NEVER use the crate for punishment, you want your puppy to come to like and trust the crate. It may be that when in trouble and he knows it, he retreats to his crate on his own - but never use it for punishment.