to crate or not to crate

[puppy go luckii]

hi guys.. my dog is 4 months old.. weve had him since he was 8 wks.. and have been trying to housetrain him since.. for about the first week when werent home which wasnt very often bcuz of xmas break.. we kept chase in like puppy pin.. but that lasted seriously about a week in a half b4 he figured out he could climb and jump over it lol.. so since then weve jus been leaving him in our basement.. which is huge.. and sometimes he pees on the pads.. and once in a great blue moon he'll poop on them.. but most of the time he jus goes wheneevr he wants.. but my question is is 4 months too young to leave in a crate for five - six hours.. i thouht so but my mom is getting pissed.. okay well thanx.. raymond

 

[2pups622]

well a puppy should never be left in a large space they could get scared or find a way to get in trouble as long as you have the right size cage i believe it should be in the cage

 

[bogolove]

I crate trained Brady and it was the best thing I could have ever done. Just make sure every time you put your puppy in that you make it positive and give him a treat and a chew toy and maybe a blanket or something that smells like you. Brady only stays in his crate at night, but he goes right in when I tell him to and then I ALWAYS give him a treat. He goes in there on his own when he is really tired too. It helped to potty train him, and it just helped to train him in general. Never make it a negative experience though. Don't ever put him in to punish him or it will never work because he will never want to go in there if he thinks he has to go in there if he does something wrong.

 

[Love4Pits]

If you get a size size crate it should be fine. I crate train puppies because it is easier to house train and keep the puppy safe and out of trouble when i can't be with him. The longest he is in his crate is an hour and stays in the laundry room with Babe for 4 and 1/2 hours in the morning during my runs. Pakak sleeps in his crate at night he cried the first couple nights but now has been getting better. Two of my house dogs Noah and Rajah absolutly LOVE their crates i leave their doors open so they can openly go in and out theres blankets and toys in there. Like what Bogo said make it a positive experience with toys, treats, sof comfy places to lay, something that smells like you, and room so he can sit up completely straight.

 

[doglovertina]

I am a huge fan of crate training, actually. I opt for one that's big enough for the dog to turn around in and can have a little corner for potty and some food and water, depending on how long he's in there. 6 hours is not to long, in my opinion, for a four month old pup. I would just feed/water right before and right after and give him some good love and a walk afterwards. I would leave the crate open all day with fresh paper in it so that he can learn to go there when he needs to go, and then once he's reached that goal, I would take the paper and crate and place it next to the door for a few days, and then take the crate outside and show him where to go potty. Once
he's learned that he still goes in the crate, and it's outside, just get rid of the crate.

Try to be consistent and pay attention to him if he starts hanging around the door and or whining... he might need to potty.


Once you set the rules, he'll want to make you happy and it will just be a matter of time. Just remember to reward him with praise and maybe a treat.

Happy training!

 

[Saje]

I think it depends on the dog and how you do it. Definitely make sure it's big enough and that they don't get bored.

 

[puppy go luckii]

oh okay.. chase is crate trained he sleeps in there and i think he lixe it bcuz he doesnt wine or ne thing well unless he thinks hes missing somethin then he throws a fit lol.. but i wasnt sure if he was too young to be left in there.. but okay thnx!!