If you are thinking about training your dog or puppy, you may want to consider the crate training approach. It is one of the most popular methods used these days for training dogs. A Crate (cage) is usually made from plastic of wire and comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Crate training has be proven to be beneficial for both the trainer and the dog.

Crate training works very well because dogs and puppies dont like to go to the toilet where they sleep. Given that crate training requires that your dog sleeps in the crate, your dog will quickly learn how to hold its pee until it is out of the crate.

When crate training dogs (or puppies) the crate is meant to replicate the puppies den. The puppy will usually stay in the crate at all times except for feeding and supervised play times. When the puppy is let free from the crate it should be taken to the toilet area immediately.

The crate should be big enough for your dog to move around in but not so big that there is excess space (the puppy may use the excess space to pee). A good crate size is about 1.5 times the length of your dog and about 6-7 inches taller than your dog. If your crate is too long for your particular dog you can modify it by simply blocking of one end of the crate. Plastic crates are the easiest to clean and also the lightest so we recommend these over other construction methods.

During crate training, the puppies toilet breaks must be at regular times throughout the day so that accidental urination and defecation is avoided. As puppies get older they naturally become better at holding there urges to go to the toilet.

Ideally your puppy should see the crate in a positive light. You can build up this positive association by feeding you dog inside or close to the crate. Also make the crate more enjoyable by putting your puppies most loved toys inside there. To further grow the positive view of the crate, give all your dogs good behaviour rewards to your dog inside the crate.

If you are not in the house its best not to leave your dog locked inside its crate as this might make it feel anxious and afraid. Even if you are in the house its best to let your dog out of the crate once in a while (even if only for a couple of minutes) to ensure your puppy doesnt see the crate as some form of prison.

Crates are useful tools for transporting your dog or puppy be it in the car or in airplane. All airlines now require dogs travel in quality dog crates.

Not everyone is a fan of crate training. Some professional trainers look down on the method sighting that dogs can become too emotionally attached to their crates after being locked inside them for long periods of time.

For information on many other aspects of dog training, puppy training, and crate training a link is provide below.