Many owners think that the kennel training puppy is unfair, mean and cruel. The terms “puppy kennel trainer” and “training a puppy in a crate” are synonymous and simply mean teaching and conditioning a puppy to sleep or wait safely in a cage, such as in a burrow. The truth is, puppy crate training can help both the puppy and the owner. It’s a great solution to dog separation anxiety, helps with puppy potty training, and certainly helps prevent damage during the puppy’s chewing phase.

In the wild, dogs and wolves live in personally dug dens more often than in caves. The area has space for members of the pack to enter and for each individual to have an assigned place to sleep. There is little space, but the animals are safe and fearless. It is your place of refuge and rest!

One of the things that makes puppy training more difficult is that dogs naturally sleep together, not alone. Litter separation is therefore difficult for a puppy. Then when you, your new pack leader, leave her alone for a long time or a short time, it can cause more feelings of separation anxiety. A place of safety is a key to solving this.

I was well aware of these issues before buying my 8 week old Labrador Retriever puppy. I decided before bringing her home that puppy training would be necessary until I could trust her alone in the house. So I bought a dog cage and a simple wool blanket liner.

When I first brought my puppy inside, I only allowed him to smell the areas of the house where he would initially be kept. Until she had clearly completed her puppy’s potty training, she wasn’t going to be on the loose in the house. It certainly wouldn’t be unsupervised either until after the puppy’s chewing phase was past.

I left three of the puppy’s favorite toys in the kennel. Two or three toys is the correct number for comfort and to reduce boredom, but more than that causes confusion and increases anxiety. At the front of the cage I placed a sturdy container with fresh water.

I covered the top, back, and three sides of the kennel with a folded, lightweight cotton quilt to make it feel comfortable and secure, like a den. Your “safe place”. (As a bonus, that also made it more attractive around the house.) You can use any sheet, beach towel, cloth, or buy a kennel cover. There are some impressive box accessories, covers and liners on the market, including some insulated for colder climates.

I put my little lab in his puppy crate the first night. For three days, she cried when they left her alone there. After that, however, it only woke me up when I had the urge to urinate or urinate. Then I quickly pulled her out and placed her on the grass to do her own thing. That made puppy house training a piece of cake, and we only had two or three accidents in the house, ever!

The way you do things is as critical as the act itself. I was very careful to put my puppy in the cage with nonchalance, not with hugs and kisses. The more accurate you are, the easier it is to get what you want from a dog.

The most important thing to remember is not to let your puppy get out of the dog crate when he is crying (unless, of course, he has a real need to leave). She must have limits from the beginning. Limits give you security and limits give you the respect and control you need as Owner and Master, your “Leader of the Pack.”

Crate training a puppy can be a bit bumpy at first, but it sure goes a long way: reducing dog separation anxiety, puppy chewing, puppy potty training, protecting your home , and much more! So give your cuddly the comfort and security he wants and needs. Give it a “safe haven” of its own. You will learn to love him and run to him as if to proclaim: “It’s MY lair!”