I am a firm believer in crate training. A crate is not meant to be for punishment. A crate is meant to be a safe den. So, from here on out, let's refer to it as Den Training. I've only had one dog that wasn't Den Trained. Besides her consumption of baseboards, (paint is not good for the tummy), I guess, it was okay???? Just kidding. Not a good experience for her during her puppyhood, our our home. She never had a "safe place" to be. No place for her to go when she was feeling overwhelmed, or just needing quiet time. Luckily back then we had no other pets, no children, and fairly mellow household.
Then there was my first den-trained pup. She hated it. Why? Well, because she came from a not-so-stellar place that unfortunately kept her in a crate almost all day every day, and I think she was left in her crate soiled. It took me longer to train her to like it. I also didn't know all the tricks I do now, or I bet I could've taught her how wonderful a den could be much faster.
Fast forward to today. . .Den Training is about a 2-3 night process in our household. For a young puppy, a week is about the equivalent of 6 months, so, 2-3 nights seems about right. For humans, they say a habit is formed after 90 days, so for a puppy, I'm thinking 3 nights is a good estimate. Stay tuned for my tips on Den Training!
(Pic of my Crate Lover, oops, I mean Den Lover.) He LOVES his Den.
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