There is a lot of stigma around crate training a puppy. We’re giving you rules to follow if you decide to do so.

Rocky’s Retreat is a doggie daycare and boarding facility that has experienced pups of all different breeds, sizes, ages, and training backgrounds. We don’t discriminate and we respect that pups come from all different life experiences. It’s what makes them who they are! As dog owners and lovers ourselves, we can acknowledge the controversy around crate training a puppy.

A crate can seem like a cold, lonely place– if you choose to look at it that way. Crate training a puppy is truly up to the owners and their lifestyle. If you work all day, or all night, and don’t have anyone at home to watch your pup, you may want to crate train. If your pup is teething and you don’t have the time to watch him/her diligently, you may want to crate train. We see it as an opportunity to set some house rules and practice obedience.

Here are three tricks to follow in order to crate train a puppy successfully and respectfully:

Trick #1: Make The Crate A Safe Place

This rule may be the most crucial. If you choose to use the crate as a punishment, you’re setting yourself up for a never-ending fight. The crate should be somewhere your pup feels safe when you’re away. In order to convince them it’s safe, we recommend putting your pup in there while you’re home. Go in the other room so they can hear you, but assure them you’re right around the corner. That way, they’ll correlate their crate with security and not punishment.

Trick #2: Make The Crate A Comfortable Place

The only way you’ll view the crate as cold is if you make it a cold environment. Give your pup blankets, pillows, and chew toys that are safe to make sure their crate is a place they want to lay. The more comfortable and safe you make it, the more likely they are to go in there on their own to rest. You could even entice them with a treat so they know there are rewards when they obey. Crate training a puppy doesn’t have to be hard if you make it enjoyable for them!

Trick #3: Make The Crate A Home

And by this, we actually mean to call it their home or house. If you associate your pup’s crate with word ‘home’ or ‘house,’ you’ll find it much easier to get them into it when you need to. The goal is to develop a habit they want to follow. If your pup knows they’ll get rewarded for getting in their home when you have to leave, they’ll be much more likely to abide. If you’re lucky, your pup might even full-sprint when they hear “Go get in your house!” Crate training a puppy can be time-consuming but incredibly worth it if done correctly.

If you’d rather do the alternative and bring your pups into Rocky’s Retreat for doggie daycare, we’d love to have them! Contact us today to learn more about our services and facility.

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888