Top Three Mistakes To Avoid When Crate Training Black Labradors
Crates can be wonderful tools for housebreaking black labradors, especially when employed properly.
Watch out for these issues, however, to ensure success with this process.
First of all, avoid using the crate to punish your dog for bad behavior. This sends the message to your puppy that the crate is a bad place to be, and if you do something wrong, that's where you go. The crate needs to be seen as a safe, comfortable place that your dog will want to go in willingly. Resistance to the crate can sabotage your housebreaking efforts.
Having the proper size crate is essential. If there is a lot of room inside the crate, your dog may not see the need to wait to be let out and will soil the inside, setting your housebreaking efforts back. Try to find a crate that is large enough for your dog to move around in, but not so big that there's much extra room. Of course, smaller dogs need smaller kennels.
Finally, you need to be sensible about how long you keep your puppy in his crate. Young dogs can usually hold it for two to three hours at a time, and keeping them confined for longer than that is asking for trouble. When you begin to introduce the crate, start slowly, keeping him inside for just a few minutes. Slowly, increase the amount of time that your puppy spends inside. Check on your dog regularly, and don't leave him in too long. If your lifestyle cannot accommodate this, see if someone can take your dog out for you, otherwise you might have to reconsider owning a dog in the first place.
Crates provide a great highly effective means to help with housebreaking during labrador training, and looking out for these problems will seriously increase your chances of having happy, house-trained black labradors.
Watch out for these issues, however, to ensure success with this process.
First of all, avoid using the crate to punish your dog for bad behavior. This sends the message to your puppy that the crate is a bad place to be, and if you do something wrong, that's where you go. The crate needs to be seen as a safe, comfortable place that your dog will want to go in willingly. Resistance to the crate can sabotage your housebreaking efforts.
Having the proper size crate is essential. If there is a lot of room inside the crate, your dog may not see the need to wait to be let out and will soil the inside, setting your housebreaking efforts back. Try to find a crate that is large enough for your dog to move around in, but not so big that there's much extra room. Of course, smaller dogs need smaller kennels.
Finally, you need to be sensible about how long you keep your puppy in his crate. Young dogs can usually hold it for two to three hours at a time, and keeping them confined for longer than that is asking for trouble. When you begin to introduce the crate, start slowly, keeping him inside for just a few minutes. Slowly, increase the amount of time that your puppy spends inside. Check on your dog regularly, and don't leave him in too long. If your lifestyle cannot accommodate this, see if someone can take your dog out for you, otherwise you might have to reconsider owning a dog in the first place.
Crates provide a great highly effective means to help with housebreaking during labrador training, and looking out for these problems will seriously increase your chances of having happy, house-trained black labradors.
About the Author:
Michael enjoys sharing his love and knowledge on black labradors with dog lovers around the world. Check out more of his articles on labrador retriever training and other topics on his website.
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