When you bring a puppy into your family, one of the first things you need to do is begin housetraining. You want your puppy to be comfortable at home and avoid accidents. Learn how to kennel train a puppy at night.
Kennel or crate training your puppy will ensure that it doesn’t damage part of your home while you’re out. Puppies are curious and can cause a mess if they’re left on their own.
Kennel training is just one part of the training process.
For more puppy training tips, read on then check out this post.
Why You Should Kennel Train a Puppy
You may also see this referred to as crate training. This form of training will get your puppy comfortable with the crate in your home.
Puppies and young dogs can get in a lot of trouble. They might make a mess on the floor or chew on things you need. Kennel training will prevent them causing more damage.
You want your puppy to feel comfortable in the crate. Think of the crate as the dog’s den. Your puppy will want to go into it to relax and sleep because it’s a safe, comfortable space.
Kennel training can also help if you plan on traveling with your dog. This form of training is even recommended by veterinarians.
How to Kennel Train a Puppy at Night
First, ensure that you don’t use the crate as a punishment for your puppy. If you use it as punishment, your puppy will become afraid of it and refuse to go in.
You should also get a crate that will grow with your puppy. Rather than replacing the kennel over time, get one that will fit your dog’s full-grown size. Use dividers to make the space smaller and more comfortable for your puppy.
As this will be your dog’s main sleeping space, get a comfortable dog bed to place inside. You can even give it a toy or two so your puppy isn’t bored inside the crate.
Giving your puppy treats when it goes into the crate will also reinforce that it isn’t punishment. This will give your dog a positive reason to go in on its own.
Setting your puppy in the kennel at night will get it used to sleeping in its own space. To make it more comfortable, you should leave the crate near your bed.
However, you should not leave a puppy younger than eight weeks in a crate for more than three hours. Anytime you use the crate, keep a consistent schedule.
Before leaving your puppy in the crate all night, let it relax and nap inside for shorter periods during the day. Begin with 10 minutes at a time and work your way up to longer times. This will help your puppy get used to the crate.
Don’t leave a puppy in a crate for too long though. Set your puppy in the kennel just before you go to sleep and let it out early in the morning. Leaving a dog in a crate too long can lead to accidents or cause the dog to not want to enter the crate again.
Keeping a Puppy Happy in a Crate
Once you know how to kennel train a puppy at night, other training activities will be easier.
While you get your puppy settled in its crate, you can check out our puppy care package to keep your dog healthy.