If the puppy or dog is given the opportunity to
get out of his crate when necessary, it can aid your house training efforts enormously.
Do not, however, let this keep you from taking a
dog out of the crate if he needs to go to the bathroom.
They still don't come
out of their crate for new people, but they will come out and eat from the hand of someone they know.
This is evident when things start to feel out of control just when you thought your dog was «trained» enough to be
left out of the crate.
If you start to see accidents at one time (say, one hour) go back to trying shorter
times out of the crate (45 minutes).
Dogs have been known to dig under fences, tear through screen doors and windows, and chew their
way out of crates when they are afraid.
To get the most
out of crate training, you'll need to learn how to avoid costly mistakes and concentrate on crate training techniques that work.
Initially,
keep out of crate interactions short, just like time in the crate should be short.
We always advise that crates are zip tied even on domestic trips, so that airline employees are discouraged from violating their own rules by letting
pets out of their crates.
Never take your pup
out of his crate because he's kicking up a fuss - that just teaches him that being loud will get him what he wants.
But the athletic pup quickly answered that question by
jumping out of his crate and off the truck as if nothing was wrong.
First, get the dog used to going in and
out of the crate using positive motivation and reinforcement, such as treats, toys or affection.
For a particularly busy dog or one recovering from surgery, feed all
meals out of a crate instead of a bowl.
This will help him understand that good things happen in the crate and good things
end out of the crate.
Avoid letting him out when he cries, or that will teach him that crying gets him
let out of the crate.