by Jenn Hughes

Created on: June 01, 2009

Last night, a four-month old whippet puppy made a snack of a very nice Victoria's Secret bra. This happened because someone didn't remember to put puppy in his crate at bed-time. When raising a baby puppy, the crate will be your, and your shoes and underwear's best friend. It will also be puppy's best friend too.

Best to start crate-training when you first bring puppy home. Most responsible breeders will have taken puppies for some car rides and done some crate introduction for the whole litter. If your puppy hasn't seen a crate before you get him home though, no worries.

First you need to determine where puppy will sleep. My recommendation for young pups is to keep the crate in your bedroom. This accomplishes two important goals. One, puppy will not feel so "alone" if he knows you are right there, and is less likely to fuss and keep you awake all night long. A reassuring hand through the bars of the crate remind puppy he hasn't been abandoned. Two, if puppy needs to go out in the night, you'll be able to hear him and take him outside to do his business.

Always remember that a tired puppy is a happy puppy. That first day home with you will probably be exhausting enough as puppy adjusts to his new environment and people. But give him a good play and a chance to go outside before you put him in his crate at bedtime. Often, a "cookie" given in the crate will convince puppy that this is a good place to hunker down and take a nap. Make sure there is adequate, clean bedding in the crate. A whippet, for example, needs more comfy padding than would a shepherd.

If introduced to the crate as part of the nightly ritual, puppy will soon learn that the crate is his "den", his safe place to go to rest or chew when he wants a break. He should, over time, become accustomed to being placed in the crate while you are at home, and also while you are gone, so that he does not associate the crate with something negative (you leaving him) or with punishment. A crate should never be used as punishment. It's his safe place remember, where he can sleep safely and your belongings will be safe from sharp little puppy teeth.

And addtional benefit to crate training is that puppy should never ride unrestrained in the car, so the crate is a terrific way to take him places. As soon as they have the proper vaccinations, pups should be put in their crate in the car and be taken for rides to the park, the pet supply store, and anywhere else dogs are welcome in order to make sure he is well socialized. Crate training will ensure his safety on these outings.

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