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Crate Training Your Golden
A lot of people normally have the wrong conception when
it comes to crates. This conception leads people to
believe that crates are a punishment for dogs, and
therefore they won’t use them. Much to the contrary,
crates are actually one of the safest places you can put
your Golden Retriever, which also gratifies his natural
instincts to situate himself within a den.
If you have a crate and leave it open, your Golden will
start to go to it when he gets sleepy or when he gets
confused. Although Golden’s tend to like crates, you
shouldn’t overuse one by allowing him to spend hours at
a time inside of one. While you should be training him
to get used to the crate, you should never allow him out
if he is barking. Once your Golden starts to appreciate
the crate, you can leave him in it for a few hours here
and there - such as when you are away from home.
When you get your puppy and bring him home for the first
time, you should already your crate there and situated
where you want it to be. You should set the crate up in
a central area, but never in areas that have a lot of
traffic. Most people who use crates tend to leave them
in the kitchen near a door, so the Golden can go outside
whenever he needs to relieve himself.
Once you bring the puppy home, you should put him inside
the house and allow him to start searching for the
crate. Leave the door to the crate open, and the Golden
puppy should start to wander in and out of it. You can
also put a toy or dog treat inside the crate, to give
your puppy extra incentive to enter. Once he goes inside
praise him, and let him know that he is doing the right
thing.
If your Golden Retriever stays in the crate on his own,
praise him for it. Once your puppy starts getting in the
habit of going into the crate on his own, you should
place a new toy or treat inside for him to play with.
After a while, you can close the door and see how he
reacts. If he starts to whine, you can talk to him and
put your fingers through the door, although you should
never immediately take him out - instead wait for him to
settle down.
Even though it may take some time, crate training is
great for your Golden. You can use the crate when you
need to leave, when you have family over, or for when
your Golden has a medical condition such as diarrhea. If
you use a bit of patience and never use the crate for
punishment - your Golden Retriever puppy should catch on
to the crate pretty quick.
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