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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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