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Hi Everyone,

Today I am going to discuss Crate Training.  Crate Training is not just for potty training your German Shepherd Dog puppy.  Crates, well after your German Shepherd Dog puppy or adult has been house broken, provide a secure place for your German Shepherd Dog to nap or to just take a time out.

German Shepherd Dogs are extremely clean animals and have a natural reluctance to fowl their dens, and you can use this natural instinct to help potty train your new German Shepherd Dog puppy.  To appropriately crate train your new puppy, you should feed, water, and make them sleep only in the crate for at least the first two weeks at their new home.

A 12-week-old puppy being crate trained

For the first two days the German Shepherd Dog puppy should be in the crate anytime, you cannot give them your full attention.  The reason for this is to catch them in the act of trying to poop or pee in your house, so you may take them outside before they go in the house.  You will not be able to do this without giving them your full attention.  In addition, if they do go in the house you will be able to catch them in the act and apply a gentle but firm correction.

Puppies can stay in the crate for up to two hours during the day, during normal family activity such as cooking dinner.  If the house is quiet, puppies can stay in the crate for four hours.  When you do decide to let the puppy out of the crate, take them immediately outside so that they can relieve themselves.  If they go to the bathroom outside, tell your German Shepherd Dog puppy how wonderful they are in a silly high pitched voice.  Go overboard with this positive reinforcement and make it fun for them.

For the first two weeks the crate should be in the room where the family spends the most time. This means at night the crate should be moved to the bedroom so the German Shepherd Dog puppy does not feel alone.  If pottied right before bed, a ten-week-old puppy can sleep through the night in the crate .

As your German Shepherd Dog puppy becomes house broken, you may start feeding and watering them outside the crate. Once you have complete confidence in their potty training, you should have a designated place for their crate in the house.  You will be surprised by how often your German Shepherd Dog will continue to voluntarily utilize their crate for naps and time-out from the normal hustle and bustle of daily living.

Mom is crated while a puppy prepares to go to its new home

This will make it very easy for you to crate your German shepherd Dog when you have guests over for a party, when you travel with your German Shepherd Dog at a hotel, etc. German Shepherd Dogs are big and many people are extremely afraid of them if they are not familiar with the true German Shepherd Dog temperament.  When you come in contact with these types of people, a well crate trained German Shepherd Dog is invaluable. For example, while at a dog show several years ago, a customer had her two grown German shepherd Dogs in the hotel room.  While she had two crates in the room, she felt it was safe to leave the dogs loose in the room because the room had been cleaned.  What she didn’t know was the cleaning lady ran out of fresh towels and returned later.  When the cleaning lady opened the door, she screamed and ran off at the site of these two German Shepherd Dogs leaving the door open.  These two shepherds were almost killed as they left the hotel and crossed a busy highway. Fortunately, we returned to the hotel shortly afterwards and were able to get the two shepherds back to the room.

Please crate train your German Shepherd Dog, and utilize the crate in the appropriate situations.  You will be a more responsible owner and your German Shepherd Dog will love you the more for providing them a safe place to den.

Ask me a question and I will provide my opinion.

Sincerely,

KeystoneGermanShepherds