​Crate training is an important part of training your puppy. Crate training helps keep your puppy safe from dangers in your home- like falls, electrical cords and destroying toys or furniture that can lead to serious GI issues. In addition, your pet’s housetraining process will improve and they’ll be more comfortable if they’re ever confined for boarding or hospitalization in the future. Best of all, it gives your pup their own “safe space.”
 
We recommend a tough, wire crate with a locking mechanism. Make sure the crate is large enough for your puppy to lay down, stand up, and turn around in, but not much more. You can often purchase a divider if you’d like to have a crate that can “grow” with them while still providing a small area as puppies. If the crate is too large, the puppy can go to the bathroom in it while easily laying down away from it. They don’t like to lay in their messes, and are often able to learn to “hold it” this way. You can offer food and water in the crate, and a chew-resistant bed for padding.
 
For more information on crate training, check out this great article and video from Fear Free Pets here, or download our Confinement and Crate Training PDF handout here.