Because most dogs harbor a psychological tendency known as a “den” instinct, it is important to use knowledge of this impulse in order to know how to crate train a dog. The den instinct is simply a preference by animals of small, safe spaces. It has been seen most often among animals in the wild who like to prepare small caves and dugouts for themselves or for new offspring. Scientists believe the den instinct springs from a desire to be protected from the elements and predators.

House breaking a puppy begins with knowing more about this den instinct and using what you know about this animal habit to help a crate puppy grow accustomed to his kennel or dog crate.

One of the first lessons that will have to be instilled in a puppy is how to stay in the crate area. Small puppies do not yet know the rules of the house and will have to be contained until they grow accustomed to you. Those who know how to train a puppy know that the initial lesson will start with feeding the puppy inside his crate. The natural hunger impulse is to follow the food, but if that food is not in the crate from the very beginning, the dog will not stay in the crate to eat.

Most trainers recommend leaving the food in the crate with the dog for 15 to 20 minutes. When the dog is done eating, remove the food and make sure you let the dog out of the crate. If the dog associates eating with being inside of the crate, then the crate becomes a happy place for him.

Leaving a bed in the crate for the puppy is not a good idea. Dogs like to urinate on surfaces that absorb their urine. It is almost certain a new puppy who learns to urinate on his bed will develop this as a habit. It will make it even more difficult to ensure the dog is house broken. Blankets and other toys left in the crate may present choking hazards.

In order to know how to train a dog gradually to have a tolerance for his crate, you must watch the individual personality of the dog and slowly build the number of hours he is left in the crate. For example, it is never a good thing to leave the dog in the crate for extended hours.

Animal experts recommend leaving the dog in the crate for one hour per number of months old, plus one. A three-month-old dog can be left for four hours, though dogs (of any age) should never be crated for more than five or six hours at a time. Crating should also not be done for puppies that are less than nine weeks old. They are too young to control their body functions and will have more accidents inside the crate. This will frustrate the owner and might sabotage house breaking.

There has been some debate among pet owners about whether crating dogs is the best way to train them. Some believe that a kennel complete with dog crate pads is a cruel way to teach a dog discipline, since it requires the dog to be caged.

According to most pet owners, however, this caging method is indeed how to crate train a dog. It is the best thing for both the pet and the owner. Not only does it teach the dog to enjoy his own space (and give the pet owner his own space and time to relax), but it also prepares the dog to get accustomed to the crate for traveling or in the unfortunate event of pet injury or surgeries.

The crate also reduces separation anxiety and ensures the dog gets used to the owner being out of the room. Separation anxiety has been known to lead to other destructive behaviors in the dog and sometimes owners may see their belongings destroyed because of it. The crate should also never be a place the dog gets banished to for punishment. He will begin to associate the crate with fear if he is sent there for bad behavior.

Even when you know how to crate train a dog, it is important to pay attention to special conditions that might call for exceptions to the rules rather than honoring the general rules for crating. Crating can be an extremely useful training mechanism, but it must honor the needs of the dog in order to be successful for the owner.