American Cocker Spaniel puppies are friendly, amiable furry creatures that make for excellent house pets. One excellent trait Spaniels have is their easy trainability. Crate training is useful in helping house train a new dog, especially a puppy. If it’s your first time getting a puppy or training any dog, keep on reading to find out how to do Cocker Spaniel crate training.
Follow These 5 Tips To Complete Cocker Spaniel Crate Training
Keep in mind that throughout the Cocker Spaniel training, you should only convey a positive attitude. If the training becomes too stressful for the dog, he or she will not learn. So, learn the dos and don’ts of puppy crate training before starting. And avoid common Cocker Spaniel training mistakes people frequently do. Furthermore, punishing your dog will just make things worse. Dogs like Cocker Spaniels react better in a benevolent environment. Following these 5 Cocker Spaniel training tips will help you to crate train your puppy.
1. Select the location of the crate for your puppy
Your crate will soon become your dog’s safe space. Thus, it’s important to choose wisely where you will place his or her crate. It should be a place that’s most accessible to your dog so they won’t have a hard time finding or going to it if they need to.
2. Select a crate considering present and future size
When choosing a dog crate, you must consider his or her current and future sizes. As puppies, Cocker Spaniels are about 3-5 kilograms. However, note that they grow so fast over the months. Make sure to get a large enough crate. You can either get a molded plastic or a wire crate, depending on what works for you.
3. Let your dog feel comfortable around the crate
Once you’ve set up his or her crate, allow your dog to roam around the area. He or she will most likely assess the environment. Let him or her feel comfortable when they are checking out the crate. Don’t force them to go inside or react negatively whatsoever. Open the crate’s door and make it look more inviting by placing cushions and toys.
4. Feed your dog inside the crate
At this point, your dog should be a bit more comfortable getting inside or around the crate. Place your dog’s meal in a bowl inside the crate. At first, they will be hesitant to go inside. Wait until they reach for the meal and slowly push the bowl further inside the crate. Once your dog is inside, slowly close the door until he or she is finished with the meal.
During the next eating session, you can use a pet training whistle to welcome your dog for the food. This time you can close the door for several minutes longer after he or she is finished with the meal. If your dog starts howling or whining while inside the crate, don’t open the door as this will break the training. Wait until he calms down before your open the crate’s door.
5. Encourage your dog to go inside the crate often
You can lure your dog into his or her crate with a toy or treat. At this point, make sure they stay at least half an hour inside the crate. The goal is to make him or her feel comfortable inside. Thus, as pet parents, we shouldn’t give in if they start acting out. Only open the door when he or she decides to behave.
Once the 30 minutes is finished, offer your dog a tasty treat or reward. This will reinforce the behavior and hopefully speed up the process of crate training.
Final Talk on Your Cocker Spaniel Puppy’s Crate Training
House training your dog might seem like a daunting task at the beginning, especially if you have no clue how to go about it. However, there are plenty of free and valuable resources online that can help you do it on your own. Also, visit our shop for popular pet toys and recommended food for your pet which will ease up your crate training process. Furthermore, Cocker Spaniel dogs are intelligent and obedient creatures. Thus, their personality will make it much easier for you to crate train them!
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