Want to learn how to crate train your golden retriever puppy fast?
Crate training is one of the best things you can do for your puppy.
It helps accelerate potty training, it keeps them safe, and it helps keep them from learning bad habits (like chewing up shoes).
The problem is, puppies can be scared of the crate at first and don’t know that it’s safe.
At first, they’ll whine and cry and hate it, but once they’re used to it, they’ll love it.
If your puppy is still in the hating it phase, don’t worry, it’s not your fault—it’s perfectly normal!
In this article, you’re going to learn step by step how to crate train your golden retriever puppy and teach them to love it.
Let’s dive in!
Why You Should Crate Train Your Golden Retriever
Honestly, crate training can be very hard, so it’s important to know why you’re doing it in the first place.
Here are a few of the benefits of crate training:
- It accelerates potty training (they don’t like to go where they sleep, so they will typically hold it while in the crate)
- It keeps your house safe from them chewing things they shouldn’t be chewing, like your shoes or furniture
- It keeps them safe from swallowing things they shouldn’t swallow, like socks, which can get lodged in their stomachs or throats, or poisonous things like grapes or chocolate
- If they ever need to spend the night at an animal hospital, they will be placed in a crate, so it’s best if they’re used to it already
- The safest way for them to travel is in a crate
Some people think putting them in a crate is cruel, but in addition to all of the benefits above, dogs are naturally denning animals (this is why they like laying under beds, desks, or tables) so they’ll usually learn to love their crates.
How Potty Training & Crate Training Work Together
Dogs are very clean animals and they naturally try to avoid going potty where they sleep or relax.
We can use this to our advantage by having them sleep in a crate, and then putting them in a crate when we don’t want them to go potty, such as when we want them to take a nap or go to sleep for the night, or if we’re unable to supervise them during the day.
However, this can make crate training tough because if a puppy is in the crate and they have to go potty, they’ll usually whine or bark.
If we let them out (which we need to if they actually need to go since puppies can’t hold it that long), they may learn that whining and barking gets them out of the crate even if they don’t have to go potty, so they may start barking and crying every t