How many months should you crate train a dog?

There is no set amount of time for training. The end result will also depend on the individual dog.

I have a 13 year old dog I raised from 4 weeks of age who spent her first year in a crate whenever we weren’t home. After that the crate remained in her environment with the door open, for her to use at will for 3–4 more months.

She was transitioned out of the crate, letting her roam the house with no one home a bit longer each time, then eventually for an extended period.

To date it’s been a success. No destructive behavior, no separation anxiety, and no lapses in her housebreaking.

My experience is the same as mcbealers. We’ve kept our crate up and the door open. Our dog goes in there to sleep all the time. Dogs are den animals, and like their own space.

Max has his crate, which he has converted to a one room bungalow, and has it decorated tastefully. He roams the house at will, but prefers to sleep in the crate. I have covered it to make it dark.

The good thing about letting them live in their crate is if you want them to start sleeping in the utility room rather than the laundry room, all you do is move the crate.

A nice wooden top makes a lovely end table… I still crate her if we’re having workmen in the house, or if the weather gets really bad. She likes the security.

@DrBill: May I assume that Max has his own cleaning person also?

@gailcalled

Yes, although he does bring in friends now and then (makes them clean up after themselves).

There is Scotty Taylor who only comes in for a meal on and off, and Ollie who sometimes visits for a few hours to a couple weeks.

Max is a very social animal.

I don’t think we have ever crate trained a dog. Hm.

for my dog it was about a month to 2 months

@DrBill: Do Max, Scotty and Ollie cohabit with that large cat you are holding?

When I was growing up, we just got the dog, walked and made its bed and it lay on it. No such thing as crates, training, dog psychologists, antidepressants, or toys other than our bedroom slippers. The dogs were all lovely.

@gailcalled

Scotty lives next door, and Ollie lives a block away with my daughter.

Catgut lives here with Max and the whole group are all friends.

When it comes to Max, the only way to make friends is to show up.

@DrBil: Tell Max to start polishing the silver. I’m on my way.

My dogs LOVE their crate and so do my sister’s dogs. The crate is not a punishment. It should be a quiet place of their own to retreat to when they want. My crate is left open 24/7 and my dogs are often found in there napping. At night they sleep in there and get up to use the doggy door when they need to go out.

My sister does shut the crate door at night because her chihuahuas throw a fit to be let into bed with her if she doesn’t. Plus Phoebe is only house trained when the weather is nice.

Crate training could save your dog’s life in an emergency. Or if you are called to go to someone else’s home possibly to care for them or who knows what, if your dog is crate trained it will be no big deal to take them along.

Crate training should be for the dog’s benefit and safety and not just soley for your convenience.

please I want to know how to train my dog to poop in the right place?

I’m new here