Crate training is an essential part of training any dog, whether he’s a brand-new puppy or a mature adult. Some people think putting a dog into a crate is cruel, especially for a large dog like a Pointer. In reality that could not be further from the truth, especially if your Pointer crate training is done properly. In fact, once your Pointer becomes accustomed to his crate, you’ll discover he loves being there.
Why Pointer Crate Training is Important
There are several reasons thousands of people crate train their dogs every year. Crate training is an invaluable tool during housetraining, and if your dog has anxiety issues, it can drastically reduce both his anxiety and the destructive behavior and barking that can be the unfortunate result.
Pointer crate training will also help establish your position as “leader of the pack.” In the wild, the alpha dog always sleeps slightly away from the other members of the pack. Allowing your Pointer to sleep in your bed can make him confused about his place in the social hierarchy. It’s very possible he could view himself as your equal and resist following your directions. Crate training helps him learn he holds a subordinate position within your pack. Training Pointers can become much more difficult if crate training is skipped.
Crate Training Uses Your Dog’s Natural Instincts
All dogs have what’s called a “denning instinct” which stems from their roots as the descendants of wolves (wolves also have a denning instinct). Wolves and dogs in the wild actively seek out small, confined places where they can be warm and feel safe and comfortable. If he’s been properly crate trained, your Pointer will come to think of his crate as his den. In other words, his crate will become his own cozy, private little home where he feels safe and comfortable.
How to Go About Crate Training Your Pointer
The crate training process itself is easy, because it’s assisted by your dog’s denning instinct. Naturally, if you want your Pointer to think of his crate as his safe spot, never confine him there as punishment.
Before you begin your Pointer crate training, make sure it’s the right size: just large enough to sleep and turn around in. As long as he can turn around, crating him will not be inhumane. You’ll also want his crate to be comfortable, so line the bottom with something soft.
Introduce your puppy or dog to his crate slowly and gently, by placing treats inside and letting him wander in on his own to find them. Don’t close the gate at first – just let him go in and out as he pleases. That way he won’t feel trapped, and he’ll learn his crate is a good place to be.
Make sure you’re always nearby and within sight during the crate training process. Until he’s perfectly comfortable being in his crate, closing him inside and then leaving the room is a sure way to make your dog think he’s being punished. Your presence will be comforting while he’s still getting used to the crate, so stay within sight.
Never let him out if he starts misbehaving by barking, whining or crying. If you do, you’ll only be teaching him that acting up is the way to get out. Instead, make him stay inside until he’s been quiet for a few minutes. After he’s calmed down and you do let him out, give him a treat and praise him to let him know being calm inside the crate is the behavior you want.
Leave the crate’s gate open whenever you’re not confining him there. He’ll wander in and out on his own – especially if you leave the occasional treat inside – and be much more likely to view his crate as his safe spot and place to sleep. Also, although you can gradually lengthen the time he’s inside, at first you should limit his time in the crate to an hour or two at a time.
If you prevent your dog from thinking his crate is a jail by never using it to punish him, if you make it comfy and cozy, and if you introduce him to it gradually, crate training can make other aspects of your Pointer dog training much easier. It can also prevent him from becoming destructive or barking incessantly when you leave home. It’s a winner all the way around!