Teaching your Border Collie puppy to accept being in a crate is one of the best things you can do.
It comes in handy for all sorts of reasons and can become your Border Collie’s safe place.
If you do not know much about crates, or think you would never do that to your Border Collie, here are some facts about crates and how to train your Border Collie puppy to love being crated.
A crate is made of either moulded plastic or wire.
It is used to confine your Border Collie puppy for its safety, if it is sick or hurt, for traveling, to help house train your Border Collie puppy and even as a place to sleep.
You may think it is cruel to lock your Border Collie puppy in a crate but a Border Collie sees the world differently to us.
Your Border Collie is not going to think your are mean or resent you for putting it in a crate.
Most Border Collies love their crates as they see it as their very own den. It is a place they feel safe once they understand what the crate is for.
Some people have a crate setup in the house for their Border Collies to sleep in and they never need to shut the doors as their Border Collies choose to sleep in there.
It is much like a kennel but they are portable.
By crate training your Border Collie puppy:
You have peace of mind when leaving Border Collie puppy alone, know that it is safe and not destroying your house or yard, or developing bad habits.
Use it to help you house train your Border Collie puppy as a puppy is unlikely to soil where it sleeps and be motivated to wait to relieve itself until it is no longer confined.
You can travel safely with your Border Collie knowing it cannot get loose in your vehicle.
It is a safe place for your Border Collie to retreat to when stressed or tired.
You can take you Border Collie puppy out with you to a lot more places because you can confine it when you need to.
You can buy crates in a lot of places such as pet shops, online and second-hand.
The best type for your Border Collie puppy is a wire crate that has a removable plastic or metal floor.
Make sure the crate you buy is big enough for your Border Collie puppy when it grown into an adult.
Your Border Collie needs to be able to stand-up and stretch out comfortably in it.
You can put a partition into a big crate to make it small enough for your Border Collie puppy and as it grows, take the partition out.
You do not want it too big as your Border Collie puppy may use one end as a toilet and sleep the other end.
The best buy is the bigger crate which usually comes with a wire partition to use while your Border Collie is still a puppy.
Border Collies like to be around the action in your house so position the crate in an area you spend a lot of time in during the day and at night move it to your bedroom so you can hear your Border Collie puppy if it needs to go outside. Puppies should take being crated in their stride.
Put your Border Collie puppy inside and close the door.
Prior to this you can place a treat or feed your Border Collie in the crate, this will distract the Border Collie puppy and help it associate the crate as a good place.
Ignore it when it does this as you are rewarding poor behavior with attention.This is what Border Collie puppy wants.
If you know your Border Collie is not whining or barking because it wants to go to the toilet, ignore the behavior and when it quietens reward the behavior with praise.
Over a period of time, increase the times that your Border Collie puppy is in the crate.
Each time you place your Border Collie into the crate use a word to associate the action of placing your Border Collie into the crate.
For example: You may say "In" or "Bed" or "Crate"
That way they can automatically get into the crate when given the command.
Overall make this a positive experience for your Border Collie as the crate is to be a safe sanctuary for your Border Collie.
At Border Collie shows you'll see a lot of people who show their Border Collies have their dogs crated or in trolley's (mobile crates) or in dog trailers, as they await their turn for the show ring.
You may have noticed how at how relaxed some Border Collies are when in this enviornment.
Our Border Collies only spend time in crates when at conformation dog shows.
Crating is a short term enviornment for your Border Collie, like a place for them to sleep or a place to await an event.
Note: You Border Collie should not be left to live their whole lives in a crate.