Problem 4: Your Puppy Is Aggressive in Her Crate

There are two possible causes for violent behavior inside the crate:

1. Puppy is afraid of something;
2. Puppy feels she needs to guard her crate.

In the first situation, try to find what scares your pup and eliminate it. Sometimes it’s the crate itself; try switching crates to alleviate her stress.

Another possible problem might be that you’re trying to take her out of her den when she doesn’t want to leave it. Never try to force your puppy out. Teach her to leave the crate at your verbal command instead.

If your puppy is guarding her space, you are contending with your dog’s natural instinct. You must teach your puppy to control her behavior through consistent training.

In both situations, you should pay attention and be patient, as puppy’s instincts to protect herself and her home are stronger than what she’s learned from you.

Problem 5: Your Puppy Has Accidents in the Crate

Accidents are hard to avoid, especially when your puppy is very young. The key point is to act normally and not punish her. Clean everything with special products, as any 'marked' spot sends your puppy the signal she can use the crate as a place to eliminate again. Don’t use any cleaners containing ammonia though; they smell similar to urine and send the same message.

Crate Training an Adult Dog

Teaching your old dog new tricks is easier than you expect because older dogs can stay focused for longer periods of time on what you’re teaching them to do. However, crate training an adult dog takes more time than training a puppy, especially when you need to reshape some old behavior or modify your dog’s schedule.

Cover each of the steps described above, but take more time to complete them–don’t be afraid to use more training sessions than you would with a puppy.

Your adult dog may need more time to get used to staying in a crate, especially if she hasn’t been confined in the past. Give her more time to get used to it before starting to feed her inside. Furthermore, avoid leaving her alone inside if you don’t think she’s ready to handle the confinement by herself.

Conclusion

Crate training a dog is not about keeping your puppy locked up during the day. Instead, it provides your dog with a safe home, where she can learn to control her bladder while being always safe and protected.

Using tips described above, you can crate train your puppy fast, and she’ll learn to remain in the crate in silence when you’re out. Can you do it without punishments? Yes, if you have patience, care, and some tasty dog treats.

You don’t need to be a professional trainer to take care of your puppy. Start with small steps and give time to yourself and your dog to achieve the goals of each training session.