Raising Puppies

Because of your work schedule, you may need to leave your puppy during the day for long periods of time soon after you bring her home. This can be unavoidable. Just be sure that you are keeping to a realistic schedule.

You can still teach your puppy to enjoy confinement for longer periods of time. Start this training after she is readily going into her crate when you give her the cue.

Step 1:

a) Cue your puppy with "Go to kennel!" Give her a food-stuffed rubber toy and praise her when she enters the crate. Shut the crate door, then leave the room or just go about the house as you normally would.
b) Wait a few minutes, then walk by her crate. If she is behaving and not whining, pawing at the crate door, or barking, praise her and give her a treat through the crate door. If she is acting up, ignore her and walk past.

Step 2:

a) Repeat, gradually working up to longer periods of time in between treats. You're teaching your puppy that good things happen when she's in her crate.
b) After about ten minutes, if your puppy is calm, open the crate door. Be relaxed and don't praise her