Crate Training
Some people are under the misconception that putting a dog in a crate is cruel; on the contrary dogs are den animals and like to have a secluded place to call their own.
The crate should be large enough for your puppy to stand up and turn around. If you only want to buy one crate that will be large enough for a full grown Chessie, there are some that come with a divider that you can remove as the puppy grows.
Do not put food or water bowl in the crate while you are doing the initial training as this will encourage your puppy to relieve itself in the crate because puppies generally need to relieve themselves shortly after eating and drinking. As a rule dogs will not relieve themselves where they sleep.
Do not leave your dog in the crate for extended periods of time. Puppies do not have any control over their bladder until about 12 weeks and then they can only hold it on average for about one hour per every month of age.
Make sure to take its collar off while in the crate as it could get caught on the bars and may cause choking or strangulation. Never use the crate as a form of punishment. Place the crate in an area where your family is so the puppy does not feel secluded from his pack. Do not allow children to put their fingers or objects through the bars while your dog is in the crate. You will find the crate to be very useful when you cannot keep a close eye on your puppy, housebreaking and for traveling.
The crate should be large enough for your puppy to stand up and turn around. If you only want to buy one crate that will be large enough for a full grown Chessie, there are some that come with a divider that you can remove as the puppy grows.
Do not put food or water bowl in the crate while you are doing the initial training as this will encourage your puppy to relieve itself in the crate because puppies generally need to relieve themselves shortly after eating and drinking. As a rule dogs will not relieve themselves where they sleep.
Do not leave your dog in the crate for extended periods of time. Puppies do not have any control over their bladder until about 12 weeks and then they can only hold it on average for about one hour per every month of age.
Make sure to take its collar off while in the crate as it could get caught on the bars and may cause choking or strangulation. Never use the crate as a form of punishment. Place the crate in an area where your family is so the puppy does not feel secluded from his pack. Do not allow children to put their fingers or objects through the bars while your dog is in the crate. You will find the crate to be very useful when you cannot keep a close eye on your puppy, housebreaking and for traveling.
