| I have a 7 month old Rottie that we have crate trained from the first time we got her. At 9 weeks. The first couple night she slept on the floor in the bedroom. THis allows the dog to get used to your scent at night, and the dog does not feel abandoned. I highly recommend getting the book The Art of Raising A Puppy. This is wonderful, a neighbor gave it to us the day we got our pup. I know that it saved our lives. It deals with crate training, house training, and lots of other very useful information. At first you will want to put the crate in a place that the dog can get used to it, with you around. Use treats to get the dog to go in and check out his his new place. Leave some toys in there, so they can go in and out and start to feel comfortable. NEVER force the dog into the crate. Again, I highly stress getting this book, if you follow the book, your puppy raising experience will be wonderful! |