‘Dixie’ was just 7 months old when she found herself looking for a new home. Being a Jack Russell Terrier she was full of life, energy and cheeky quirks, and at that point had had little to no training.
After not having a puppy for a very long time Dixie’s new owners contacted one of our team members, Kylie, for some advice on how to tame this young live wire. With an older dog in the house she was quickly making enemies with her endless energy and inability to sit still.
High energy breeds along with young puppies have trouble switching off and being calm unless they are taught how to do so. Crate training became an extremely important training tool to keep young Dixie out of trouble and to feel safe and secure in her new home.
Allowing a puppy of any breed to free roam in the house is not only dangerous for the puppy, but also brings a lot of stress and frustration to owners with toileting mishaps and the destruction of expensive furniture or belongings.
Whilst it was easy to pick up Dixie and place her in the crate, it was very important that she saw the crate as a nice place to be and that she was willing to go in on a simple command. She was definitely reluctant to begin with, so training began immediately to condition her to the crate using treats and lots of patience. As you can see in the photo it became a fun game for Dixie and she soon loved going inside.
As Dixie settled in to her new home it became apparent that she had very little independence and was not happy with being left along. Crate training helped Dixie feel secure when left alone. Another benefit was that she didn’t develop anxiety by getting herself worked up running around the house.
As Dixie continues to progress through training, the crate has been a very valuable tool, enabling her to learn good behaviours and manners by ensuring consistency. At times when she cannot be supervised her owners are relaxed in knowing she is safe and not getting up to mischief or rehearsing unwanted behaviours.
“As a trainer I have seen the benefits of crate training for our pet dogs but I also understand my clients’ anxiety in making the first step to crate train their dog or puppy. Through trust, education and reassurance I guide my clients in making the best choices for a happy dog.”
