How to Crate Train Your Rottweiler Puppy

Crate Training Your Rottweiler Puppy

Now that you have answered that ad "Rottweiler Puppy for Sale with an Excellent German Pedigree" you are ready to take your new Rottie puppy home and begin at least 10 - 12 wonderfully years together.

During puppyhood, your new Rottweiler puppy should feel secure in his environment. Adult Rottweiler behavior can be shaped during the early stages of puppyhood and all Rottweilers need proper training and direction. Most problems can be prevented if proper training and socialization is started from the very beginning. Invest the time now and and it will result in a lifetime of enjoyment for you and your Rottweiler. Dogs are denning animals by nature and prefer a quiet, private and enclosed area to rest. All Rottweiler puppies have a natural instinct to keep their sleeping area clean. Your Rottweiler Puppy's crate should be just large enough for it to lie down and stretch out. If it is too large at the start, place one or two small boxes at the far end, this will discourage your puppy from using the back area as a toilet. Crates are primarily used for house breaking puppies. But may also be used to train/re-train adult Rottweilers as well. Rottweilers and most dogs love their crates as this is their private, secured territory and they should never be bothered while inside. Crates should NOT be used for long term confinement. The fewer hours that your Rottweiler puppy is confined to its crate and unable to relieve itself the better. You should begin with a short schedule and slowly work up to longer time for your Rottweiler puppy to be in its crate. All Rottie puppies adapt readily to any schedule and once that happens he or she will settle immediately and go to sleep. THE FIRST STEP
When you bring your new Rottie puppy home, you should already have his/her crate set up with newspapers or a soft rug or towel. You may also wish to utilize an exercise pen along with a crate. This will give him the advantage of not being shut up in the crate at an early stage for long periods of time. Puppies ALWAYS urinate after waking up from a nap and defecate after every meal. Once they begin to mature, the length of time between urges "to go" become longer in length. Keep a toy or two in the crate.

Puppies learn quickly not to relieve themselves in their den/crate. Thick layers of newspapers covered with shredded paper in the crate for the first month or so makes an excellent absorbing material. Depending on how young the puppy is, it will more than likely urinate in the crate because he just can't "hold it" as long as an older Rottweiler. If the puppy is fed and watered and taken outside before being crated you will have a much cleaner and happier puppy. Puppies grow very fast and usually within a month you can remove the papers from the crate and replace it with a soft rug or towel.
During the day when you can't watch every move the new puppy makes he can be in the crate in the family room. But at night he will want to be with you for a secure feeling. And when he awakes in the night and needs to go out you will hear him if he's in your bedroom.

When you sleep, your puppy should be in his crate with the door closed. He will wake you when the urge strikes. You need to take him out right then and there to further the crate training purpose. Your Rottweiler puppy will learn what you teach him. If you ignore the persistent crying to go out to relieve himself you will defeat the purpose of crating your puppy altogether. Puppies mature quickly and he will not have to get up in the middle of the night forever.

NEVER scold any Rottweiler puppy for soiling his crate. Shame on you for not getting him out when he asked!! Again, Rottweilers are clean by nature and left to their own devices would leave the den to relieve themselves. Always, Always praise your puppy EVERY time he "goes" outside. if he does soil the crate, just get the puppy outside to finish his business, give him LOTS of praise and clean the crate.
Once your puppy has matured and is past the house-breaking period you may start to leave him out for longer periods. But you will want to continue the crating when you are away or cannot watch everything your puppy is doing for a while longer. Teething can be dangerous as well as costly if the puppy is allowed to be loose all the time. It may take 6 months or 2 years before you can trust your Rottie puppy to remain outside of its crate all day and night without it chewing or relieving itself inside. Each Rottweiler is an individual and requires individual training. Once the Rottweiler is trustworthy start leaving them out when away for short periods at a time. As long as everything is in tact, the next time leave your Rottweiler puppy out a little longer. Eventually your Rottweiler will be able to be loose in the house all the time and you and your Rottweiler will be able to spend long hours of delightful companionship together.