Every year, millions of people who own dogs around the nation learn how to keep their dogs in a crate or separate room when they leave the house so they can limit a dog’s destructive behavior and things like barking and german shepherd anxiety. It is also a vital tool when you need to housebreak a german shepherd puppy and can make your life a heck of a lot simpler if you have a dog who insists on sleeping on your bed. 

It may be that you’re learning how to crate train a german shepherd puppy, or maybe just determining whether it’s safe for your dog.  But know that most dogs love their crates, actually. This is because in the wild, dogs seek out small and safe locations they can burrow into for warmth and safety. A crate performs that wonderfully, giving them a safe space that is theirs alone. When dogs are given too much space, they can’t figure out where is their own “home” and where isn’t, and they get anxious about trying to control the whole space. 

In an ideal world, you would need to train your german shepherd to use a crate as a puppy. A full grown dog that has never been in a crate will have a harder time adjusting to the small space and may grow anxious. In the beginning, your german shepherd pup may be upset, but it will adapt more quickly, especially if it has not had the opportunity to sleep in your bed with you. 

It is best to place the crate in the family room where a lot of people will be. At night, you should put the crate in your bedroom to give them a safe presence nearby. Eventually, after a month or so, you should be able to leave them in one place, but for now, be close to keep them calm and safe. 

When you put your puppy in the crate, make sure he has a clean, comfortable place to sleep, a source of water, and a toy to play with. The crate only needs to be large enough so he can sleep in it. If the dog has room to walk around, it may just make a mess. The main thing is that the german shepherd has room to turn around in its crate so it can be comfortable. 

When learning how to crate train a dog, make sure you don’t pull the dog out of the crate if he gets upset. This is because he’ll learn you will pay him attention if he makes a fuss, so he’ll only be more inclined to do so. Only let the puppy out if he has been quiet for 5 minutes or more. Then, greet him with a lot of attention and even a treat to reinforce that he did it right. 

At first, try to leave your puppy in the crate for short periods of time – an hour or two at a time. As he grows older, increase that time to match a full night of sleep or a day at work.

If you can learn how to properly train a german shepherd puppy, you will never again have to worry about your dog getting too loud, anxious, or destructive when you leave the house. On top of that, german shepherd puppies adapt much quicker and that means less stress on everyone in the household.