Pen training is a common way to teach puppies to be in their own space while their owners are out of the house. The process can be a bit difficult, but once your puppy understands that he or she is safe and comfortable in their playpen, it can become an enjoyable part of daily life.
First, make sure the playpen is in a room that’s easy for your puppy to access. This can be a living room, bedroom, or an empty area of your home that doesn’t have furniture or other items that might cause discomfort.
Next, use positive reinforcement to get your puppy comfortable entering and exiting the pen. You can use toys, a soft blanket, or even your voice to encourage your pup to spend time in the playpen. You can also gradually increase the length of time you let your puppy stay inside.
Puppies love to chew, and chewing toys stuffed with food how to pen train a puppy can be an excellent motivator. This can help your puppy develop good chewing habits, and eventually, it’ll be less likely for them to chew on baseboards or other surfaces.
If you have a dog with separation anxiety, you may want to consider using an exercise pen or crate to teach your puppy how to be in their own space while you’re out of the house. The exercise pen, which can be made by attaching each end of a crate to one another, instantly creates a confined space in which to keep your puppy out of trouble when you aren’t available or need to leave the house for an extended period of time.
Start by putting your puppy in the pen after meals. This can take some patience, but once they’re comfortable eating in the pen, you can close the door and sit by them a few minutes to reinforce that they are in a safe place when you’re not there.
After you have your pup confident in the pen, you can try having him sleep there at night. Once your pup understands that he or she is in their own space, you can slowly introduce the idea of going outside and playing in their playpen to increase your puppy’s sense of comfort and decrease their anxiety around you being gone.
Finally, you can use potty bells to help your pup learn when they need to go outside for their business. Simply teach your pup to touch the bell with their nose, and then give them a treat when they’re done. This is a great way to train your puppy to let you know that they need to go potty and avoid accidents at the same time!
The most important aspect of crate training is getting your pup used to being in their own space, without you present. This can be a scary experience, especially for new puppies, so you will need to be patient and consistent. Once your puppy is comfortable being alone in a crate, you can start to let them explore the rest of the house one room at a time, while still maintaining supervision. This will ultimately lead to a confident, self-assured adult that you can trust with more freedom once they’re ready.