How to Crate Train Weimaraners
Weimaraners are relatively easy to crate train, and they benefit from it hugely.
Though they are people dogs and crave social time, their active nature means that they will get into trouble unless crated, especially when they are puppies.
Weimaraners generally take to crate training quickly -- as hunting dogs they are quick studies at almost any kind of training, and crate training is no different.
But you must follow the basic rules of crate training to have success with them.
The first rule of crate training, which must never be broken, is that you should never use the crate as punishment.
Do not ever make your dog go into their crate because they have done something wrong.
Your dog must feel that the crate is their safe haven, their den.
It should never be associated with anything bad.
The other major rule of crate training is not to put the dog in the crate too long.
Six hours is the maximum length of time that any dog should ever be in a crate, and that is in extreme circumstances.
Really, four hours is the best maximum period of time.
For puppies, the maximum crating time is much, much less, because puppies can not physically hold their bladders for very long at all.
Puppies under eight weeks old really should not be in their crates for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Pups eight to ten weeks old can stay in for up to an hour at most.
When your Weimaraner is between ten and fourteen weeks they can be in up to two or three hours, and when they are sixteen weeks or more than can stay in their crate for as long as four hours.
Though you can keep your puppy (or dog) in a crate for that long, you must not use the crate to short-cut the care of your dog.
Weimaraners need a lot of exercise, and a lot of socialization.
You can not use the crate to ignore your dog, or you will have major behavioral problems that are expensive and time-consuming to fix.
So make sure your Weimaraner gets a good hour-long run every day and has at least two hours of play time with you.
If this is a challenge some days, consider hiring a dog walker or bringing your dog to a doggie day camp one or two days a week.
Puppies over 16 weeks will benefit from even a few days a month at doggie day care for the rest of their lives -- they are at a critical socialization time and need to be exposed to as many new dogs, new people and new places as you can get them to.
One final consideration with crate training Weimaraners is how people-oriented they are.
Crate training may seem like a way to isolate a dog, but it should not be that way.
Put your dog's crate in a spot where the people in your house usually congregate, like a corner of the kitchen or in the living room.
Your dog should at least be able to see you while they are in the crate.
You want them to feel secure in their den, but still part of your pack.
Though they are people dogs and crave social time, their active nature means that they will get into trouble unless crated, especially when they are puppies.
Weimaraners generally take to crate training quickly -- as hunting dogs they are quick studies at almost any kind of training, and crate training is no different.
But you must follow the basic rules of crate training to have success with them.
The first rule of crate training, which must never be broken, is that you should never use the crate as punishment.
Do not ever make your dog go into their crate because they have done something wrong.
Your dog must feel that the crate is their safe haven, their den.
It should never be associated with anything bad.
The other major rule of crate training is not to put the dog in the crate too long.
Six hours is the maximum length of time that any dog should ever be in a crate, and that is in extreme circumstances.
Really, four hours is the best maximum period of time.
For puppies, the maximum crating time is much, much less, because puppies can not physically hold their bladders for very long at all.
Puppies under eight weeks old really should not be in their crates for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Pups eight to ten weeks old can stay in for up to an hour at most.
When your Weimaraner is between ten and fourteen weeks they can be in up to two or three hours, and when they are sixteen weeks or more than can stay in their crate for as long as four hours.
Though you can keep your puppy (or dog) in a crate for that long, you must not use the crate to short-cut the care of your dog.
Weimaraners need a lot of exercise, and a lot of socialization.
You can not use the crate to ignore your dog, or you will have major behavioral problems that are expensive and time-consuming to fix.
So make sure your Weimaraner gets a good hour-long run every day and has at least two hours of play time with you.
If this is a challenge some days, consider hiring a dog walker or bringing your dog to a doggie day camp one or two days a week.
Puppies over 16 weeks will benefit from even a few days a month at doggie day care for the rest of their lives -- they are at a critical socialization time and need to be exposed to as many new dogs, new people and new places as you can get them to.
One final consideration with crate training Weimaraners is how people-oriented they are.
Crate training may seem like a way to isolate a dog, but it should not be that way.
Put your dog's crate in a spot where the people in your house usually congregate, like a corner of the kitchen or in the living room.
Your dog should at least be able to see you while they are in the crate.
You want them to feel secure in their den, but still part of your pack.
