{"id":1739,"date":"2020-06-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tiresandtails.com\/?p=1739"},"modified":"2020-08-11T02:37:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T02:37:15","slug":"raising-puppy-rv-crate-training-housetraining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tiresandtails.com\/dogs\/raising-puppy-rv-crate-training-housetraining\/","title":{"rendered":"Raising a Puppy in an RV Series: Crate Training and House Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

We love the freedom to travel anywhere our RV can go, getting to see so many places others only dream of, and living a much simpler life. But, when we added a puppy to that life, we moved from a simple life to a more complicated one. Fortunately, there are some tips that helped make it an easy transition.<\/p>\n

Create a Plan<\/span><\/h2>\n

There is no doubt that puppies are cute. That, by itself, helps right away when puppy training doesn’t go as planned. Still, having a plan will help you get through the ups and downs of puppy training, especially when you live full time in an RV.<\/p>\n

Crate training, potty training, behavior training, puppy health, and exercise are all to be taken into consideration when you get a puppy. All of these need to be planned for within the scope of RV living. It can be done!<\/p>\n

Crate Placement Plus Training in the RV<\/h2>\n
\"Keep
Keep your puppy from chewing your belongings by using a crate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crates are a great tool for house training and keeping your puppy confined so he doesn’t chew up things in your RV. Before you bring home your puppy, you need to figure out what type of crate you’ll use and where in your RV will it fit the best.<\/p>\n

How Big Should the Crate Be?<\/h4>\n

A crate for a puppy needs to be just large enough for him to stand up, lie down, and turn around in but not so large that the he can find a spot to go to the bathroom away from his bed. Dogs do not like to soil their bed and the proper crate size will help tremendously when you are potty training your pup.<\/p>\n

Many collapsible wire crates<\/a> come with a detachable divider so you can change the size of the crate as the puppy grows instead of buying a new one after each growth spurt.<\/p>\n

Crate Placement<\/h3>\n

Placement of the pup’s crate is somewhat of a puzzle when you live in an RV. Keep in mind what furniture can be moved or removed, traffic patterns, easy access to the crate and where your puppy will be sleeping. <\/span><\/p>\n

When we brought Cricket home, we had a smaller, plastic crate that we used for travel as well as her bed\/safe space. At first we put it next to our bed so that she would feel safe when sleeping. This worked for a long time until WE got tired of hauling it back and forth from the car to the RV.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cricket
Cricket in her portable plastic kennel, before she was potty trained.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We waited until she was fully potty trained then bought a large, collapsible crate for her to spend time in when we leave her alone. Because she’s potty trained, having a really large one is no longer an issue. We’re confident she’s not going to have an accident on or near her bed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cricket’s also moved from sleeping in her crate overnight to sleeping in our bed. We were able to put her new, large crate into an area in the main “living room” that’s out of the way. This makes for easy traffic patterns through the RV. No more tripping on a dog crate in the middle of the night! <\/span><\/p>\n

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More Crate Placement Ideas<\/h4>\n

Other RVers have made crates out of the space under their dinette bench seats like the ones dizzydogs<\/a> have made, or purchased a crate that looks like a side table like the Merry Pet 2-in-1 Configurable Crate and Gate<\/a>. Some have even removed the dinette table or bunk beds completely to make room for crates or put crates on the bunk itself. Many have attached the crates permanently in the garage area of their toy hauler. You just have to decide what works best for you and your new pup.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crate Training<\/h3>\n

Crate training your puppy can be pretty simple. The key is consistency and making the crate a positive place to be. Start by making it comfortable with a bed or blankets. Cover it to make it feel safe like a “den” (leaving enough open space for ventilation).<\/p>\n

Leave the door open and let your puppy walk in and out of the crate on his own. Give your pup a treat when any of his paws are inside. After he feels comfortable going in and out of the crate, let him spend a few seconds inside with the door closed. Give lots of treats for calm behavior.<\/p>\n

\"Give
Give your pup treats and praise when they go potty where they are supposed to.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Work up to putting your puppy into the crate for 10 minute periods at a time to begin. Give them a treat or a stuffed rubber chew toy<\/a> like a KONG puppy classic toy<\/a> while they are in there.<\/p>\n

I feed Cricket in her crate so that she will always feel like it’s a good place to be. As your puppy gets more comfortable in the crate, increase (in small increments) the time your puppy stays in the crate, always with a safe and\/or stuffed chew toy.<\/p>\n

For more information on crate training your puppy enjoy this video by Zak George:<\/p>\n