KooeeKeis Australian Cobberdogs ~ Ethical Family Breeder in WA
Crate Training Your Cobberdog
Many experts agree that crate training is an excellent way to improve your puppy’s life. But what is crate training, and how can it help your puppy?
A crate is a small space your puppy can be in for extended periods in your home and could be an enclosed crate or a play pen. This gives them a ‘safe space’ to retreat to, while helping with toilet training as well. (The puppy will seek a place outside the crate to go toilet.)
When Should You Start Crate Training a Puppy?
Here at KooeeKeis Australian Cobberdogs, we introduced a small crate for each of the pups in the litter at approximately 5 weeks old.
We recommend continuing crate training your puppy from 8 weeks old – so, pretty much as soon as you bring them home! This gives your puppy plenty of time to get familiar with their crate, which will help them feel more relaxed and settled in your home.
It’s a great idea to have your crate set up before the puppy even gets through your front door so you can introduce them to their crate right away. Keep the crate open during the day, so they can go in and out of it as they please. Don’t keep them in their crate for long periods of time in the beginning, as they need to get used to it gradually.
What Are The Benefits Of Crate Training
Having a puppy crate eases many of the challenges of everyday life with a dog. The biggest motive for teaching a puppy to use a crate is that it’s an extremely handy tool for toilet training a puppy. As a bonus, it’s also the easiest form of transportation when your puppy needs to visit the vet, when you need to travel to a friend’s house, or when you’re going on a road trip – just close the crate and away you go! Finally, a crate can act as a secure place to leave your puppy when you leave the home, ensuring that they can’t get themselves in any trouble.
To explain why crate training a puppy is so important, we’ve created a detailed list outlining the benefits. Let’s get started.
Crate Training Helps A Puppy With House Training
Crates are really useful for toilet training. Puppies are very clean by nature, and they don’t like to be near their own urine-soaked space any more than you do.
Selecting a crate that will be the correct size when your puppy is an adult is the right way to go. If the area seems too large for puppy and not a cozy den, cut a piece of cardboard and use cable ties to fix. You can then move it as the puppy grows.
If you choose a crate that’s too large, your puppy may see this as an invitation to pee in one corner and sleep in another. By using a crate, you’re teaching your puppy to control their bladder and display clear signals to let you know exactly when they need to go to the toilet.
When your puppy wants to go, they may whine and scratch at the crate. Whenever you see this behaviour, it’s important to act quickly by leading them to their designated toilet area outside. Remember, they can’t hold on for long!
Crate Training Can Help With Separation Anxiety
To help puppies dealing with separation anxiety, it is important to establish a positive association with their crate. This will encourage them to use it more often, and teach them to be comfortable being away from you. Soon enough, they’ll view the crate as a safe space to retreat to whenever they feel the need.
You can help create this positive association by offering your puppy food or a verbal reward for entering the crate. Remember, don’t rush things. To avoid overwhelming your puppy, dogs need to be trained to be able to stay in a crate. You should also ensure your puppy’s had ample opportunity to go to the toilet before entering the crate.
Crate Training Can Help To Prevent Bad Behaviour In Puppies
With a new puppy, you’ll need to be on your guard constantly. Of course, because you’re not superhuman, this isn’t always realistic. One of the biggest perks of crate training is that it provides your puppy with some much-needed downtime while you go about your day.
This is where a crate comes in really handy. If you give them a couple of toys, some food, and a comfy bed for them to rest while you’re gone, they’ll be as happy as can be in there. However, it is important to note that some dogs do not like being crated and need training in a step by step approach.
A Crate Provides A Safe Space For Your Puppy
Just like us, puppies need their own space. Giving them an environment where they feel secure to retreat is essential for their overall happiness and mental health.
This is harder than it looks! All we want to do when we get a new puppy in the door is to round up our family and friends for playtime. Introducing a puppy to the family is a magical and exciting time, so organising an impromptu family gathering is pretty tempting … Not so fast, though. While exposure’s good for young puppies learning socialisation, it can be stressful and overwhelming if it’s too much, too soon. That’s why a crate can be great, because it gives them a space to retreat to when they’re feeling stressed.
And because it’s their own space, it’s important not to physically remove your puppy from the crate when they have chosen to retreat there. (Think how it would feel getting dragged out of your bedroom for no apparent reason.) If you need them to come right now, it’s time to get some treats and entice them. That’ll encourage them to emerge on their own.
This is our preferred crate. This size is suitable for miniature and medium Australian Cobberdogs. It is collapsible and comes with a removable tray.
When looking for this crate, it is often referred to as a 36 inch.
As they are quite large and can look out of place in the middle of a room. We highly recommend the table pictured which is from Ikea.
It is a Sandsberg table 110×67 cm and costs approx AU$69.
The crate fits nicely underneath and it then becomes a piece of furniture.
As at January 2026
Best Price for crate is Bunnings online
Ikea Table
