5 months isn't late at all! She is still very much a puppy. I think that is a good age for her. Brandy loves her's. I got her used to it by placing it in the kitchen and leaving it open. I have read that dogs are den animals and love to have their own little houses. She goes into it when it's left open to rest or just to lay down. I trained her to go into it by command by saying, "crate," pointing to it, and putting her in it. After she goes in, she gets a treat.
I always recommend crate training a dog. It is good to have them learn to be in one because there will always be cases where they might end up in a crate such as at the vet, boarding, or the place in which she is groomed. Also, it is much easier when it comes to potty training. When we are leaving the house I put the dogs in a crate for their safety and so that they don't get into something and choke. Dogs can get into crazy things like toilet paper and christmas presents, etc.
And then there are time outs. Which sometimes are more for the owners than for the dogs. Just like when you get frustrated with a child, the best thing to do is to put the child in the crib and calm down. The best thing to do if you get frustrated with a puppy is to put him into the crate until you have calmed down.
Good luck with your little one! Remember that she still is very young. Read up a lot on training methods and I'm sure that you'll end up with a very well behaved dog. |