Crate Training The Best Method For House Training
| Are You Sick & Tired of Do you wish that there was a simple way of house training a puppy quickly and easily? |
Crate training puppies is the quickest way to get your puppy house trained. The reason it works is because when crate training puppies, it’s very easy to understand your puppy’s eating and potty schedule, while at the same time making it very clear to your puppy where the toilet area is.
Many inexperienced dog owners are uncomfortable with the idea of crate training, as it might seem harsh or cruel. Dogs enjoy having a private den area, and the crate becomes a safe space for your puppy that he knows is his “home” and he can go to when he’s tired. The way crate training basically works is that a puppy is resistant to going to the toilet in his own space, and will try to hold off on relieving himself until he can get to another location-this is why crate training works.
The crate should be large enough so your dog can get up, walk around in a small circle and lie down. As he gets bigger, you can upgrade to a large crate if needed. Dogs don’t like to lie in their urine (who would??) so they hold off as long as they possibly can.
Keep track of the times each day your puppy drinks, eats and goes to the bathroom throughout the day. Then put together a toilet break schedule based on the times of day your puppy might need to go potty. Potty times usually happen first thing in the morning, after vigorous play, about 30 minutes after eating, and just before bedtime. For very young puppies a few nighttime time trips might be needed if they cannot hold it all night long.
The first thing you do when you take your puppy out of his crate is take him right to the toilet area. If he gets easily distracted, simply carry him straight there and set him down in the toilet area. Be prepared to watch and wait for 10-15 minutes, especially in the beginning. Once he has finished his business, immediately give lots of verbal praise and offer him a treat. If nothing happens, take him back to the crate, and try again in about 20 minutes. Repeat until successful, and then reward the good behavior with playtime, as well as lots of praise and affection. It is important to teach your dog that he needs to go potty first, then he can have playtime. This sets him up to expect and understand that he should get his business done and then he gets playtime.
In the initial stages, crate training puppies takes a lot of time and focus. If done right, you should see improvements quickly. Your puppy will need frequent breaks playing throughout the day, but for the most part he should stay in the crate during the early stages of the training process.
Keep your eyes on your puppy at all times whenever he is out of the crate playing or wandering about. You have to train your eyes on him at all times, and if you see he is about to go on the carpet, swoop in and take him out to the right area immediately. This will be awkward (especially mid-stream) , but it is the only opportunity to help your puppy understand where his toilet area is and change his habits.
When you are house training puppies, be patient and understanding, because accidents will happen. What you should do is quietly clean up the mess without letting your dog see, so you aren’t drawing any attention to it. Be sure and use a proper cleaning product to remove the urine smell. And remember, your puppy is just a baby and doesn’t know any better, so take the time to teach him what to do, and your patience will be rewarded!
About the author: Alicia Ainsley Summers, who has been training dogs for more than 10 years, is an expert trainer of puppies and small dogs. For more expert tips visit her online blog House Training Puppies.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I love the look of your blog, did you make the design yourself?
Putting together a potty training schedule is a very good idea, it worked well for me the first time i used it and still to this day.
.-= Cai@ puppies training tips´s last blog ..Developmental Stages of a Puppy =-.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Thanks for the kind words. The base template was pre-designed but we tweaked the colors.