Crate training is known to be the most efficient method for puppy house training. Puppy crate training basically involves the use of a crate, which actually looks like cages, to temporarily limit your puppy’s activity to his sleeping space when you’re not able to fully supervise her. Your puppy should be in that crate at all times unless she’s eating, going for a potty break outside with you, or playing under supervision.
The crate is like your puppy’s den, a place where your puppy feels safe and at ease; this will be the space for her to enjoy her time sleeping, napping or simply being alone. Based on dogs’ natural dislike of soiling their sleeping area, your puppy will not want to soil her own resting quarters, so she will hold her pee and poop until she’s let out of the crate.
How to pick a crate?
It is necessary to select the right size of crate for your puppy. If the crate is too big, your puppy will be able to use one end as a bed and one the other as her toilet area. This then defeats the whole purpose of crate training your puppy, and will set back the house-training process for several weeks!
When picking a crate, ensure that the crate is big enough for your puppy to stand up, lie down and turn around without problem. No worries though, there’s no need to keep buying new crates when your puppy gets bigger. If you can buy just only one crate and use it until even your puppy gets bigger, you’ll save a lot of money in the long term.
Get a large wire crate (for adult dog size), then block off some of its inside space with dividers when your dog is still a puppy. Boards or wire grilles serve well as dividers. When your puppy grows and requires more space to move around, you can enlarge the space by adjusting the dividers. If you like, you could make a crate yourself, then replace it with a bigger one as your puppy grows.
Making the crate inviting
Try to make the crate as welcoming as possible to invite your puppy in. It’s a good idea to lay a couple of towels on the floor of the crate, not forgetting to put a chew and some toys inside the crate as well. The door of the crate should be open at all times to appear welcoming. However, the door should be tightly closed when your puppy is inside.
Remember: before your puppy is fully house broken, you wouldn’t want to give her total freedom in the house to avoid soiling incidence. If you allow her access the all areas in the house before she’s thoroughly house trained, you’re basically encouraging her to relieve herself anywhere she likes. And each time she does this, the risk of soiling incidence will increase.
Where to put the crate?
When you are crate training your puppy, have the crate nearby. The most suitable place to put the crate is where the family members gather, for example the kitchen. Having the puppy crate near to you makes puppy house breaking easier for you, and at the same time helps to create the bond between you and your four-legged friend. Being new to the environment, it’s important that you make your puppy feel that she’s not alone, and that she’s now a part of your family.
Tags: crate train a puppy, Crate training your puppy, puppy crate training