Most dog trainers, veterinarians and other pet professionals agree that crate training is, hands-down, the most effective way to housebreak your dog if youre teaching him to relieve himself outside. It is can also be a helpful part of an indoor potty training program for dogs who will be papertrained or litter box trained, so lets talk about how to crate train!
Crate training is a method of teaching your puppy to hold his bladder and bowels by confining him in a cage
Crate training is a good choice for just about any dog owner. The only people who shouldnt choose this method are those that have very young puppies and are away from home all day or those that have unusually long work hours and cant come home during the day to let the dog potty on a reasonable schedule. Occasionally, certain dogs will panic in the crate, even after the proper steps are taken to acclimate the dog to the crate (this is very rare). Many dogs who experience serious anxiety in the crate can be helped by using a Thundershirt
Many dog owners are resistant to crate training because they think it seems mean or because they havent been exposed to the method before. They also worry that their dog might think hes being punished or put in jail when hes in his crate. However, most dogs respond very well to this type of training, since they have a denning instinct that causes them to feel secure in small spaces and makes them want to keep their sleeping area or den clean. Most of us have witnessed this instinct in our own dogs. Have you seen your dog curl up under a table or desk when he wants to take a nap or when he thinks hes in trouble? Hell naturally be drawn to a cozy, sheltered place when he wants to feel secure, so crate training is a great option for most dogs.
Dogs typically acclimate well to spending time in the crate if theyre introduced to it properly and theyre kept on a reasonable schedule. Your puppy should be in his crate overnight, when youre away from the house and when youre at home but unable to supervise him. If you work long hours, this can translate into a lot of time in a crate, so many working owners worry about how to crate train a puppy if you work full-time. If you have to be away from the house for a full work day, youll need to make an extra effort to be sure that your dog is on a reasonable potty schedule and has sufficient activity and attention. Youll need to be sure to spend plenty of time with your dog when youre at home with him in the mornings and evenings, and we strongly recommend that you recruit a neighbor or hire a dog walker or pet sitter to get your puppy out for his potty trips during the day. Of course, the person helping you out should know where your dogs potty area is, how to get him in and out of the crate, when he needs food or water and that he needs to be supervised when out of his crate. Be sure your helper knows how to contact you if there are any problems.
If a housebreaking helper isnt an option, you may also choose to have a safe outdoor area where your dog can spend the day, weather permitting. A safely fenced yard or outdoor dog run
Getting Started
First, youll need to get a crate (and a dog!). Your crate should be be just large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down. This will be quite a small space, but if you give your dog more, hell use one half of his crate as a bathroom and the other half as a bedroom, which will make crate training him impossible. His crate should be a tiny studio apartment for him to snooze in, not a multi-room house for him to throw parties in! If you havent yet purchased a crate and arent quite sure what to buy, see our Choosing the Right Crate for Your Dog article.
The first step of crate training your puppy is acclimating him to the crate. Some dogs end up loving the crate, others end up just tolerating it. Although you should try your best to get him to love it, tolerating it is okay, too, so dont worry if he doesnt seem thrilled when its time to go in. If your dog is not already comfortable in a crate, read the article Acclimating Your Dog To His Crate before beginning your crate training program.
Sometimes youll get lucky and adopt a dog whos already used to spending time in the crate or youll get your puppy from a breeder whos already done some puppy crate training and has acclimated your puppy to being in a crate. If so, congratulations you can skip the first step of crate training. Sometimes, if youre not so lucky and you got a dog from a pet store or a dirty kennel, youll find that he thinks the crate is his sleeping area AND his potty area, since hes been forced to to potty in his den and now ignores his instinct to be clean. If this is the case, youll have to do some extra work to teach your dog not to have accidents in his crate before you can successfully crate train him.
Crate Training Basics
Crate training is a process that involves confinement, supervision and proper scheduling. Some people mistakenly think that they can train your dog by just shoving him in the crate and leaving him in there most of the time. Thats not crate training, its cruelty. Dogs that are crate trained must be properly introduced to the crate, must have sufficient opportunities to get out to go potty, must be given food and water on a regular schedule, must get a reasonable amount of exercise and must spend plenty of time each day with their owners playing, getting affection and just hangin out.
When you are crate training your dog, he can be in only 3 places. 1. He can be in his crate. 2. He can be in a safe area where hes allowed to go potty (fenced yard, dog run, indoor potty area). 3. He can be in the house under your direct supervision.
Thats it. To avoid accidents during the early phases of crate training, your dog should have absolutely no unsupervised free time in the house. Not a moment. None. Zero. Nada. Remember, if he has an accident and youre not there to catch and correct him, he learns that he gets relief from pottying on the floor in the house, so hes likely to do it again. After all, it feels just as good to go in the wrong place as it does in the right place if nobodys there to teach him the difference.
You must remember to supervise your dog at all times when hes out of the crate, as outlined in Commandment #7. Just being in the room with him is NOT sufficient supervision. You may want to use umbilical cord training and/or the puppy airlift in conjunction with your puppy crate training program, since it allows you to easily keep track of what your puppys up to.
Scheduling Potty Trips
When your dog is being crate trained, keeping him on a good schedule is critical. He should be taken our regularly and given the chance to eliminate in his potty area. To get an idea of how frequently hell need a potty trip, refer to the chart below. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and you may find that your dog needs to be taken out more or less frequently.
| 6-12 weeks | 12-16 weeks | 4-5 months | 6-7 months | 8-11 months | 12 months and older | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| daytime | 1 hour | 2 hours | 3 hours | 4 hours | 5-6 hours | 8 hours |
| nighttime* | 3-4 hours | 4-8 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours | 8-10 hours |
*nighttime hours assume that the puppy or dog was not fed or watered 3 hours before bed | ||||||
You should be sure to take your puppy directly to his potty area each time you take him out of his crate, even if hes been in only for a short period. You should also take him out immediately after he eats, drinks, naps or plays. And remember to play it safe even if your dog hasnt engaged in any of these activities and its not time for him to go out at his regular interval, if you notice any signs that he may need to do his thing, get him to his designated potty area as soon as possible.
When you take your dog to his potty area, remember not to stay there endlessly, waiting for something to happen. Youll be more successful in your housebreaking if you get your puppy into the habit of going potty promptly when he gets to the right spot. The way to do this is to stay in his potty area briefly to see if he has to go. Wait for about 2 minutes, either standing still or walking back and forth in a small area if your dog seems to need to move around a bit to get things moving. If he empties out within that period of time, praise him and play with him or take him for a walk as a reward for doing the right thing. If he doesnt go within that period, take him back inside or away from his indoor potty area (supervise him carefully to prevent accidents) or put him back in his crate, then wait for a bit and give it another try.
The length of time to wait before trying again depends on your puppys age and how long its been since he last emptied out. For young puppies or dogs who havent emptied out for a suspiciously long time, you might wait only 5-10 minutes before trying again, for older dogs or dogs who have had a recent successful potty trip, you might wait an hour or more.
Mission Accomplished!
Yes, theres a payoff for all this hard work. If your dogs had no accidents in the house or the crate for at least two months and hes at least a year old (or if hes younger and youre really brave!), youre ready to move on. Read about the next steps of dog crate training, Teaching Your Dog to Spend the Night out of his Crate and Your Dogs Crate Trained Now What? to learn how to allow your good dog more freedom in the house.
Back to Articles index
Sales Page: http://ouo.io/CF5S8u
Download: http://ouo.io/AplwQR (100% OFF)
An overview of training your dog or puppy to spend time in a crate. FREE advice from a professional dog trainer at The Housebreaking Bible.
Housebreaking and Crate Training - Dog Information
Crate training and house training your dog or puppy. HOUSEBREAKING AND CRATE TRAINING crate training an easy way to housebreak dogs. adult dogs who are
Housebreaking (Potty Training) for Puppies and Adult Dogs
Home Dog Training Articles Housebreaking Your Dog. Housebreaking (Potty Training) for Puppies and Adult Dogs. You can confine your dog in a crate,
Housebreaking your puppy: Do's and don'ts | Cesar's Way
Housebreaking your puppy: most pups pick up on the concept of housebreaking and crate training quite easily since it is part Secrets to housebreaking adult dogs.
Crate training and housebreaking made easy - Dogtime
Here are some tips to help train your dog to avoid making those messes Crate training and housebreaking made Whether housebreaking a pup or an adult dog,
Housebreaking Adult Dogs - Helpful Tips - Dog training
housebreaking adult dogs is a faster and easier process than housebreaking a How to Stop a Puppy Barking in His Crate Leash Training a Puppy Puppy Pad Training
Puppy Housetraining - Dog and Cat Behavior Information by ...
Housetraining your puppy is not hard. Read tips on housebreaking your dog, including crate training. Remember that housebreaking is a training issue and you will
Four Proven Principles of Housebreaking a Dog of Any Age
Learn the four principles of housebreaking a dog of any age and the importance of having more patience, positive reinforcement and consistency as the pet owner.
How to Housetrain Your Dog or Puppy : The Humane Society ...
Housetraining your dog or puppy requires far more than a Or you may want to crate train your puppy and confine Housetraining Adult and Senior Dogs. View more
Housebreaking An Older Dog - A Practical Guide
Training Your Dog; Feeding Adult Dogs; Dog Supplies; How To Crate Train Your Dog. patience and consistency you will be able to housebreak your older dog