Crate training is known to be the most efficient method for puppy house training. You will need a crate when crate training your puppy. You can’t keep an eye on your puppy all the time, so you need to confine her activity to an alloted space for a short period of time. Your puppy should stay in the crate except for when she’s playing under your supervision, eating, or going outdoor with you for a potty break.
The crate serves as your puppy’s den, which is a place where your puppy feels safe and secure, and enjoying spending time in, whether she’s sleeping, napping, or simply needs to be alone. Because it’s a dog’s natural instinct not to soil her sleeping area, your puppy won’t want to dirty her own resting place, so she is likely to hold her poop and pee until she’s out of her crate.
Selecting 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. Don’t worry, though, as you don’t have to keep getting new crates to fit the size of your growing puppy. You can save cost if you buy one crate that can serve as your puppy’s den until she grows up.
Get a big wire crate fit for an adult dog, then use dividers to block away unneeded space to make the crate seems smaller for your puppy. You can use a wire grille or board as divider. When your puppy needs a larger area as she increases in size, you can then slide the dividers back to adjust for more space. If you like, you could make a crate yourself, then replace it with a bigger one as your puppy grows.
Making the crate welcoming
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.
Take note: before your puppy is fully house trained, you shouldn’t allow her to move freely in the house to prevent soiling accidents. If you let her wander freely in the house before she’s fully house broken, you’re like ‘approving’ her to do her business anywhere she wants to. Each time she does this, it’ll be easier for her to repeat her action.
Location of the crate
During crate training, you would want to keep your puppy’s crate close you. The ideal place for the crate is the hub of the family: usually the kitchen, or anywhere the family gathers. 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.