How to Use Puppy Crate Training To Housetrain a Puppy

Puppy crate training helps house train a dog because dogs won't go to the bathroom where they sleep. Dog training tips tell us that a crate becomes a dogs den, so by crate training a dog, you teach that dog that the crate is its den. Since the dog won't go potty in its den, if you crate train your puppy, you can help make sure your dog doesn't use the bathroom when you can't supervise it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Puppy crate
• Puppy

1. Introduce the crate to your puppy. Dog training tips tell us that puppy crate training requires getting the dog used to being in the crate. This should involve helping your dog to see the crate as positive. Crate training a dog is easy if your dog likes the crate and eats and/or sleeps in the crate. Puppy crate training involves helping your dog to recognize the crate as his den, so by doing these activities in the crate, your dog becomes accustomed to the crate as den.

2. Make sure your puppy crate is small enough that your dog can't use the crate as a potty. Once the puppy views the crate as his den, he won't want to sleep where he eats. Thus, puppy crate training involves making sure he doesn't have enough room to do both. Your dog should be able to stand up, turn around, lay all the way down and stretch out in the crate. If the crate is much larger then this, your dog may be able to use one side the crate to go to the bathroom and the other to sleep in. This would make puppy crate training useless as a house-training tool.

3. Leave your dog in his puppy crate for a few hours at a time when unsupervised. One of the most important dog training tips is that a puppy cannot "hold it" for more hours than his age in months. So, if you have a four month old dog, your dog should be kept in the crate for no more then 4 hours while puppy crate training. This will ensure your dog doesn't have an accident out of necessity when puppy crate training.

4. Take your dog to the bathroom as soon as you take it out of the crate. Puppy crate training is useful because your dog will wait to use the bathroom rather then going potty in his den. If your dog has to go to the bathroom when leaving the puppy crate and you do outside immediately, then your dog will use the bathroom outside. You can then praise your dog.

Tips & Warnings

• Puppy crate training is useful as long as you don't expect your dog to stay in the crate for too long.
• Puppy crate training allows you to leave a new puppy unsupervised before he is house trained, without worrying about your puppy having an accident in the house.
• Puppy crate training is only helpful for housebreaking a puppy if you ensure the crate is the right size for the puppy.
• Crate training your puppy takes time because you need to ensure that puppy crate training is a positive experience for your dog and that your dog looks at the crate as his den.