So, you’ve got a new puppy. Congratulations! Now comes the fun part — house training. There are many misconceptions floating around about how to accomplish this, so in this article I am going to share what is probably the easiest and most effective way to house train your new puppy.
Among the various house training programs available, one method stands out above the rest. It’s known as the crate method. This method has been proven to be the easiest and most effective means of potty training a puppy in the shortest period of time. Basically, what this method consists of is confining your puppy in a small indoor kennel, known as the crate, when she is not involved with other family fun activities.
Dogs, like all animals, have certain built-in instincts. One of those is that in most cases they refuse to soil the area where they normally sleep. Since your puppy will be spending a large portion of her early life inside the crate, she’ll by nature “hold it in”, and not go to the bathroom until she’s been let out of the crate (and placed outside).
When choosing a crate, make sure you get one that will allow your new puppy to grow to her full size without having to replace the crate. Be sure it has enough space for your dog to easily stand up and move around a bit. As the dog gets bigger, you don’t want her being housed in a crate that’s too confining.
One of the problems with the small puppy being in a large crate is that she can easily use a separate part of the crate for her bathroom area. To prevent this from happening, simply reduce the internal size of the crate by placing some kind of divider, such as a board or grill, inside the crate. You can simply remove it when your puppy grows enough to need the extra space.
The process of crate training is actually more difficult for the new owner than it is for the new puppy. You will be required to keep the puppy in her crate at all times, literally, except for the times when she will be placed outside to go to the bathroom (and taken for walks), eating, and having supervised playtime with you inside the house. This may seem like cruel and unusual punishment, but it isn’t. It is actually crucial to the well-being of puppy as she continues to grow to become an integral part of your family. Be consistent this, and don’t give in.
This doesn’t mean that you should keep your puppy in her crate all day long. She should be taken out every two to three hours to stretch her legs, and given the opportunity to go to the bathroom. At night time, however, you’ll find that your puppy will usually sleep through the night no problem. Just keep an ear open for her. If you hear her whining, put her outside quickly.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, crate training is one of the most effective methods of house training a puppy. But it doesn’t happen overnight, and it needs you to be consistent. The whole process can take anywhere from one to two months, but in the long run, this will be considered one of the best time investments you will have ever made in the life of your pet.
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Want more information on how to train your puppy? For more great tips and resources to help you easily housebreak your puppy, visit my Training a Puppy blog. You’ll also discover some great info on puppy training pads.
