Many owners opt to crate train their puppy in order to assist with house training as it provides many benefits to both puppy and owner. Proper utilization of crate training assists in keeping puppy safe from hazards when unattended, prevents potty training accidents and unwanted chewing, as well as provides a safe den-like place for the puppy to rest and relax. Owners should always remember when crate or house training their puppy to keep the 3 P’s in mind: patience, persistence, and praise will go a long way in helping both owner and puppy through this sometimes challenging time. A few tips and reminders for crate and house training:
1. While being carefully monitored, remove the crate door and help the puppy to adjust to the crate by making the area available for exploration.
2. Puppies view their sleeping area as a place to keep clean and free of urine and feces whenever possible; therefore, the puppy should be immediately taken outside following time in the crate to prevent accidents.
3. Puppies should not be expected to survive an extended period of time without having an accident when they are small. A good rule of thumb is that a puppy can last approximately one hour longer than their age without an accident. For example: a 3 month old puppy can last roughly 4 hours without an accident. Water and food consumption can, of course, be a factor in this as well.
4. Always allow a puppy to relieve themselves immediately after waking up and/or eating.
5. As with all training, using a command typically works well and will indicate to your puppy what they are expected to do. Training commands like “go potty” or “do your business” typically provide good success.
6. Puppies aim to please, so be sure to get excited when they perform the task you have asked of them!
Ask us at Animal Central for more Puppy Training Tips or visit: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cratetraining.htm
Dr. George Stroberg, DVM and Staff
