This is a continuation of suggestions about how to housebreak a puppy. This will describe how to housebreak a puppy using a crate. Training with a crate starts with a puppy at least 8 weeks old. Puppies younger than that are really too young to associate your attempts to train with anything other than playfulness. He will think your scoldings are not because of something he has done but that you are a big bad person and that will not cement your closeness to your dog. Use a crate that is big enough for him to stretch out and turn around in, but not a crate that is big enough for him to eliminate in one end and sleep in the other. The rationale for using a crate is because dogs instinctively will not soil their living area. If the crate is too big he can still do both and you will not succeed quickly in housebreaking him. If you only have a large cage, divide it so he can only live in part of it. For a puppy 8 weeks old, you must take him out at least every two hours. It will be nearly impossible for him to “hold it” much longer. You should feed him in the cage – allow 20 minutes – then remove the food, pick up the puppy and carry him outside to the spot where you want him to go. It may take him 15 or 20 minutes to find the perfect spot. Do not play with him or distract him during this waiting time. Praise him lavishly when he finishes. You should take him out the same way after he finishes playing (he should have toys), wakes from a nap, drinks water or – if out of the cage – starts sniffing around. It is easier when the puppy is only 8 weeks old to keep the cage near your bed. Many times puppies wake in the night and only want reassurance that you are there. Other times that will not suffice and you should be prepared to take him outside. He should then go back to sleep. Most puppies will begin to sleep through the night as they approach 3 months of age and sometimes sooner. As he becomes more reliable in his bathroom habits, you can leave the cage door open more unless you are leaving him alone. Try never to leave a young puppy confined to a cage for more than a couple of hours. They cannot hold it and will be forced to soil the cage. This will be a major problem and will make it hard, if not impossible, to use the cage to housebreak him. |
