The Crate Method: The Best Way To Train A Puppy
One of the major challenges of dog ownership (particularly for first-time owners) is the issue of house training. If you equip yourself with some rudimentary knowledge and a positive attitude, though, it’s a lot easier than most people make it out to be.
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.
The whole premise behind this method of crate training is that all dogs have an inbuilt dislike of going to the bathroom in an area where they normally sleep. Therefore, because she’s spending most of her time in her "sleeping quarters", she will naturally wait until put outside before relieving herself (assuming that you let her out at reasonable intervals).
As a general guideline, it’s more cost-effective for you to choose a crate that’s big enough for her to grow into. It should be big enough for the adult dog to stand up comfortably without crouching, turn around in, and stretch out – but no bigger (so that she doesn’t choose one part as her bed, and one part as her toilet!)
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.
The maximum amount of time that a puppy can be crated at one time is figured out using the following equation: her age in months, plus one. So, a three-month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. However, this is likely to be physically pretty uncomfortable for her (not to mention hard on her emotionally and psychologically: it’s tough being cramped up with nothing to do), so you should really take her out at least once every two hours during the day. If she’s sleeping, of course, just let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.
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.
By: William Preston
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It took me awhile to figure out how to properly train my puppy, but it was worth it. 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 the best puppy training techniques.
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