Crate training is good for a lot of reasons, but maybe the greatest reason for crate training is house breaking new puppies. The reason that this works so well is, by instinct most dogs will not mess in their living area. In this article I will discuss the best way to crate train and some of the biggest mistakes that people make that could hinder your puppy’s training. Crate training is not hard when you do it right and learning how to do it right is a great first step. In the end all you want is to enjoy your new family member and believe me all your new puppy wants to do is please you.

First thing that we are going to cover is picking the right crate for your puppy. When shopping for a crate the first thing to consider is how big your puppy is going to be when it is full grown. If you’re like most people you can not afford to by new crates every time your puppy out grows one, so it is just best to buy one that will fit your dog when it is fully grown. There are several different types of crates and cages to choose from. The crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and then lay back down in comfort. You will more than likely have to put dividers in the crate to keep your puppy from using the back of it.

The next thing is how to make the crate desirable to your puppy. The goal is to not make the crate a scary place for your puppy, but a place that he/she can enjoy. Try putting in a soft blanket and some toys that will appeal to your puppy. If you notice that your puppy is using the soft blanket to relive itself on, remove the blanket until you have a full week and a half of no accidents in the crate. You may have to do this a couple of times before your puppy stops using on its blanket. Hiding some treats around the crate is a nice surprise for your puppy to find while in the crate, while enforcing the ideal that the crate is a good thing. A lot of experts recommend that when first introducing your puppy to the crate start with the top off and gradually work up to putting it back on. I say try what’s best for your puppy. Some take to the crate just fine and then there are some who need to be convinced that the crate is ok. Also, the toys that you put in the crate should stay crate toys. This will help your puppy learn that its crate is it safe place. It is also best that while your puppy is in the crate no one messes with him/her. The crate should be seen as your puppy’s sanctuary not a place of discomfort

Now we are going to talk about a couple of mistakes that people make that could hinder the training process. The first mistake that new pet owners make is leaving their puppy in the crate to long. Young puppies do not have the ability to control their bodily functions. Let me repeat, young puppies do not have the ability to control their bodily functions! In all honesty your puppy should be going outside every 30 minuets or so unless it is sleeping. Once you notice your puppy moving around you need to quickly take your puppy out. I know that this sounds like a lot but if you want your puppy to catch on and little accidents this is the best way to do it. If you work then you might want to try to arrange for someone to come home at lunch or even ask a friend to come over and let your puppy out. You should never expect your puppy to hold its potty longer than four hours. Some puppies may get use to using the bathroom in the crate forcing you to try something different. Most experts say that a puppy can not be considered fully house broken until they are over the age of 6-7 months. That’s not really that long if training is constant and full of praise and love.

The next mistake people make is using the crate for punishment. The whole ideal is to make the crate feel like home to the puppy. There are a lot of problems that can come out of using the crate for punishment reasons. The most common is crying while in the crate. Instead of going in and lying down you have to listen to your puppy cry while in the crate. That could lead up to pottying in the crate out of nervousness or worse an aggression problem. So never use the crate as a way to punish your puppy. If you have young children try not to let them poke at the puppy or tease the puppy while in the crate. Like I stated earlier the goal here is to not make the crate a scary place. The happier your puppy is the easier it will be to house break.

There are some other great tips that might help in making it easier to potty train your puppy using the crate method. The first is don’t make a big fuss about putting your puppy in the crate. If you act like it is no big deal then your puppy will act like it is no big deal. When you make a big fuss though your puppy is likely to feed off your attitude and act out as well. Next don’t always put your puppy in the crate when your gone, this may lead to your puppy associating the crate as being alone. This usually causes some anxiety issues in a dog. It is best to keep your puppy in the same room with you to help your puppy feel safe while in its crate. This also goes for at night, if it is possible put your puppy’s crate next to your bed. There are some really great reasons for this one being that you can hear your puppy getting restless and you may be able to keep accidents from happening. Most importantly thought is your puppy may wine less if he still feels close to you, so sleeping will be easier for everyone in the house. Another way to help with training is to pick a name that you are going to call his/her duty. Like potty, tee tee, what ever you decide to use stick with it. Your puppy will figure out what you are wanting from him/her in time.

Finally make a plan the works best for you and your puppy and stick with it. Always remember that accidents will happen and the only thing you can do is clean it up and keep a better eye on your new puppy.

I have found that the best way to clean these accidents is soak up what urine that you can then clean with warm soapy water. Take a dry towel and soak up water until it is all gone. Mixed together 1/3 cup vinegar with 2/3 cup water and dab on the stain, rinsing well with water. Dab until dry, wait 24 hours until completely dry. Lastly, sprinkle on baking soda wait two hours vacuum.

I know that it is hard work to potty train your new puppy but that is the one thing every dog owner can relate to, house breaking. Though crate training may not work for all dogs it does work well for most. Giving you the peace of mind that your new loving pet isn’t getting in to anything while you are away from the house. Through this method you can help teach exactly where your puppy is to do his/her business. So stay with it in the end you and your puppy will be much happier. Always remember that a lot of love and praise gets you far to when training your new puppy to do anything.