ourgriffons

Crate Training Your
New Puppy

You can train your puppy to go outside, go on papers
or pee wee pads. If you decide to crate train your
puppy here are some recommendations.

Dogs are den animals and actually feel secure and safe
in a crate. They don't think of a crate as a "cage" but as
their den and will try very hard not to soil their den. The
crate can be plastic or wire. Buy the smallest size for a
puppy for house training. If the crate is too large the
puppy may use a corner or one end for a bathroom
area. It is possible to buy a larger size and either
closed off the end with a divider or stuff a pillow in the
end to make it smaller until crate training is over.

A crate used correctly for house training becomes the
dogs own private retreat or den. The puppy will seek
out the crate when it wants to rest undisturbed or to
feel safe.

A crate's success as a housebreaking tool is simple;
puppies will not soil their sleeping area if they can
possibly avoid it. But remember that a puppy needs
time to play and has a small bladder. Use the crate
when you can't watch your puppy, but don't overuse it.

Crates come in different styles and sizes. Choose one
that will be large enough for an adult dog to lie down,
stand up, and turn around easily. If you plan on
traveling with your puppy/dog buy a plastic one with
ventilation slits on all four sides.

Put the crate in a room close to other family members
to lessen the puppy's anxieties. Move the crate at night
to the bedroom so the puppy will feel like a member of
the family and so you can hear the puppy if it needs to
go out at night.
Remove the puppy's collar before placing it in the
crate. For the first few times the puppy goes in the
crate she may cry or whine. Give her a treat when you
put her in the crate, close the door, then leave the
room but remain close by. At the first bark, whine, or
howl intervene with a sharp "NO". Your puppy should
associate the reprimand with its actions and stop. It
may take four or five tries, but it will eventually settle
down and be quiet. Never take the puppy out before
she settles down or she will think all she has to do is
keep making noise until you take her out.

Once the puppy is quiet, keep it in the crate for 30-45
minutes. If it begins to cry, take it outside to relieve
itself. Once that happens, praise the puppy, give it a
small treat, and take it back inside and allow it
supervised free time outside the crate. If she starts
chewing on something other than her toys, respond
with a sharp "no", take the object away and replace
with a chew toy.

After 15-20 minutes of playtime, put the puppy back into
the crate for a nap. Correct the puppy if she cries. Your
puppy learns through association, so consistency
should help it accept being in the crate after a few
times. After about an hour, take puppy out again and
repeat the process.
Your puppy will need to eliminate directly on waking
and shortly after eating or playing. Also, a very young
puppy will not be able to hold its urine all night, so be
prepared to take her out during the night.

Put the puppy on her leash immediately after letting her
out of the crate. Rush the puppy to the door or carry
her so she can avoid an accident. Watch to be sure that
she relieves herself once you are outside.

Gradually increase the time your puppy is allowed to
play out of the crate after she relieves herself outside
but always supervise the puppy until she is reliable. A
good way to let puppy have some play time while you
are busy and don't want her to have full run of the
house is to use a play pen or exercise pen. You can set
it up in the kitchen or other room of your house or
even attach it to your puppy's crate.

After house training is successful you may still want to
use the crate or exercise pen when you are gone or
sleeping so puppy doesn't get into any trouble when
you can't watch her.