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.
As far as house training goes, crate training is generally accepted to be the most effective and efficient means of house training a puppy in a short space of time. Crate training is essentially the use of a small indoor kennel (the crate) to confine your young puppy when you're not actively supervising her.
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 you start looking at the various crates available, keep in mind that you don't want to keep replacing the crate as your puppy grows, so make sure you get one that will be big enough for her as a full-grown dog. It'll look huge for her while she's a puppy, but puppies grow quickly, and you'll want her to have the proper space to grow in.
Because the adult dog is likely to be considerably larger than the puppy, it'll most likely be necessary for you to use a barrier to reduce the internal size of the crate. A wire grille or board will do just fine. Alternatively, you can use a cheap crate (or even make one yourself) and replace it with a larger model as your puppy grows.
Crate training works like this: your puppy is in that crate at all times unless she's sleeping, eating, outside with you going to the toilet, or being played with (active supervision). You'll need to be consistent, or else it won't work: you can't let your puppy wander off through the house unless you're focusing your complete attention on her. If you allow her access to the house before she's thoroughly house trained, you're basically encouraging her to relieve herself inside - and remember, each time she does this, it'll be easier for her to do it again (and again and again ).
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.
As far as house training goes, crate training is generally accepted to be the most effective and efficient means of house training a puppy in a short space of time. Crate training is essentially the use of a small indoor kennel (the crate) to confine your young puppy when you're not actively supervising her.
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 you start looking at the various crates available, keep in mind that you don't want to keep replacing the crate as your puppy grows, so make sure you get one that will be big enough for her as a full-grown dog. It'll look huge for her while she's a puppy, but puppies grow quickly, and you'll want her to have the proper space to grow in.
Because the adult dog is likely to be considerably larger than the puppy, it'll most likely be necessary for you to use a barrier to reduce the internal size of the crate. A wire grille or board will do just fine. Alternatively, you can use a cheap crate (or even make one yourself) and replace it with a larger model as your puppy grows.
Crate training works like this: your puppy is in that crate at all times unless she's sleeping, eating, outside with you going to the toilet, or being played with (active supervision). You'll need to be consistent, or else it won't work: you can't let your puppy wander off through the house unless you're focusing your complete attention on her. If you allow her access to the house before she's thoroughly house trained, you're basically encouraging her to relieve herself inside - and remember, each time she does this, it'll be easier for her to do it again (and again and again ).
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.
About the Author:
Want more information on how to train your puppy? You'll find all the resources you need by visiting my Training a Puppy blog. You'll also discover some great info on puppy training pads.
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