The information in this article is based on the successful crate training method. Crate training is not cruel. I repeat: Crate training is not cruel. If used correctly, it uses the dog's natural den instinct to your own advantage by encouraging the dog not to pee or poop where it sleeps. Dogs are naturally clean animals and will avoid going to the bathroom where they sleep. But you need to keep the following points in mind to be successful.
Establish A Regular Eating Routine As I'm fond of saying, "what goes in must come out". To help you figure out the best times to get your dog to go to the bathroom it's important to feed your dog at the same times every day. This is the ideal time to practice your house training lessons. For your dog's comfort it's also a good idea to feed your dog in the same place every day, a place that they will identify as their eating spot. With your puppy, there's a very short time between eating and eliminating. Figure around 15 - 20 minutes. When feeding your dog, give her 15-20 minutes and then pick up the uneaten portion (if any). This will also teach your dog to eat when fed. Again, these rules can be relaxed once your dog is house trained but for now it's key to establish a routine.
Until your dog is house trained, also avoid treats and in-between meal snacks. The whole idea is to feed your dog, observe them constantly for the 15 -20 minutes after they eat and then bring them to the place where you want them to do their business. Do it like clockwork and you'll be putting your puppy in a position to succeed. This is all about setting expectations and teaching your eager learner to do what you want. And when they do, praise them wildly. Make it seem like that little pee or poop that they did is the greatest and most magnificent thing you've ever seen in your entire life. Your friends and neighbors may think you're crazy, but I can't stress enough the power of praise. It's what your puppy craves. Give it to her in generous amounts.
How Old Should Your Puppy Be? How old should your puppy be before you begin house training? Start as early as you can but don't expect results until the pup is about 14 weeks old. Before 14 weeks your pup cannot physically hold it in. Then why start early you may ask? Well, even though your pup may not be physically able to hold it in, she'll at least begin learning what's expected of her. Consider any training before 14 weeks to be "pre-school". When her physical abilities catch up with what you taught her, it will make it that much easier to put the lessons into practice.
Size Matters If you're considering crate training your dog as a means of house training, keep in mind that the size of crate you choose is very important. A good rule of thumb about size is: the crate should only be big enough for the dog to comfortably stand up and turn around in. You don't want the crate so big that the dog will mess at one end and sleep at the other. For large-sized breeds that will continue to grow substantially, you may need to buy a larger size later on if you intend for your dog to continue using the crate after it is house trained. And the most important rule of all: NEVER, under any circumstances, use the crate as a form of punishment. The crate should be a place where your dog wants to go, to sleep and get away from the bustle and activity in your home. You never want them to associate it with being punished.
Happy House Training!
Before you can proceed to any basic training of your dog, you must teach him to focus. It is a good idea to begin your initial training by taking your dog into a quiet and familiar environment where he will be least distracted, thereby obtaining the greatest level of focus. Focus is the single most important command to teach your dog. If your dog is looking away from you, he is listening to what he is looking at. Distractions are a large part of life, and you need to teach your dog to ignore them and pay attention to you.
More often than not, a new dog owner will ask why they cannot simply use their dog's name in order to achieve focus. The answer is that on a daily basis, you will use your dog's name for many different purposes. Worse yet, you will probably yell his name at him when he is doing something wrong - much the same way your parents yelled your name at you when you were a misbehaving kid. Your dog is not a child, and if you scream his name at him in a harsh manner, he is sure to stop responding positively to his name.
The term you will use to teach your dog focus will be a consistently positively reinforced term. He will first learn to look at you on command no matter what is going on around him. Next, he will come to you when you call instead of running away off to who knows where. Here are the beginning steps necessary to teach attention:
1. Begin training your dog when he has not had any personal contact with you for several hours. Mornings are great because you generally have had no contact with him overnight. A dog who has had minimal contact is more likely to want to give you his attention when the opportunity presents itself. Walk your dog before starting the session. Do not play with him or talk too much, just put him on a lead and walk him for elimination purposes. Afterward, take your dog back into the house so you may begin his training. Keep a leash on him so that you can retain an element of control.
2. We will be using food as a reward for this exercise. It is very important that you know what types of edible reinforce snacks will work on your dog. A hungry dog will be motivated by food, whereas a well-fed dog may show disinterest. Do not feed your dog his meal before training.
3. You will be teaching the dog to look at your face on command and a good reason for him to look at your face could be that there is great food falling out of your mouth. You could spit out little bits of cheese or hot dogs or cereal at your dog - whatever food works for him. If you have a small-breed dog or young puppy, you may get on your knees and show your dog a cracker hanging out of your mouth. When he notices the food, you can let him take a little bit from your mouth.
4. Typically commands such as Ready, Look or Focus are used. Any command you wish to use is fine, just be sure to be consistent with your terms. Your dog's name should be used prior to giving the focus command. Making a little clicking sound from your mouth after your command will help to teach your dog to look at you.
So, the order of the procedure is: A) Dog's name. B) Command - Ready. C) Clicking sound from mouth. D) Reward as your dog gives you attention. E) Release from steady command - Okay or Free.
Practice this constantly and reward your dog for it. Demand longer periods of focus, as well as focus with distractions. Increase the distraction level while demanding short focus duration. After you have achieved focus at high levels of distraction, such as someone calling your dog, you can move along increasing focus time. When commanded to look at your face, your dog must offer continued focus to you until released or commanded to the next task.
Both Gene Sower & Keith Lee are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gene Sower has sinced written about articles on various topics from Bull Terrier Dogs, Real Estate and Dogs. Gene Sower is the author of the Happy House Training ebook. . Gene Sower's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Keith Lee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Credit Cards and Bankruptcy Law. Keith Lee is a Dog Trainer, a Motivational Speaker and a Life Coach for more than 10 years.Get his free eBooks at