Difficulties with crate and potty training
There are some people out there who never cease to amaze me with their ideas about how to ‘raise’ a dog. It’s not easy by any means to crate or potty train a new puppy because one has to be patient and consistent in order to achieve positive results, but if you have no idea what you’re doing, at least be open minded about the possibility that there might be a better way out there. There are dogs out there that will immediately take to the crate and the process will be easy, and then there are dogs that will fuss and make a lot of noise as they test their owners’ patience limits; eventually the dog wins, the people let it out of the crate at the wrong time, and the dog potties in the house. It’s a vicious circle, so if you’re struggling with this issue at home, try to be strong and don’t give up. I know it’s hard to listen to your dog cry in the crate, but you will be thankful your dog is used to it when you have people over or when you have to travel somewhere by plane or car. Here’s some advice to help you with these issues:
- Feed and water consistently at the same hours every day. Don’t feed after 5-6pm and no water after 7-8pm until dog is 6-7 months old.
- Generally speaking, a puppy can hold his needs for about “his age in months, plus one = hours”. A 3 month old puppy should be ok to hold it for 3 hours + 1 so a total of 4 hours and no more.
- DO NOT use potty pads in the house. This is a really REALLY bad idea. You either want your dog to pee outside, or inside. Using pads in the house and expecting the dog to only potty outside is very conflicting and confusing for the dog. Dogs are not humans and don’t think like us, THEY DO NOT GENERALIZE EASILY. It’s easier for them to know that pottying is something they do strictly outdoors, and never indoors.
- Take puppy out to potty after he eats/drinks and after he wakes up or gets done playing vigorously.
- When you go outside to potty, don’t start playing with the puppy. Don’t talk or make noises to excite the puppy because you want him to potty first, and then play, as a reward. Give treats and praise also as soon as the dog potties.
- DO NOT allow your puppy to wander through the house unsupervised. If you can’t supervise the dog, put it in the crate, or tether him to your waist. You could put him in a playpen, but then there’s a chance he will relieve himself in the house; I don’t recommend that unless you’re still watching the puppy.I hope you don’t find this one too strange. After all, you wouldn’t allow a 7 months old baby to crawl around through the house while you’re doing stuff in a different room; bad things are bound to happen. The puppy will have less of a chance of having accidents in the house if you don’t allow it to happen.
- It’s normal for some dogs to dislike the crate. Use positive reinforcement and rewards to get to dog to be comfortable around/in the crate. i.e. feed the dog in the crate, put his favorite toys and chewies inside, toss treats, teach him to go in the crate to get his food or treats, etc.
- Some dogs will react badly. I think part of the problem is that they may already suffer from separation anxiety. You DO NOT want to spend 24/7 with a dog that shows these signs at a young age. Symptoms will only get worse with age. Teach the dog it’s ok to be alone for a little while, i.e. being in the crate at night and a little during the day.
- If your dog complains no matter how much positive reinforcement you use (if you do it consistently, this would be the very odd exception) you will just have to use a bit of tough love and make the crate the dog’s dwelling until he accepts it. The dog gets fed in the crate, and taken out on a regular schedule as needed, but otherwise it spends his whole time in there until he stops fussing. For your convenience, put the crate away in an area of the house where the dog’s crying will not reach your ears. Worst case scenario, it shouldn’t take more than two weeks to stop the dog’s fussing.
These pointers will hopefully keep you on the right track, and even though you might not be 100% comfortable with the idea of a crate, please try to remember that this is only a temporary arrangement. In the majority of cases, you will not have to continue using the crate once your dog learns the rules of the house. In fact, you might be pleasantly surprised to see your dog simply go to the crate on his own to take a nap because he wants to have his own private, quiet corner to rest in. Despite what you might think, mentally healthy dogs really do enjoy having a “Den”, i.e. crate. You can make the crate even more cozy by covering it with a towel or blanket to give it a den-like feeling. My second dog was very upset about being in a crate when I adopted him, at 8.5 months old. He also suffered from separation anxiety. He’s not entirely over that, but after a little positive reinforcement and crate use, he now chooses where he wants to sleep at night, and most of the time he’ll go straight to his crate (the door is always open now) and curl up inside. (I don’t tell him to go to his crate, I just tell him it’s time to go to bed and head for the bedroom). So don’t despair, good luck with housebreaking, and if you have any questions, email me.
