Potty Training your Puppy Using a Crate

If you have had your puppy for any length of time, you know how important potty training your puppy is. You know what it’s like to come home and find that your puppy has yet again peed on your rug (or worse).

I used to have that problem with my puppy until my friend suggested I use a crate to help potty train my puppy. Until then I had always thought of crate training as evil and it was just a punishment for your puppy.

I have since learned the value of using a crate for potty training your puppy and honestly, I would never go back to traditional methods.

Many people see crate training as I did until they actually do it the right way. It turns out something like 90% of people who try crate training end up doing it wrong and it never works for them and they just get frustrated.

I think that potty training your puppy with a crate is one of the fastest methods of potty training so let’s take a look at what it takes to do it right.

Buying a crate is obviously the first step, but choosing the right crate can be a little tricky. Here is how I do it. I like to use a plastic crate because I think they are easier to clean, but a metal wire crate will work fine to, especially if your dog is the nervous type and needs to see his surroundings.

Your puppy will grow so it’s important to select a crate that is big enough to fit a full grown dog so you don’t have to buy a new one down the road. Lining it with old sheets or newspapers can make it more comfortable for him and make it easier to clean for you should your puppy have an accident.

Just because you are potty training your puppy with a crate doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep a close eye on him. It’s never a good idea to leave your puppy in his crate for a long time because he hasn’t learned to control his bodily functions yet and more than likely will have an accident.

This can be avoided by taking your puppy out to the bathroom every hour or so and not keeping food or water in there with him.

During the first few nights of crate training, your puppy may want to wine and cry during the night. This will happen until he gets used to his crate but you can help make it feel like home so you can actually sleep the first few nights.

Have your puppy go in and out of his crate several times and give him a treat and praise every time he goes in. If you do this enough, your puppy will become used to his new home and will be more comfortable being in there at night.

Remember that consistency is everything; keep doing it until your puppy gets the hang of it, that’s the key. Potty training your puppy is very important and using a crate can really help take some of the time off of the learning curve.