How to Crate Train your Puppy The First Step in Potty Training, by Gone to the Snow Dogs on YouTube. 8 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes a day for the first
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Choose a crate just big enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lie down. If your puppy will grow large, buy the adult size and block off the extra space with a divider.
Put the crate in a room where the family spends time, not a quiet back room. Leave the door open and let the puppy sniff and walk in and out on its own.
Feed meals inside the crate and toss a treat in whenever the puppy goes near it. Keep the door open at first so the crate feels like a good place.
Once your puppy eats happily inside, close the door for a few seconds while it finishes the food, then open it straight away. Repeat a few times a day.
Build up slowly. Sit beside the closed crate for a minute, then move a few steps away, then leave the room for a short moment. Go back before your puppy starts to whine.
Take your puppy outside to toilet straight after every nap, meal and play session. Praise and treat as soon as it goes, so the crate and toilet trips link up.
Use the crate at night from the start, in your bedroom or close by. Expect some crying in the first nights and check only for a real need to toilet.
Never use the crate as punishment. Send your puppy in with a treat and a calm word every time, so it stays a safe den rather than a timeout.
Tips and common mistakes
Take off your puppy's collar and tags before you close the crate door, so nothing can catch on the bars.
A puppy can usually hold its bladder about one hour for each month of age, so keep early crate sessions short.
Do not open the door while your puppy is whining, or it learns that crying gets it out.
A crate that is too big lets your puppy toilet in one corner and sleep in the other, so use a divider.
Questions
How long can my puppy stay in the crate?
Roughly one hour per month of age, up to a maximum of four hours for a young puppy. Overnight is fine once your puppy settles, as long as you take it out to toilet last thing and first thing.
Should I put a bed and toys in the crate?
A thin washable pad or old towel is enough. Skip soft beds for a puppy that chews, and give one safe chew toy rather than a pile of toys.
What if my puppy cries every time I close the door?
Go back a step and shorten the time. Close the door for a few seconds during meals, then build up in small amounts before you try leaving the room.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
