Crate training puppies is an exercise in patience (with Stetson it certainly was). If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a guide dog puppy raiser it’s how to crate train a puppy. I’ve been raising puppies now for the past seven years and I’m currently raising my third guide dog puppy. Stetson, my first guide dog puppy was very stubborn and hated his crate. Needless to say, Stetson almost ended my guide dog puppy raising career just as it was beginning. If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you already know that it took Stetson over four weeks to get used to his crate. In fact, he did not let me sleep more than two hours in a row during those four weeks.
When it comes to crate training puppies each puppy is at least slightly different. Stetson was an extreme case and after those four weeks of pure torture much to my joy he went totally silent and would sleep in the crate all morning without a peep. Dublin was on the other end of the spectrum and only had a couple nights of whimpering before he began sleeping through the night. Below is Dublin during one of his first puppy crate training sessions.
Over the years I’ve learned many tips and tricks on crate training puppies. Today we’re going to share with you the basics of how to crate train a puppy and then give you some of those tips and tricks for those of you who have a stubborn puppy who doesn’t want to adjust to his crate.
How To Crate Train A Puppy
As a guide dog puppy raiser we are given exact steps on how to crate train our puppies. Here’s what our Guide Dogs of America puppy manual says about crate training puppies:
A crate is a wire or molded plastic kennel that simulates a nest or den environment. A crate can become a puppy’s safe place, not to mention a house saver. When properly used, the crate becomes a security blanket, a place where the puppy can retreat to escape the household confusion and to feel secure. Never use the crate as a form of punishment! The dog crate should offer a positive, secure environment, a calming zone.
The crate can be effective in house training. Confined to a crate, an unattended puppy cannot destroy or soil anything. Do not crate the puppy during the day for more than 3 hours.
Start crate training your puppy on its first night. Place the crate in your bedroom where the puppy can still see and hear what is going on. Put a blanket or towel in the crate for bedding. A pup will rarely soil the crate, however, if he does, try removing the bedding. A crate should not be too big, but large enough for the puppy to stand stretch and turn around.
When placing the puppy in the crate, use the word “kennel” or “kennel up”. If he should happen to fall asleep somewhere else, pick him up and place him inside and quietly shut the door.
Do not hesitate to periodically use the crate, even while you are home. You may feed the puppy in his crate and give him some favorite toys, to keep the experience positive.
Crate Training Puppies
Our Favorite Crate Training Tips
Over the past seven years we’ve learned quite a bit about crate training puppies from crate training our first puppy, Linus who we rescued from the animal shelter, to working on crate training litters of puppies as foster parents, and finally crate training our very own guide dog puppies as guide dog puppy raisers. As you might have guessed over those past seven years we’ve learned many puppy training tips and tricks including a handful of useful crate training tips. Here’s a list that will hopefully help you out if you have a stubborn pup who whines, whimpers, barks, yelps, cries, and pretty much any other disturbing noise a pup can make in his crate:
- If you get to meet your pups litter mates then bring a plush toy or blanket to rub all over his litter mates. When it comes time to put your pup in his crate leave the toy or blanket in the crate too with the scent of his litter mates. this may help your pup sleep better at night. This seemed to work with Dublin.
- If your pup wakes up crying in the middle of the night take him straight to his potty spot to relieve himself. As soon as he finishes up his business take him straight back to his crate without any play time or other distractions
- Make sure you feed him at least an hour and a half before bedtime. Also, it’s been suggested to cut off water an hour and a half before bedtime so he won’t have to pee in the middle of the night.
- Play with your puppy for an extended period of time just before bedtime to tire him out.
- If you have a wire crate try putting a sheet over it to make him feel more cozy and enclosed. Be careful because I’ve had pups pull and chew on the bed sheet over the crate.
- Put your crate near the bed where your puppy can see you and if he starts crying hang your arm down so he can smell your scent. and if that doesn’t work then…
- You can try sleeping on the floor next to the crate. This worked with my rescue puppy, Linus.
- Feed him his meals in his crate. This will make him more comfortable entering his crate.
- Put plush snuggly toys in the crate to keep him company. Be careful. I’ve had pups chew, destroy and swallow plush toys when unsupervised.
- If he takes a nap during the day move him from the floor into the crate. Try doing this with the door open and closed.
- Try leaving the door open but lying down across the doorway of the crate as if to nap with him, to make him feel more comfortable in the crate, and at the same time make my body block the doorway.
- When he’s in the crate and being quiet make sure to give him lots of praise
- Try the heart beat toy. I’ve heard of a toy that simulates the mom’s heartbeat that helps the puppy sleep. We haven’t tried this one yet, but if we have another stubborn pup it will be on our wish list.
- Try the heated toy. I’ve also heard of a toy that has a thing on the inside that you can warm on the inside and insert in the toy. Makes the puppy feel like he’s with one of his litter mates. Another one we haven’t tried yet, but will be on the top of our wish list if we have a pup who doesn’t sleep.
- The one that worked for me and Stetson – I was a wreck and I thought Stetson would never get used to his crate. The only way I was able to get him to sleep was to talk to him for 5-10 minutes, telling him what a “good boy” he was when he wasn’t crying (if he did cry I would just keep silent tell he stopped). To try and quiet him down I’d either say “quiet” or “Shhh”.
You are always very thorough! I found this info. amazing helpful.
Thanks! I hope our information on crate training puppies helps you with your puppy training.
Hey there, I recently adopted a boxer/ catahoula leopard mix and he’s only 4 weeks old, the owners were getting rid of the litter and I grabbed him to provide him a great home, my only problem is I can’t find any good information on how to train puppies that are younger than 6 weeks. He is too young for treats and even regular puppy food, I’m feeling alittle over my head with him and needing some advice on how to get him comfortable in my home. He’s been crated the past two nights and woke me up about every hour, I would take him out, he would potty, then I’d bring him back in and he’d fall asleep, once asleep I placed him in his crate, but that sleep would only last an hour, is this just something ill need to get adjusted to or am I missing a better way to train him? Thanks.
Hi Corrin,
Our puppies don’t leave their mother and litter mates until they are 7 weeks old. I don’t actually start working with our pups until they are 7 weeks of age. I would try contacting a local dog trainer, a breeder, or a rescue that works with litters of puppies to see what types of things your could do with such a young pup. I’d also check with your veterinarian.
Take care,
Colby
Hi there Colby, I have been in touch with you already re my mini schnauzer that we got towards the end of June. I have been crate training him very successfully and thought I’d see how he got on throughout the night a few nights ago without being in his crate. He was silent all night whilst loose in the house but he did have a poo (sorry-I’m English!!) on the carpet. I cleaned it up with pet detergent but now during the day he keeps on going back to that spot to wee and poo. He has never done this during the daytime when he is loose but supervised before. It has seemingly become a habit. v frustrating as we have done so well til now. Any advice at all? Hope all is good with your poochies! Jo
@Jo sorry for the late response. We use Nature’s Miracle Stain and Odor Remover for Pets for all of our puppy accidents. However, I’ve heard that any enzyme cleaner should work for pet stains. My guess is he still smells the poo/pee stain and that’s why he keeps going back to the spot. If you don’t think that is the case then you might want to try backing up on his training and become more strict with your house rules. Puppies are known to regress from time to time.
Just purchased a very cute but extremely willful shihtzu/lhasa apso pup 2days ago, the first might we had a closed-off area, (an extension of the house) where we slept that night as well. He had now desire to be near us, but didn’t cry; woke up a couple times to play for a few minutes and then zonked out for about 5 hours. Long story short, we discovered we could not keep him in that room so got a little kennel for him. Waited til he fell asleep@9:30 pm tonight and put him in the crate, with a towel covering, where he woke up, started whining, began barking and escalated to screaming his head off as though he were in mega pain. Its now 1:30 am and I am about ready to give this pup up because he has been doing a ’15-minute-interval-thing’ whereby he’s screaming bloody murder/passing out Every 15 minutes for the past 4 hours. I finally had to take him out of the crate because he was screaming so loud and for so long I figured @any time i’d have the cops@my door. So. What do you do for a pup who does not care for human contact, has No desire to please, and really just wants to be left alone to do his own thing??
@Erin crate training can be very tough. We’ve had similar issues with our Labrador Retriever, Stetson when he was a puppy. Here is another article I wrote that may be helpful for you: http://puppyintraining.com/how-to-handle-your-puppys-first-night-at-home/.
You mention that your puppy has no desire to please. When working on his training (crate, obedience, etc) you need to try and find out what your puppy enjoys. Does he enjoy treats? Does he enjoy a specific toy? Does he enjoy praise? Hopefully you can find something he enjoys to use as motivation during his training. Our guide dog puppies are usually Labrador Retrievers and they are highly motivated by praise, treats, and toys.
You also might try contacting a local dog trainer for in-home training sessions. Good luck with your new puppy! As I’ve learned puppies and puppy training take a ton of patience, persistence, and consistency.
fixing to get a female yellow lab puppy if i have the crate in the bedroom what should i use in the pen that she will stay in the kitchen when im working? do i use another crate for in the pen or blanket towl a puppy bed or what?
@Jessie, you can try any of the suggestions you mentioned (crate, blanket, towel, or puppy bed), but you should try testing it before you leave your puppy alone for long periods of time. I’ve had puppies that have used towels, blankets, beds as a place to go potty. You also want to be certain that your puppy will not ingest any of these items when you’re away from home.
Hi Colby i got my pup at last, I bought a crate full size, but i can slpit in two because it comes with a separater, so during the day i take it out and in the night put it back in. The first night i put her in her crate was a nightmare at first but when put my bed slipper in the crate she slept for 3 hrs straight that might help others trying to crate train there pup, she still does not sleep whole night but i still love my new pup chelsea.
Hope this might help somebody eles.
@Rodney, thanks for letting us know about your puppy. We also use a large crate with a separater with our puppies. I’m glad Chelsea is doing better with her crate training. Hopefully she’ll be sleeping through the entire night soon.
Hey, My partner and I are meeting our new border collie puppy very soon. We’ve been informed that he was raised outside and isn’t housetrained at 8 weeks of age. Is it too late to make him an indoor, well mannered, housebroken pup?
@Tyler, congratulations on the new puppy. It’s not too late to train him. Make sure you read up on Border Collies. They are a highly intelligent and high energy dog breed. Best of luck with your new pup!
It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t find your site earlier… We’ve entered the count down for our new pup! I’ve got a 6 year old lab/poodle mix right now and she’s amazing. Her demeanor/personality gets her so many compliments. Without knowing it I did crate her almost exactly as you described until she was house broken over night, for Kira I ended up on the floor the first night right beside her crate… Night two I was further away… Within 4 nights I was back in bed and “shhh” was all I needed. I’ve already told myself that this new pup will be her own self and very well could prove to be my own Stetson. Lol I’m worried about the day time once we go back to work… I nannied for the breeder when I brought Kira home, she was never alone for long, went everywhere with me. For the first few weeks we will split our work days and the puppy won’t be home alone longer than a half hour. At 13 weeks how long can the puppy last? I’m just wondering how to plan out my vacation time, make it last as long as possible but also not do her a disservice, if that makes sense.
@Jess, early congratulations on the new puppy! Every time I get a new puppy a prepare like I might be getting another Stetson. Luckily my last 2 have been great with their crate training. Regarding how long your puppy can last in the crate it really depends on your dog. I’ve heard that some dog breeds (small/toy breeds) have problems holding it. A rule of thumb is a puppy can stay in his crate 1 hour plus however many months old they are. However, every puppy is different even within a breed. Good luck with your new puppy!
I’m really curious? If you train your puppy to go on one of those permanent potty trays how do you differentiate that from mistakes on the floor.
@Dee, thanks for visiting our website. I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you wondering how your puppy learns to differentiate the potty mistakes on the floor versus in a permanent tray? Basically it’s something you would teach your puppy and over time they will learn that they need to potty in the tray and not on the floor. Just like you, your puppy will notice the difference between the tray and floor.
We bought a new puppy and he keeps on sleeping. What will I do to make her joyful?
@Aeron, congratulations on your new puppy! Puppies do tend to sleep a lot. If you’re concerned that he’s sleeping too much then you might want to have him examined by a veterinarian.
We brought our new puppy home on Friday afternoon… She slept about 4 or 5 hours after that car ride. Now that it’s Monday I’m seeing that she goes to the bathroom right before bed and 5am. She sleeps all night. She’s up from about 6am to 8 or 8:30 and she’s a live wire!! Soooo much fun. Then… She sleeps pretty much the rest of the day… Plays for 20 min., sleeps for well over an hour or 2…
She’s only 9 weeks old.
@Jess, congratulations on your new puppy. I sounds like you already have a good idea of her schedule. I’m glad your having fun with your new pup!
I’ve noticed you always leave dublin’s leash on most of the time, even when at home and in the crate. May I ask why?
Hi Levi,
I don’t usually leave the leash on when I crate my puppies. In this picture I’m working on his training, but if I were going to crate him for a period of time I would remove his leash. However, I do leave the leash on through the majority of the day when my pups are young. This is because I’m pretty much constantly supervising and working on their training until they learn the rules of the house…potty training, house manners, no jumping, no chewing on inappropriate things, etc. Until they are older and understand and have good house manners I’m constantly supervising them and usually my pups are no more than a leash length away from me. I hope that answers your question.
Take care,
Colby
My 4 month old new puppy isn’t very motivated by treats and is too susupicious of the crate to go in to get a treat. I’ve fed him in the crate but he keeps his two hind legs out. If I place him inside the crate and close the door he is fine, it’s just getting him to want to go in that is the trouble. Any advice?
Hi Bret,
You might want to consult a local professional dog trainer so he can see your puppy in his home environment. You also might try enrolling in a puppy class.
If this was my puppy I would do my best to associate positive experiences with the crate and your puppy. Do you have a chew toy that he really enjoys? Do you give him any chews like bully sticks, pressed rawhide, antlers for dogs, etc? If he enjoys any of these things it may be a good way for you to get him to be more trusting of his crate.
Good luck with your puppy!
Colby
Colby, do you think that different breeds of dogs react in generally different ways to training? Certainly there are always exceptions, but do you feel that certain breeds are easier to train than others, and is the size of the breed a factor? I’ve just been curious about this, since I’ve only ever had small dogs.
Thanks for all your good advice.
Hi Deb,
Yes, I think that different breeds of dogs as well as size of breeds react in different ways to training. As a guide dog puppy raiser I’ve worked mostly with Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds, but I have also had the chance to work with other breeds helping out friends and family as well as working with foster dogs and puppies.
Thanks for stopping by the blog!
Colby
Im considering crate training my puppy. But since I live in a small apartment, would it be ok to have her weewee pad just next to the crate? I plan to keep on bringing her out, but I just want her to have an emergency option nearby. I also want her to sleep on a small bed in my room (where there’s airconditioning unit). Would having a sleeping area other than the crate be ok for her?
Hi Kris,
Congratulations on getting a new puppy! I’ve never used weewee pads with my puppies. When working on my pup’s crate training I always take them to the same spot outside to do their business until they are properly potty trained. Giving them the choice to potty in multiple spots (outside and weewee pads) may confuse them at a young age which also might make the potty/crate training process take a little bit longer for your puppy.
Good luck with your puppy training!
Colby
Colby,
I’m going to the animal shelter to pick up a dog (anywhere from 3 months to a year) tomorrow! After lots of saving, researching, and experience with family dogs, I’m gravitating towards bigger dogs (40-75 lbs) that were muts of working or herding class. But what’s new is I’m considering crate training. My main question is similar to Kris’. Sleeping quarters: I want the dog to sleep in the same room as me. Is it okay to have one crate that I move from the great room to the bedroom, or must they be separate? At this time, I can only afford one crate and a big washable “bed”, but I don’t want to be confusing.
Your website has been very helpful! Thanks!
Hi Catherine,
Congratulations! That’s great that you’re adopting a dog from the shelter. It sounds like you’re looking for a dog similar to what I was looking for when I adopted Linus from the Animal Shelter. Using one crate and moving around from the great room to the bedroom should be fine. I only use one crate in my bedroom and usually have my puppy on leash in other rooms or on a tie down, but moving your crate around shouldn’t be a problem.
I’m sure you’ll be very occupied with your new puppy in the coming weeks, but I’d love to hear about your entire experience if you have a free moment.
Take care,
Colby
I just got him today! he was supposed to be neutered, but it’s being put off, as he has a minor Upper Respiratory Infection. But he’s is great. Even though he had some sedatives this morning he is playing and making a few playful noises! We’re doing some thorough exploring (it’s taken me quite some time just to respond!)
As for the crate, I bought a larger one (even though he’ll only reach about 40 or so lbs). I put a small bed and toy duck into his carrier when I picked him up. Once home, I put the that bed in the first half of the cage (closed off the back) and put him in the cage with his duck (like the one you suggested on this site). He went in, chewed on his toy for a second, then carried it out to me!
He is a “American” Blue Heeler and very smart! He’s 2 months old and weights 8.2 lbs. We’ve been home just a few hours and he already knows when I walk by the food cabinet! Few questions:
On Feeding: Since he has some sedation today, I was expecting him to not be very hungry, or that he might throw up. I fed him a 1/4 cup mixture of soft and dry. FYI: at the shelter he was already being fed puppy chow without warm water. He does have antibiotics to take for 10 days for the URI, so I thought I’d ball it up in soft food. Appropriate?
If he is sitting by the food cabinet whining, should I feed him more? And is 1/2 cup twice a day plenty?
thanks!
Catherine and Ronan
Hi Catherine,
Congratulations on your puppy!
Regarding the crate: Make sure it’s not too big for him or he might potty on one side and sleep on the other. The wire crate I use has a removable divider and I only use about 1/3 of the large crate for my Lab and Golden Retriever puppies.
Regarding feeding: I would check with your veterinarian or the shelter first. You want to check and see if the antibiotics are supposed to be taken with food. If yes, then it’s okay to just add it to the food like you mention. Again the amount of food you feed him is a better question for your vet or find out how much the shelter was feeding him. Does he look over or under weight? It also depends on the type of food you’re feeding him. It’s a good idea to take him to the vet for a vet check anyways so I’d take him in and write down all the questions you’d like answered.
Regarding sitting by the food cabinet whining: I would not feed him more if he’s doing this. If you feed him then you are teaching him that whining gets him what he wants which is probably something you do not want him to learn. First find out from your vet what the proper amount of food is for him. If he’s still whining during his non-meal times after being well fed then try redirecting his behavior or ignore it until he stops. When he stops give him lots of praise.
Good luck with your new puppy!
Colby
Hi Colby!
I called the shelter and he’s been given his dewormed medicine (around 4 days ago). So thats the major issue to watch.
The first night wasn’t so bad! He didn’t whine or used the bathroom or himself or wake up and bark!! He was wonderful! I didn’t sleep merely because I was waiting for him to wake up! His crate is pretty big but I put the wire wall in the middle, and piled a blanket between his little bed and this wall. It’s not too much room, but enough for him to sleep on his back with all of his little paws sprawled out! We’ll see what a night sans a morning sedation is like.
I did as you suggested and did not feed more. I also called the vet about feeding and they recommended 1 cup a day, broken into either 3 or 4 servings.
I thought he looked full enough but after some research online and following him outside: he has worms.
He is using the bathroom outside when told, and only piddle once (Absolutely my fault. We had just woken up and I turned my back for a second). But we stopped and made it outside the the “Pee spot” and he finished there! I’m very impressed with him so far!
He’s currently napping at my feet after a tough play outside, we’ll be sure to head outside when he wakes!
Thanks!,
Catherine and Ronan
Hi Catherine,
It sounds like you and Ronan are doing great. We fostered for a while and every puppy/dog we brought home from the shelter had worms. I think it’s common because there are so many dogs gathered in one place. I’m glad you did a lot of research before bringing home your dog…great job! Hopefully everything is going well today too.
Take care,
Colby
I just found this on google, and these are some REALLY good ideas! I can’t wait to try some of them. My puppy is hating his crate right now, and driving me bonkers! I love him to pieces, but what a little terror he is at night! lol.
I was just wondering, since I am trying to get him to sleep in his crate at night rather than on our bed, or elsewhere, is it OK for me to play with him on the bed? Then if he falls asleep I could move him to the crate? Or should I just keep the bed off limits at all times?
Thank you,
Cori
Hi Cori,
I don’t let my pups on the bed. I get down on the floor and play with them rather than bring them up to the bed. Good luck withe your puppy training!
Thanks,
Colby
Hello Colby,
I am finding so much on your site that is such a help. Thank you for all your time and efforts! We have an 11 week old “Mauxie”, dachshund/maltese mix male puppy that we’ve had for about 2 weeks. The first three nights he slept with me in our guest bedroom (Yes I know, a mistake!), then I moved him into a crate in our room. He did fine with that move the first three nights, but now he’s started waking in the middle of the night howling and whining. I’ve started putting him in our utility room where we can’t hear him all night. I leave the door of his crate open with a pad in the room, but it doesn’t seem to be working very well. He isn’t in the crate most of the day as he has a bed in my office (I work at home) and sleeps well there. I have started training him to go in the crate when it isn’t time to sleep, and he seems to be getting that as I’m using treats. He also seems very picky over eating, as in he doesn’t eat much, and sometimes it takes him a long time to go poo after. He was going only on the pads I had out for him (the friends we got him from used them and he was used to that), now he’s had accidents. I feel like I’m not being “scheduled” enough for him or something. I’m worried that he’s never going to settle down at night. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated! Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Congratulations on your new puppy! The best solution would be to get a professional dog trainer to work on his behavior with an in-home session. Also, if you think you’re having some health issues with his eating you might have a vet check him and the food he’s eating.
It doesn’t sound like your puppy is potty trained yet so I would keep his crate door closed at night. Then first thing when you get up take him to his potty spot. When he goes potty give him tons of praise. This should help him learn to control his bladder as well as teach him where the proper spot is to potty. Also, I’d make sure and thoroughly cleanup any places where he had an accident in the house with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle (they should have this at most pet stores). If he can smell the odor of urine it’s likely he potty there again.
An 11 week old puppy is still pretty young. It sounds like he might be a little bit confused so I would go back to being very strict with him and his potty training. Try following everything I talked about in the article as closely as possible and take a look at this article: http://puppyintraining.com/how-to-potty-train-a-puppy/. Make sure you always take your puppy to his potty spot when he
1. First thing in the morning.
2. After each meal.
3. After a nap.
4. After playtime.
5. Right before you and your pup retire for the night.
Your puppy is a little bit older, but I usually take my young pups to their potty spot about every 10 minutes or so during their play time.
Regarding the eating I would check with your vet first, but you might try changing his food. If you do change food be careful and introduce the new food slowly. I’ve found that new dog foods can give my pups/dogs loose stools as their stomachs adjust.
It sounds like you’re doing a lot of things right. Just remain consistent, persistent, and patient. You’re pup will eventually figure things out.
Good luck with your puppy training.
Take care,
Colby
Thanks so much Colby! Last night was the best night we’ve had yet! I hope it is a harbinger of nights to come. Yesterday I did everything right and so did he! He ate three times, went to his potty spot each time and pooed and peed. I’m hoping today will be as successful. Thanks again for your website and the great help you give to us puppy owners! I posted a link to your site on my puppy blog.
Roman (my pup) did great the past few nights. he cries only once in a while. i really am greatfull for the advise you gave me. ill be reading this all the time thanks again
Hi Devin,
I’m glad Roman is doing better. Best of luck with the rest of his training.
Take care,
Colby
Colby,
Excellent blog with some very salient points! We have a 3.5 month old Chihuahua/Daschund mix who is reluctant to crate train. In our two weeks of ownership, he’s already learned to potty train but will not sleep a wink at night. The faintest sound wakes him and he will claw and howl inside the crate all night. We have tried an placing an article of clothing inside, giving him his chew toys (no rawhide sticks yet), placing the crate next to the bed and covering the crate, all without any luck.
Further, we have placed his crate in our closet, simply to quiet the noise, but this hasn’t helped. I can however get him to go into his crate with a treat or by playing with him near the crate and throwing his toys to the back, but this doesn’t last long. He will not lay down inside the crate for any extended period of time.
My next step is to place his crate in the bathtub with the door open and let him cry it out.
Should we continue to persist with what we’re doing or do you suggest alternate methods?
Thank you.
Hi Jacob,
Congratulations on your new puppy! I listed most of the things I’ve tried with my pups in this article. If you want your puppy crate trained then you will have to persist. I’m not sure if I mentioned it in this article, but it took Stetson over 4 weeks before he got used to his crate. I basically didn’t get to sleep more than 2 hours in a row during that time. Make sure you do your best to keep everything positive with the crate. I’d also work on his crate training throughout the day. By the way, not too make you nervous, but one of my guide dog puppy raiser friends said she had one pup that took over 2 months before she stopped crying in the crate.
Best of luck with your training!
Colby
I am having trouble crate training my 10 wks old Lab/Beagle mix. I know it’s particially my fault. For one she is very clingy, she’s active and extremely hyper but she has to be with you at all times. I can walk her without a leash, she always follows. So, the first night we got her my husband and I had to work early in the morning, so we put her in the crate she started crying and I let her cry for a while and then gave in and put her in bed with us. We keep trying to crate train her now and she keeps peeing and pooing in her bed. She yells cries, howels for hours and hours. She is such a good dog, I have already potty trained her. Of course I have to watch her and I know her schedule but she has been real good. I taught her how to sit, come, down and she is learning stay (thats kind of hard for her because she is so clingy. Someone help. Do I just let her sit in her waste? I really need to do this, she needs to be able to sleep in her crate and not in bed with us.
Hi Aimee,
Congratulations on your new puppy! You may want to check with a professional local dog trainer and have him/her stop by for an in-home evaluation. Also, you might consider enrolling your pup into a puppy kindergarten which will help with socialization, basic obedience, and also give you a chance to get some questions answered.
I’ve written a lot about crate training and potty training. Take a look at these articles:
http://puppyintraining.com/how-to-potty-train-a-puppy/
http://puppyintraining.com/how-to-handle-your-puppys-first-night-at-home/
I also listed 15 things you can try to help your puppy get used to her crate (see content above). A few other things I’d try are:
1. Thoroughly clean out the kennel with an enzymatic cleaner like nature’s miracle to remove all of the odor.
2. Try working on her crate training during the day starting with real short sessions.
3. Try to associate as many positive experiences with the kennel as possible. Try feeding her in the kennel, give her favorite treats in the kennel, play with her toys in the kennel. Every time she goes in and is a good girl give her tons of praise.
You should not let her sit in her waste in her kennel. If she has an accident in her kennel you need to thoroughly clean it up (as mentioned above) before you put her back in. I would also make sure you have her potty before you put her in her kennel for any extended period of time.
Good luck with your training.
Colby
Hi Colby. I am starting school next month and my boyfriend works 7-5 . School is 7-3. Would it be okay to leave my puppy in a large crate inside, or outside? Also, he will be potty trained when he needs to be in a crate. Should I leave some water+food in with him to? He will have a teddy bear with the scent of his mother and siblings. He will also have a toy or two with him.
Hi Brook,
Congratulations on your new puppy! We don’t leave our puppies in the crate for more than 2-3 hours during the day. I definitely would not recommend you leaving your puppy in his crate for that long a period of time. I would see if you could have a friend or family member come over to watch him for part of the day. Another option would be to hire a pet sitter to stop in and take care of the pup for a portion of the day.
Colby
My new puppy came to us a few days ago, making do do in her crate. How do we break her of this? My other dog would never make in the cage.
Our new puppy came to us about 4-5 months old and she makes poop in her crate. How do we break her of this? I don’t know how long this is been going on prior to having her join our family….
Hi Lisa,
Congratulations on your new puppy! It’s tough to tell exactly what’s going on without actually being there so you might want to have a local professional dog trainer come by to do an in-home evaluation of your puppy. Also, you might consider visiting a vet to make sure everything physically is okay with your pup.
If this were my puppy I would check to make sure your crate is not too big for your new pup. It should only be big enough for her to lie down and turn around in. If you have the proper sized crate you probably need to re-train your pup not to potty in the crate. You should start by thoroughly cleaning the crate with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle. One thing I would try is crating her for an hour or two right after she goes poop/pee. Then let her out of her crate. I would do this and build on the amount of time she stays in her crate during the day. At night time I would make sure she both pooped and pee’d before crating her for the night. If she’s going in the middle of the night even after you make sure she does her business before going to bed then you might try setting your alarm in the middle of the night so you can take her out to potty.
Good luck with your training.
Take care,
Colby
Hello Colby! My husband and I are taking home our first furry baby on Friday, and I am very nervous- I want to get things right! I have never had owned a pet before and so am in the dark on everything dog, especially puppy. We are getting a 7 week old Boston terrier, and I have been studying for months on everything Boston terrier and the best ways to train this breed and my new companion. Thank you so much for your website, and all of your wonderful information; it has helped me prepare to be a great Mom to Moose. We shall see how his first night goes with the crate and potty training. I have for his crate training a crate with a divider, a small blanket and toy that the hubby and I have been sleeping with for scent and puzzle puppy toys. I bought a large exercise pen for him to be in while we are away at work (I’ll be gone for 5 hours, too long for a crate). Will an excercise pen be alright for him? Do I cover the whole bottom with newspaper for messes or just a part?
Hi Stephanie,
Early congratulations on your new puppy! Good job doing research before bringing home your puppy. Did you get a chance to read this article: http://puppyintraining.com/how-to-handle-your-puppys-first-night-at-home/
We use a crate with a divider too. If you have a chance bring a plush toy with you and rub it on your pups litter mates.
You might look into having a friend or family stop by the house to play with your puppy and take him out to potty sometime during the day. Unfortunately, leaving your puppy in an exercise pen during the day before he is house trained will most likely make the house training process take much longer. Normally when paper training you would put your dogs food and water bowl in one corner and the newspaper or potty pad in the other corner.
Good luck with your new puppy!
Colby
Hello Colby, Ive had my lab/chow mix puppy for a week now. She’s 9weeks going on 10weeks and very, VERY shy. She doesnt want to walk when we take her outside (sometimes I feel like I’m dragging her just trying to encourage her to walk with me) and is quick to hide when we let her loose in the house or outside. It’s becoming to a point that I dont know how to break her shyness and be more active. We do have 3 kids in the home plus another puppy who is about to be 1yr old male pomeranian mix. Our 12yr old son tries to play with her everyday cause he loves dogs but she still wont open up. She sometimes shakes very noticibly and her heart beats so fast as if she is scared! She is familiar with her crate already but acts like she doesnt want to come out of it no matter how long we try to coax her out or when we leave her alone and just leave her door open to the crate she runs to hide behind my couch or wherever since I blocked that possibility. When she pottied outside yesterday I was so thrilled that I gave her a treat but she wouldnt take it, so I put it in her mouth while rubbing her head telling her how proud I was. I never had a puppy refuse a treat so I’m so lost right now. This is my first female pup, I’ve always had males that were outgoing and loved being rubbed but she is a recluse. I was told by the previous owner who still have mom(Lab) and dad(Chow-Chow) onsite that she was the last one left cause she wasnt as “fluffy” as her brothers and sisters. My pup looks more like a lab and the others resembled the Chow side more so I wondered if its because she was left alone and she feels as if no one wants her or am I thinking too much into this? I just want her to know that we are her family now and we wouldnt leave her alone like that. Any advice please?!
Hi Natasha,
You need to work on building your puppy’s confidence. I would look into getting a professional dog trainer to your house for an in-home evaluation and definitely involve your entire family in any training sessions. It’s difficult to tell exactly what is going on in your situation just from an email. For some puppies even over-exuberant praise could be scaring and causing them to be shy. Hopefully you can find a good trainer that can observe your puppy’s behavior.
Best of luck with your puppy!
Colby
Hi,
) But even with the back door open, she just pees on the floor and then trots outside. I am hoping she’ll grow out of it with constancy, but all I seem to be doing is mopping!
our lovely Golden Retriever arrived 3 days ago. It’s been quite hectic (we have 3 children too) but I’ve loved every second- apart from the constant piddles! I keep putting her right outside when I catch her in the act with the command “bubbles” (my daughters idea
She has a crate, but she’s not overly keen on it; my daughter and I have slept in the same room with her the last two nights, our pup does wake up and whine quite a bit, but tonight I may try leaving her on her own. And my goodness, but does she just LOVE the rain; when I put her out the back for her “bubbles”, if there’e even one drop of rain she goes completely crazy, jumping around, rolling on the ground etc. I’m hoping this means she’ll enjoy bathtime!
I find your blogs really helpful- and it’s so nice to know that there’s other people out there that find it all stressful at times, I’m definitely not the only one!!
Hi Lisa,
Congratulations on your new puppy! Yes, puppyhood can be stressful. Try to stay consistent, persistent, and patient with your training and eventually your puppy will get it.
Before you know it your puppy will be a full grown dog so take lots of pictures/video.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi Colby- Really like your site. I just picked up an 8 week old lab puppy. She has been amazing thus far, not crying one bit through the night – which seems to be most peoples issue with the crate. She does however paw and nudge the crate door quite a bit through the night, even when she doesn’t need to go to the bathroom. Any thoughts on stopping this behavoir? Thanks!
Hi Stuart,
Congratulations on the new puppy! Is she purposely doing this or is it something she’s doing involuntarily like in her sleep or just rustling. If she’s purposely doing it to try and get your attention then you should be fine as long as you don’t reward the behavior.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hey there! So we got our puppy a little less than 3 weeks ago. We didn’t want to kennel her at first but eventually got tired of her pottying in the house. we got a large kennel and she pooped in it. then we got s smaller kennel and she keeps doing it. we put her in there while weare home and while she sleeps. she will only poop if we have her in there and home alone. what do i do?
If she’s pooping only when she’s home alone and in her crate you might try leaving her in the crate and home alone for shorter periods of time. As she gets older you can start building on the amount of time you leave her alone in her crate.
Help Please!!! I have a 3 month old black lab/ pitbull mix that i rescued about two weeks ago. He is the sweetest, smartest dog i have ever owned, but he loves to use the bathroom in the house and in his kennel. I make sure to take him outside every 30 mins or every hour, he goes outside and he does his buisness, i praise him and give him a treat, and when I take him back inside he stands right infront of me, looks at me, and starts using the bathroom. And one hour before I put him to bed i put his food and water up and then i place him in the kennel at night to go to sleep. I make sure to take him out one more time before placing him in the kennel, but every morning i wake up and his kennel is FULL of pee and poop. I don’t even put blankets in his kennel anymore because he just uses the bathroom all over it. I have always been told that dogs will not use the bathroom where they sleep, but this dog disproves that theory. I don’t know what to do. I have tried training pads and everything. When he uses the bathroom outside I make sure to praise him in a high pitched tone and give him treats, but nothing seems to work and the people I am living with are getting sick of dog poop and pee being everywhere on the carpets. Please help me. I dont want to have to get rid of him but if things don’t change then I will have to. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks… Courtney
Hi Courtney,
Congratulations on your new puppy! When you take your puppy out to potty you may need to wait outside a little longer even after he finishes his business. Young puppies often don’t have full control of their bladder and it’s very common for them to potty outside and then immediately do it again in the house.
Regarding the kennel. Make sure you have the right size kennel. It should only be big enough for your puppy to stand up and turn around in. Once you have the right size make sure you clean it thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner. If he’s going in the middle of the night I’d suggest setting your alarm to go off once or twice at night to let your puppy out to do his business. As he gets older he should get better at holding his pee/poop.
Hopefully that helps.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
If you are anyone you know has a Pittbull and need tips on how to train or raise there pitt please visit http://pittbullpuppy-treats.blogspot.com/ a blog i have created a few days ago for pittbull training/raising/feeding and much more this is only for pitt bull dogs
Thank you for your site there is so much good information here,
Last week I got my puppy Benito from the local shelter, he is the most adorable, very smart and a little stubborn but definetly trainable. We have been working on the basics sit, come, doing his business and crate training.
That is my concern, he is awesome during the day we take him out approx. every 2 hours . I put him in the crate as late as possible , around 12 am, it is in the kitchen. He has done his business and I put toys and bedding in there. He was at first not so bad but it has gotten worse as time is going on, whining and barking. I set my alarm to get up every 3 hours I try to wait if he starts to whine just a little till he pauses then I appear. I don’t walk immediately to the crate so not to encourage him, usually put on the lights grab the leash then open the crate. Take him out and he does his business. This has done well and hoping he will get over the whining and just get used to his routine. Last night we regressed, he was very whiney and I had done all the above but woke up to the 2:30 release, the crate pan was lifted and pillow underneath it looks like he pooped and possibly ate it. The pillow smelled soiled and he pulled the puppy pad that we keep in front of the crate for daytime emergencies just in case we miss the que. I don’t know what I did wrong, it appears he pulled the pad in to releave himself. I’m confused he was doing so well and I did get up to take him out at 6am and this being my day off put him back in till 8:30 only to get up to this. He did not have a different diet yesterday so what did I do wrong???
The only thing I can figure is he likes to be with me we snuggled on the couch before I went to bed he is quite the people person he loves to be with the family.
I haven’t put the kennel in my bedroom because I thought I would be giving him bad habits.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Nancy
Please notify me via my e-mail.
Hi.
First off very helpful website, thank you.
We get our 9 week old pup in two days. Just have a few concerns.
There are too many rules to crate training.
Your method of taking the crate into the bedroom isn’t really suitable for my situation.
Sounds silly but I have a slight disability and the thought of me rushing down the stairs to take him out if he needs to go worries me as I am not to good on the stairs as it is. Will be to worried I would drop him. (I have a weakness in my right arm).
Would I be able to stay with him downstairs?
Would this not cause problems when I eventually went back to my own bed? With him wanting me there?
Can the dog be let out before bed and then once in his crate really hold himself for that long?
How will I know if he needs to go or whether he just wants attention?
Does he need to be on the lead even if I to take him out during the night?
Sorry for all the questions but this is stressing me out even before I have him home.
I need your help.
Please.
Becky. (Scamps mum)
Hi Becky,
I’m guessing you already picked up your new puppy. Congratulations! Having the crate next to our bed is a guide dog rule. I don’t think there is a problem with you staying with your puppy downstairs. Every puppy is a little bit different. Some will take right to the crate and not care whether or not you are there. Others will cry even if you are there. If your pup enjoys your company near the crate then it would probably be a good idea to wean him off slowly. At 9 weeks old your puppy will probably need to go out once or twice in the middle of the night. Usually it takes anywhere for a few days to a few weeks before your pup can sleep straight through the night without having to go out and potty. When they’re really young I usually take them out anytime they wake up and they will usually have to potty. Again keeping our pups on lead when we take them out to potty is a guide dog rule. We take our guide pups out on lead anytime they have to potty.
I hope that helps and I hope your puppy is doing well with his training.
Take care,
Colby
to the person who has the website for training pit bulls, i have a pit/ black lab mix puppy, do you think it could help my puppy?
Hello, We have a 4 month old cockapoo puppy. At first she was okay and then we had a nightmare week and had her in the bed. She does not go to the washroom in the bed and if she needs to go she lets us know a majority of the time. In the day we like her roam between our kitchen and living room but we be sure to have everything cleared so she cannot get into to anything. She has not been peeing or pooing in the house and usually waits to go out. But at night she whines and barks and goes crazy in the crate for hours. If we let her out and go on bed she is out in minutes. What should we do?
SAM & MARK
Hi Sam and Mark,
Congratulations on your new puppy! We have to crate train all of our puppies and recommend everyone else do the same. As I mentioned in many of my articles it has taken me anywhere from a couple days to 4 weeks to get my puppy used to the crate. I mentioned a lot of things you can try in the article. If it were me I’d continue to work on get your pup crate trained.
Good luck!
Colby
Hi! My husband and I got a chocolate lab about 4 weeks ago. He just turned 11 weeks old today. He has been doing great with potty training and we are crate training at night and while we are at work. Recently he has been peeing in his crate. He won’t poop in his crate. I was gone for 2 hours to go to dinner and he peed everywhere. We take him out right before we put him in. Do you have any suggestions for something maybe we aren’t doing?
Hi Heather,
Congratulations on your new puppy! I would try keeping a potty record. Basically record every time your puppy eats, drinks, and potty’s. My last puppy had a similar accident when he was about 16 weeks old. He did his business before we went on a car ride and while he was in the car he had an accident. Since I was keeping track of his eating, drinking, and potty behavior I knew that he had drank quite a bit of water about 10 minutes before we went in the car.
Of course there can be other issues too like the crate being too large (it should be just big enough for him to stand up and turn around) or even a bladder infection.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi there, my family and I have just brought home a german shepherd puppy. We have decided to crate train her, but I have a couple of questions! We have been taking her to the toilet outside and shes been really good at it. I did some research online and I found the suggestion of a long term confinement area for when you are away. The problem is that since she’s so used to going outside when I’m away and she needs to do her business she doesn’t do it on the puppy training pads. I don’t want to start training her to use them cause it would no doubt confuse her. The longest I am away from home for is up to 4 hours, or else its the school drop off and pick up each day. Any advice for this?
My other concern is that to stop accidents in the house while we are here I have had her on a leash so she’s close by but she hates it. I thought that I could keep her in her crate while I”m making dinner etc. but she starts whining and I don’t want her to think shes in there for punishment causing her to hate her crate. Any advice on this would be good too! Thanks so much, sorry its so long
I should add that she is very happy in her crate at night and sleeps there really well, which is why I’m hesitant in putting her in her crate during the day because she might end up hating being in there…
Hi Jenny,
I’m not too sure I understand the first part of your questions. Do you crate her during the day, using a confinement area, or something else? As for the second part of your question she should learn to be fine in her crate even while you’re doing tasks around the house like cooking dinner. If she starts whining make sure she stop whining before you let her out of the crate. If you want to crate her while your preparing dinner you might try starting with short sessions and crate her for part of the prep time and the other part keep her by your side on leash. All of my pups have gotten to the point where I can leave them in their crate even if I’m doing choirs around the house. Crating your puppy during the middle of the day is good for you and your puppy. You both need a break from each other once in a while.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi Colby! My husband and I recently brought home our first puppy. She is going to be a 10 week old Golden Retriever this week. She is doing really well with her crate and frequently goes in there to just play or lay around. The only issue we are having is when her or my husband come home to let her out of the crate she pees immediately when we go to open the crate. This is the only time she will go in her crate. I’ve heard that she will grow out of it or that we should start ignoring her when we come home until she calms down but I’m not sure what exactly we can do about it. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Jacqueline
Hi Jacquiline,
Congratulations on your new puppy! It sounds like you got some pretty good advice. From what you’ve said your puppy is probably getting overly excited when you get home. Your best bet is to try and be as calm as possible whenever you get home and not get your pup too excited. Most of the pups we’ve worked with have grown out of this. I’d also check with your vet to make sure their are not medical concerns.
Good luck with your new pup!
Colby
Hello! We’ve had our newest puppy addition for a few days now. He’s an 8 week old staffordshire bull terrior. We are currently trying to crate train him at night but he has the loudest bark/howl/yelp I’ve ever heard. We have a 4 year old staffordshire bull terrior as well and don’t recall having any issues with night time crate training. We take for walks/runs before bed, but it seem he can’t settle down. It’s been very long nights! Any suggestions?
Hi Tanah,
Congratulations on your new puppy! One thing we’ve learned is that every dog is different. We’ve raised several Labs and some take to their crates quickly and only wake up once or twice on the first night while others like Stetson bark/whine/howl almost all night for about a month. We listed 15 things you might try to get your puppy to quiet down at night. I’d try those suggestions with your puppy.
Good luck with your crate training!
Colby
hello
i recused a 3 month old terr mix of some kind…. he is a really smart dog. already knows basic obedient and is house broken. I’ve had him for about a month now. he will not stop barking in his kennel. Ive tryed a lot of the suggestions that you’ve given such as feeding in kennel, having lots of positive experience with kennel, with treats and such. I have also tryed using a spray bottle to stop him for barking I ( i read that that was suppose to help) but that doesn’t seem to helping! i do not wanna have to get him a bark collar if i can avoid it but im not sure what else to do?…. He does great during the nite he sleeping in his kennel and doesn’t bark or wine… just during the day!… i close my door and turn on music for Ace ( i also read this was suppose to help). I’m not home during the day always but my sisters n mom are so they make sure he gets out usually in afternoon i put him in cage about 8 or so n hes out by 2 on most days.. i walk him in the morning before a put him in cage ……. What suggests can you give me? Thanks!
You might want to look into bringing a professional dog trainer to assess your situation. He’s very young to be spending so much time in the crate and terriers usually require lots of exercise. I try not to use the crate for more than 2-3 hours during the day with my pups.
I’d try not using the crate as much and try to get your puppy more exercise. Good luck with your training!
Hi Colby, thanks for the great information you provide. I’m picking up my 12 week old brussels griffon soon and I want to make sure I’m training him correctly. I’m finding it difficult to find a crate small enough for his size and also I’m finding it difficult to find a crate with a divider. Where is the best place to get one for his size?
My next query is that sometimes I’m going to have to leave him alone at home for a maximum of 5 hours. This will not be often but I need to know what am I suppose to do? I know that you say they are not meant to be in the crate for more than 2 – 3 hours. What would be the best thing to do when I need to be away for 5 hours?
Is it’s ok for me to leave him in his small crate for up to 3 hours if I’m out?
your answers would be really appreciated. Thank you so much.
I literally read this and several other blogs on this site while trying to get my puppy to sleep. It has been very helpful but for the first 2 nights my boyfriend And i had her sleeping in our be with us and i regret it very much now. She is only 6 weeks old and has terrible separation anxiety. i couldn’t get anything with the sent of her litter mates, should i still buy lots of stuffed animals? Should they smell like my boyfriend and i? When she falls asleep on my lap i can usually set her on a he.ated blanket and she sleeps like that fairly well. what is/are the best thing(s)
To do? Because she is so young i am very afraid of doing something wrong
Hi Natalie,
Congratulations on your new puppy! The things you mentioned may help (lots of stuffed toys, getting your scent on the toys and blankets), but every puppy is different. I listed 15 different things you can try in this article. I tried almost all of them when I had Stetson and the only thing that worked with him was talking him to sleep. All of my other puppies got used to the crate training anywhere from a couple days to a week.
By the way, I’d be careful using a heated blanket as I’ve had some pups chew on their bedding.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi Colby, I’m so glad I found your website. Our 3-month-old Havanese, Tino, sleeps all night in his crate without so much as a whimper. Getting him to settle in his crate during the day is another matter. He is very attached to me and becomes distressed when left alone in the crate. The barking and screaming are off the charts. I put him in his crate after he has fallen asleep, giving him a treat for going in and praising him. He’s ok for about 30 mins before the screaming starts. I worry that letting him cry it out might be damaging as I don’t want him to associate the crate with negative emotional states. Today, after about 10 mins of screaming, I tried walking in and out
of the room for awhile (no luck), then sat down next to the crate until he calmed down then let him out without a fuss or a treat. Any help you can provide would be so much appreciated.
Hi Michelle,
It sounds like you’re doing a lot of things right with your crate training. You mentioned:
“I put him in his crate after he has fallen asleep, giving him a treat for going in and praising him. He’s ok for about 30 mins before the screaming starts.”
You might try putting him in his crate after he has fallen asleep then wake him up about 20 minutes later (before he starts crying) to let him out of the crate. When I’m having trouble with crate training I try to keep the crate training sessions short and slowly make them longer as my pup gets used to being left alone.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi Colby,
Great article, thanks! I always crate train my dogs, but have a question. We are bringing home a new puppy and I was wondering about allowing it to sleep in a larger crate with my other dog at least for the first few nights? I know other people who have done this as a way to provide some security for a new puppy entering the home. I don’t want her to necessarily become dependent on having the other dog there, but maybe just in the beginning if they seem to need it? (Obviously the other dog would have to be comfortable and happy with sleeping with the puppy!! My dog is very much the snuggler type and welcoming of other dogs. the crate is next to my bed and next to my other dogs bed where he normally sleeps) Thanks for any input!
Hi Kristi,
Congratulations on the new puppy! I’ve never tried this with my dogs and pups. If others you know have tried this and it’s worked for them then I’d say give it a go. I myself probably would not do this for one because our guide dog program would most likely not allow it and second because I like setting up the rules and boundaries for my puppy from the first day.
Good luck with your new pup!
Colby
Hi,
I just got my black lab puppy two weeks ago and I am struggling a lot with getting her to crate train or even potty train for that matter. I honestly thought this would be easy because I have a two year old golden retriever but I am quickly seeing they are not the same! Do you have any special suggestions for having two dogs at home and trying to train a puppy? I do not want my golden to regress but now I am having problems getting my golden to sleep in her crate at night as well.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Every puppy I’ve crated trained has been different even within the same breed. You really never know. I think the key here is to remain consistent and patient with your Lab and Golden. I usually have a couple dogs at home when I’m working with my puppy. I have 2 crates with 1 on each side of the bed. I’m not sure if this configuration works better or worse then having both crates together, but it’s something you might try.
By the way, I’m not sure if you had a chance to try all the suggestions in the article, but as I mentioned all puppies are different and what works for one may not work for another.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi, we have just bought home a 9 week old cocker spaniel and I’m struggling to accept him as its a lot harder than I thought it would be. A couple of issues are, he will happily go into his crate in the day and sleep but with his door open but night times he is only ok if the hubby has got him to sleep first and then put him in, tried putting him in awake last night but couldn’t stand the noise after 15 mins so hubby went bact to him and got him to be quiet and he eventually fell asleep and didn’t wake till 8 am which was brilliant but I don’t know if we are doing the right thing by staying with him until he is asleep. Another thing is going out to pee and poo. We have made an enclosed area where we would like him to keep his pee and poo and he will go straight in which I give a treat for but then he won’t do his pee or poo until I’ve let him out and he uses the rest of the garden, I’m bothered by this as I have small grandchildren and although I clean up straight away after him, I’m worried they will pick up diseases etc, any help would be appreciated.. Thanks julia
Is there a reason my question isn’t being replied to ? Would appreciate some help, thanks julia
Hi Julia,
Thanks for stopping by. Sorry, but I get hundreds of comments and questions every week and unfortunately, I only have a couple hours every day to answer them and to make matters worse it’s our busy season at my day job and I’ve been on vacation for a few days. I’m going to take a look at your question now. Thanks for your patience!
Colby
Hi Julia,
Congratulations on your new puppy! I’ve slept on the floor next to the crate to get my pups to sleep. When I do this I slowly ween them off by spending less and less time on the floor until they eventually are used to sleeping by themselves. There are lots of other tips in this article that you might try with your puppy as well. Most pups I’ve raised adapt to the crate within a week or so.
Regarding the pee and poop: When we raise our guide dog puppies we always keep them on leash when we take them out to potty and take them to the same place until they are potty trained. I would try doing the same with your puppy until he understands where he should go. I wrote an article on how we potty train our pups here:
I hope that helps.
Good luck with your puppy training!
Colby
Hi,
I recently got a 6 week old Border Collie. Normally, I would wait till she was about 8 weeks old but her mom got ran over by a car so I took her in earlier to start the potty training process. I have had her for 3 days already and I’ve done exactly what every website says to do. I am crate training her, taking her out every 1-2 hours to potty at her “potty area.” I praise her after every time she goes. She has only had one accident inside but luckily I was able to correct because I caught her in the action. I even wake up every 2 hours at night to take her out.
So, my problem is, for the last 3 days I haven’t left my house. I have literally been home ALL day just catering to her needs. She loves her crate but I am scared to leave her in her crate while I leave! What do I do? When will i feel comfortable enough to leave her alone in there for an hour or two? Am I doing the right thing by being available ALL the time? Is a good thing, and this is going to speed up the potty training process?
Also, is there a such thing as taking your puppy out “too much?”
I take her out every hour or so during the day. I don’t know if this is a good thing or it’s a bad thing because she never learns to hold her bladder?
Thank you for your time!
Monica
Hi Monica,
Congratulations on your new puppy! I’m so sorry to hear about the mommy.
Regarding your question on leaving her home alone during the day. I would try leaving her alone in the crate for a short period of time and just pretend like you leave (maybe start off with just 15 minutes). I’ve done the same thing with my pups and gradually build on the amount of time I leave them home alone until I know they will do okay for 1-2 hours.
When we first bring out pups home at around 7 weeks I take them out all the time just like you have mentioned. However, you eventually want to start working on their bladder control and not take them out as often. However, you pup is still very young and I think you’re okay taking her out as often as you are. She probably physically still does not have control over her bladder yet.
It sounds like you’re doing a great job with your puppy and I’m sure she will be potty trained and crate trained in no time.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Debe ser un trabajo bastante agradable, ver como esos perros se van educando.
un saludo
fus
Hi I am crate training my 9 week boxer puppy. She is peeing and pooing in the crate overnight and then whines to be let out. what should I do if she doesnt cry when she has to go?
Hi,
Your blog is amazing. Thank you for taking the time. I just picked up my 8 week old black labrador. And we have begun crate training but she really dislikes it. The first night she cried and even threw up… my husband sat next to the crate so she wouldn’t feel alone but nothing helped. We have tried making it fun for her or at least comfortable but she just cries all night. And even during the day when she naps and we put her in the crate, the moment she feels the door close she wakes up and starts crying. Is this all normal. Should I stop? Please help. I feel terrible hearing her.
Hi Michelle,
Congratulations on your new puppy! Stetson did the same thing as your puppy when I first brought him home. Unfortunately, the news is not good. It took Stetson about 4 weeks to get used to his crate. I got very little sleep during that time. In general most of my puppies took about a week or less before they got used to the crate. Stetson was definitely the exception. By the way, Stetson is also a black Labrador. I would do my best to try and make every experience with the crate a positive one. You can also try the 15 items I listed in the blog post.
Hopefully your pup adjusts to the crate more quickly then Stetson.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Thank you and Thank you so much for your response Colby. It is a relief having some type of guide and knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Is it normal for her to look sad? I am sorry if the question sounds silly but it just seems she is so sad when she is in the crate. I will definitely look at the 15 items in listed in your blog to make it more enjoyable for her.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I’m sure she’s giving you the puppy dog eyes and that does look pretty sad. Just make sure you stay strict and consistent with her. She’ll pick it up quicker if you stay consistent, persistent, and patient.
Good luck with training!
Colby
Colby,
That’s exactly what she is doing! Lol…
I again can’t thank you enough!
Michelle
Hi Colby,
Thanks for the wonderful blog and you tube videos. I’ve picked up a lot of info already but I find I’m getting some conflicting info and wondered what your take would be.
I pick up my 8 week old Yorkie-Poo in less than two weeks. I live in the midwest and it’s FREEZING outside right now. I’ve heard that housebreaking a Yorkie is very difficult. Here’s where the conflicting information comes in.
The first breeder I visited (Yorkies only) warned me about taking the pup outside before it’s had all of its shots because of the chance of picking up Parvo that lives in the ground for up to 10 years. I have a fenced backyard, but the previous owners had two small dogs and I don’t know their history – and I’ve only lived here for 9 months. So that makes me a little nervous about taking the pup outside. Not to mention the freezing temps right now. I’m wondering if he would go at all!
So this breeder told me that instead, I should put the pup and it’s crate, etc. inside a pen – in the house – and use hospital pads (all-fabric potty pads) in the pen for the pup to go potty on. But this seems conflicting to me because ultimately, I want the dog to be able to do its biz outside.
The other thing that worries me is that I live alone and work so the dog will be alone for 9 hours, M-F. There is no one that can come by and help out. But I had some folks suggest that I put the pup in my bathroom, with a baby gate up – and just leave potty pads, the crate, toys, food/water, etc. in there for him and he would be fine. I know it’s not ideal, but realistically – shouldn’t he be fine?
Anyway, there are my concerns and I’m wondering what you think.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Deanna,
Congratulations on your new puppy! As you mentioned things aren’t ideal, but as far as the things you mentioned it sounds like you’ve thought things through very well. If you’re not sure about your yard being safe for your puppy then I would consider the second option you mentioned with the crate, inside pen, and pads. You may have to do some re-training to get your puppy to potty outside after his vaccinations.
I would consider trying to do something to not leave your puppy at home all day. Maybe you can look into getting a pet sitter. If you do leave your puppy home alone then make sure there’s nothing in his area that he can swallow or choke on.
Best of luck with training!
Colby
At the start of reading this article my chiuaua puppy Daisy was screaming her head off. It’s her first night in her brand new crate. My dh kept telling me just ignore her she’ll stop…well by the time I finished reading she finally did. I’ll be sure tomorrow to use your tips to get her used to it. I thought I was going to crack for a bit.just wanted to pull the poor thing out and hold her.shes used to sleeping alone, by our bed, we had her in a large tote, but by the end of the first week she was climbing out, so payday came and we bought a crate. My mistake was not waiting till tomorrow to introduce her to it
Hi Millie,
Good luck with crate training tomorrow! Hopefully Daisy does a little bit better.
Take care,
Colby
What a site! Love it and thanks for the help.
Here is my issue. I live in an apartment with a room mate and we are trying to figure out how should we potty train our puppy.
We have been told not to let him go outside until he has been potty trained. So we are wondering where should we potty train him? Should we get a double aided crate to use the restroom on one side and sleep on the other? I’m completely lost what to do.
So questions
1. Should we get double sided crate.
2. Can he go outside to pee? He has been doing well since we take him out a lot and has a specific spot.
3. If we only get a single sided crate should we just use puppy pads? Until he can officially go outside.
Here is a little background.
I’ve had the pup for 1 day now. I am currently at my parents house since I had to pick up the puppy from my home town and stayed the weekend. I’ll return home tomorrow . He is a red nose pit.
Please help
The puppy is 6 weeks old BTW almost 7
Hi Taylor,
Congratulations on the new puppy! I’m not sure why your puppy shouldn’t be allowed outside until he is potty trained. It is a good idea for your puppy not to go outside in common areas until he is fully vaccinated. Do you have a private backyard? If so, it should be okay to take him out to this area to work on potty training. If you’re only option is to have him learn to potty in the house then I would choose a designated area and always take him to that spot to potty.
Out of the options you mentioned I would go with option 2 as long as you have an area that other dog’s don’t frequent like a backyard. Otherwise I would do option 3 and use potty pads in a designated spot in your house.
Good luck with your training!
Colby
Hi Colby,
Thank you for sharing wonderful information to new pet owners like me.I brought home a 35 days old lab .I wanted to know if I can leave her home for 2-3 hours as I have to take my kid out for her drawing class. It would be great if you can share the tips/precaution for that.
Thanks in advance,
Misty
Hi Misty,
Were you wondering if you can leave your puppy at home alone in her crate for 2-3 hours? We bring our puppies home at around 7-8 weeks of age and we usually try not too leave our pups in their crates for much more than 2 hours at that age.
Good luck with your training.
Colby