Crate Training and Housebreaking Your New Puppy: Essential Tips for Success

Crate Training and Housebreaking Your New Puppy

One of the first things you’ll want to do with your new pup is to begin crate training and housebreaking. These steps are crucial for successfully integrating your pup into the home while laying the foundation for a well-behaved gun dog. These early principles are essential for your pup’s long-term success.

Crate training a new puppy can quickly become a nightmare if not done correctly. But don't worry—we’ve created a Step-by-Step Crate Training & Housebreaking Guide that you can download and follow. This guide will walk you through this process, helping you avoid common pitfalls and ensuring a smoother experience.

In this post, we’ll cover a few key focus points to make crate training and housebreaking as effective as possible:

• Why Crate Size Is Key and Why You Should Consider Keeping Your Pup in a Crate
• How You Handle Accidents Determines How Quickly the Process Will Go
• Food and Water Intake: Essential for Developing Control and Prevention

Why Crate Size Is Key and Why You Should Consider Keeping Your Pup in a Crate

Utilizing a crate is important for your pup’s safety and comfort. It provides a secure space that mimics a den, helping your puppy feel safe and calm.

When shopping for a crate, you’ll notice a wide variety of brands and sizes. Early on, selecting the right crate size is critical. It’s tempting to buy a size crate your pup will grow into, but this is a mistake. Here’s why:

If the crate is too large, your pup may potty on one side and sleep on the other, which can lead to more frequent accidents and undermine your crate training efforts.

So, what size dog crate should you choose?

Aim for a crate that’s just large enough for your pup to sit up and lie down comfortably but not move around. If your pup can walk from one side of the crate to the other, it’s too big.

You might be thinking, “Won’t my pup outgrow a small crate quickly?” Yes, but you have a few options:

1. Expandable Crates: These can grow with your pup.
2. Multiple Crates: You can buy a couple of less expensive crates for the training phase.
3. DIY Solution: Purchase a larger crate and use a divider, such as a piece of plywood, to adjust the size as your pup grows.

Choose the option that best suits your needs, but make sure the crate size is appropriate for effective training as your puppy grows.

How to Handle Accidents: The Key to Crate Training and Housebreaking a Puppy

Accidents are inevitable with young puppies, but how you respond is crucial. We’ve discussed the importance of having the right supplies in our Puppy Pick-Up Day post, but let’s focus on cleaning supplies specifically.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not properly cleaning the crate after an accident. While it may look clean to us, remember that your pup’s nose is incredibly sensitive. It can detect lingering potty smells that household cleaners might not fully eliminate.

That’s why we recommend using a cleaner with bacterial enzymes. These enzymes break down the germs and bacteria in urine or stool, reducing the likelihood of future accidents in the same spot.

Accidents often happen at the most inconvenient times—like in the middle of the night. If this happens, it’s essential to thoroughly clean both the crate and your pup. If you neglect to clean your puppy, a future accident is almost guaranteed when crate training your puppy at night.

So, how should you respond when your pup has an accident?

Stay calm and understanding. Instead of punishing your puppy, take responsibility for the accident. Punishing your pup can damage the trust and bond you’re trying to build. Remember, these early stages are crucial for your pup’s development.

The key to fewer accidents is prevention.

Food and Water Intake: Essential for Developing Control and Prevention

Managing your pup’s food and water intake is one of the best steps you can take to prevent accidents and establish a solid crate training schedule.

It's important to know when to feed your puppy. Your puppy won’t know when to stop eating or drinking. Up until now, it has been competing with littermates for food and water, so it’s learned to consume as much as possible when given the chance. If you give your pup a full bowl of water, it’s likely to drink the entire thing, leading to an expanded stomach and a need for extra potty breaks.

Timing is key.

Consider your schedule when managing food and water intake. You're usually aiming for a couple times a day. Mornings are typically a good time to feed and water your pup. If you’re about to leave for work, limit water intake since you won’t be around to let your pup out.

Before bedtime, give your pup its last opportunity for water about three hours before bed. This reduces the risk of your puppy having an accident in the crate overnight.

As for food, you don’t need to limit it as much, but be mindful of your feeding schedule. After feeding, expect your pup to need a potty break within the next hour or two.

As mentioned in our What to Do When You First Get a New Puppy post, establishing a routine is vital. A consistent routine will help both you and your puppy thrive during crate training and housebreaking. Teaching your puppy to operate on a schedule will pay off in future training and make your life easier.

What’s Next?

Now that you understand the basics of crate training, be prepared to tackle three of the most common issues with having a new puppy.

BuildFromHere,

Joshua Parvin

P.S. Don’t forget to download our Step-by-Step Crate Training & Housebreaking Guide to ensure success from day one.