Crate Training.

I posted this in the Herald Dispatch's Dog blog. Here is the correct method to crate train. All dogs are den animals. The crate becomes their sanctuary, or den. You start out by placing the crate in the bedroom, next to the bed, and right before bed, you take the puppy out. Praise greatly when the puppy potty's. Take the dog back in, put in crate, along with a favorite toy, and go to bed. Ignore the crying, they will stop. First thing in the a.m., you take the puppy out, praise after the potty, come in and feed. After they finish, wait 10-15 min. and take them back out. Same routine. Put crate in a place where the puppy can see the door you come in, put puppy in just as you get ready to leave the house. Don't put puppy in and then hang around for 20 min. When you come home, take puppy out, immediately go outside, praise and then go about your after work routine. Same routine as before for nighttime. Soon, you will be able to leave the door to the crate open and the dog loose in the house. They will go into the crate to sleep while you are gone. Put a super soft towel or bed in the crate and a few bits of kibble and a small amt. of water. Too much food and water in the crate when you start the training, will only make the dog have to potty sooner. Always remember, 99%(dogs), will not potty where they sleep and eat. So, when purchasing a crate, make sure that the dog can stand and turn around, but not enough room that they can go to the back of the crate and potty. And, never, never use the crate as punishment. This is their own little cave. Their alone place. I call this there hidey hole.