The House Training Guide

• House Training Guide: Part 1.
• House Training Guide: Part 2.
• How do I house train my puppy in an apartment?

Crate training is a great idea for speeding up the potty training process and giving your dog a safe retreat.  The crate should be a positive place that your puppy wants to go and never treated as a punishment.  There are various ways in which you can make a positive association and this article will show you how in conjunction with the potty training guide you can establish a good routine.

1. Buy a crate that is going to be big enough for your dog to stretch out and stand up in when they are fully grown. It also has to be large enough to fit a comfy bed in! A large and airy crate is the best for your puppy to keep cool and relaxed in.
2. Do not shut your puppy in there for the first few days, just leave the door open.
3. Try to feed all of your puppies meals inside the crate and make it as comfortable as possible. If you live in a hot climate then you may want to invest in a crate cooling fan
4. You can shut the door for the first time whilst they eat a meal, then immediately open it and take them out to pee/poop which is covered in potty training.
5. Give new toys in the crate.
6. Teach your puppy a command to enter the crate like ‘in’. Throw a treat in for them to follow whilst saying the command.
7. Begin shutting them in the crate for five minutes, adding another five minutes each time.
8. Do not react if your puppy cries but bear in mind you left them in too long and make the next time shorter.
9. Using the crate as a training aid for house training is effective so make sure the bed covers the inside of the crate as puppies are unlikely to dirty their own bed.  Please remember they can only hold it for a few hours so this rule will be broken if you leave them for too long.
10. Fill kongs with food and seal with cream cheese and give them in the crate whilst you shut the door for a while. Always make sure you leave a fresh bowl of water in the crate for your puppy

Dog Appeasing Pheromones

Dog Appeasing Pheromone also known as DAP can help reduce anxiety, especially during novel situations and you may find it beneficial to help your puppy acclimatise to its new crate. It is odourless to humans but will help calm dogs which can aid smooth introductions to your other pets. It is a synthetic analogue of a pheromone that whelping bitches secrete that calms the puppy shortly after birth and beyond. This product can have the same effects upon adult dogs and is used frequently to promote calm, relaxed dogs and puppies. DAP is currently available in three forms., which acts just like an air freshener, easily plugging into a socket and releasing a constant flow of pheromones. You can also opt for the which is handy as you can spray it on their bedding or in your car to help reduce stress. The latest innovation is a collar , they look and feel much like a flea collar, the pheromone lasts for up to four weeks in these collars and allows the dog to benefit from the calming properties of DAP when out walking. If you are based in the UK you can purchase DAP from any veterinarian or online at petsupermarket by typing DAP into the search and scrolling down a little.