Who doesn’t want to stop a puppy from jumping at the wrong times in all the wrong situations?

I will outline some very effective methods to help encourage your dog to stop pouncing around like a kangaroo when it’s not appropriate.

I’ve written extensively on puppy potty training, but it’s safe to say that puppy jumping and biting are common problems we all face in the early stages of puppy development.

First, let me point out that none of these are actual problems in the first place because they’re all normal puppy behaviors. Puppy jumping can be a hassle and annoying but it’s very normal and can be addressed using positive training techniques.

Dominance – Excuse Me?

First off, forget everything you’ve heard about your puppy jumping to exert dominance. I cannot believe how much information there is out there stating that if your dog is jumping on you then you have to call martial law and prepare your home and family for a calculated canine takeover.

Let me get this straight. You want ME to show my little 15-Pounder who’s the boss and devise a strategy to put him back into his sub-ordinate role before his plans to control my life come to fruition?

Give Me a Break!

In extremely rare cases a dog might mount or jump on another dog to display dominance. A dog that is an alpha will clearly let other dogs know he’s dominant. Furthermore, he’ll take down any dog that might question his dominance. Jumping around to be bossy hardly fits the equation.

I know many that will disagree with the above. I’m NOT saying dogs can’t be dominant or that your dog isn’t dominant. It is very, extremely unlikely! It would be ill advised to tag puppy jumping as a dominance issue, which encourages you to use all kinds of negative methods that are detrimental to your pup’s well being.

Rest assured that your puppy is not going to take you down or dominate your family! You don’t have to BE the boss but you do have to let your puppy know there are inappropriate times to jump and other times when it might not be ok. You should definitely be a good role model and a loving teacher.

You simply have to present some guidelines and rules to help them behave in a manner that is acceptable inside your home, around your family and others.

No Punishment, No Pain and No Misconceptions about Doggy Dominance.

The Jumping Puppy Agenda

Puppies jump because they’re excited, eager and love to greet us with bunches of love. When it comes to greeting rituals, dogs are something else!

Dogs are pack animals and love being in close proximity to their social circle. However, the modern human-dog relationship is filled with separation. Most of us separate and reunite with our dogs several times during any given week, which only adds more oomph to greeting time.

This might explain why they can sometimes get out of hand when they meet and greet their loved ones.

There’s absolutely no question about it – Jumping Puppies are Very Cute! We tolerate and even encourage it when they’re very young then we try to nip it in the bud when they get older.

“I had a Jumping Up marathon that lasted several weeks when I was growing up and I’m Proud of it!” } Halle

Once you have a full grown pup on your hands, random jumping or annoying leaping is not so cute anymore, especially with larger breeds.

Here are just some of the not-so-cool consequences of a manic four-legged jumper:

- Soils or Might Damage your Clothes.
- Dangerous – knock a Child or Elderly person over.
- Really Annoying if you’re trying to Do Something.
- Not Respectful if Strangers or Visitors enter your Home.
- Makes Outdoor Activities Difficult.

But what about jumping on furniture and kitchen counters? The reason is generally associated to a history of reinforcement or a lack of something better to do.

The jumping puppy agenda is not filled with dominance, but with honest reasons for engaging in such behavior. Before we explore ways to deal with this matter, let’s go over actions you absolutely need to stray away from.

Unnecessary Solutions

Saying there’s a lot of bad advice on this topic is an understatement! Here are 5 techniques that are definitely NOT HBD Recommended. Let me point out that many of them DO work but can be incredibly dangerous and harmful to your puppy.

1. The Knee Block. Putting your knee up to block and potentially harm your puppy is never a good idea. You can seriously injure your dog, especially with deep-chested breeds like Weimaraners and Boxers. You might read about justified knee blocking without kicking but as long as your knee is up and blocking you can hurt your dog.

2. Yanking the Leash. This when you Keep your puppy on leash and abruptly yank your dog for jumping up when it’s not ok. Directing and gently pulling on the leash is ok, yanking with anger or to enforce you leadership is not required.

3. Paw Pinching. Squeezing or holding your puppy’s paws to initiate an undesirable behavior is pure punishment. Imagine doing this, then trying to train your puppy to allow you to trim his nails.

4. Loud Noise Containers and Yelling. Doing any of this does nothing to offer your puppy any instructive feedback. Yes, they’re a different species but there many ways to communicate with your puppy without abusing their sensitive ears with loud noises.

5. Spray Bottles and Water Guns. Again not necessary and very negative! Also very archaic if you ask me!

Like I mentioned, many of the traditional and popular methods above WILL work but are completely unnecessary and can cause all kinds of damage. There are of course other punitive methods but I think I’ve covered some of the most common.

If you’ve used any of these methods in the past or using them now, don’t fret. I don’t blame you. Most of the information you find on this topic seems to revolve around these methods. All you have to do is stop using them and start using what I’m outlining in this article.

As a responsible dog owner, you should always use positive techniques that require no pain to achieve desired results.

Priming your Puppy!

Before we get right into the solutions, let me say that teaching your puppy a few simple cues like ‘Sit’ and ‘Down’ will help a great deal in achieving successful results. If you haven’t started training your puppy to offer behaviors on command, then the time is now. There’s nothing quite like it plus it only takes a few days at most to prepare and teach your puppy to do a few simple behaviors.

I highly recommend reading our Clicker Training for Dogs articles if you need input on where to start. Plus clicker training will help you establish a ‘no-reward’ marker which will only help broaden your communication spectrum when it comes to dealing with a puppy that is jumping up all the time.

I’m going to be referencing some cues like ‘Sit’ or ‘Down’ in this article since they are a wonderful alternatives to jumping. One of the smartest things you can do is teach your dog behaviors that are completely exclusive to jumping. Please get hooked up with some clicker dog training tools and some high-value treats. Devote a few days to getting your puppy sitting and lying down on cue.

Once you get better with your training skills, you can also teach your dog to jump up on command, which will do wonders for helping your furry friend control the behavior of jumping.

Keep in mind that working with jumping puppies is obviously a lot easier than working with full grown dogs. Starting when they’re young is key! Consistency is also vital. It’s never too late to work with your dog and positive changes can be achieved fairly quickly if your approach is right.

It’s time to dig into how you can actually stop a puppy from jumping.

Puppy Jumping Answers

You might believe your puppy is jumping to annoy the hell out of you but in all honesty, puppies jump because there’s something in it for them. We might not see it but they generally jump because something makes it worthwhile.

They might jump up on you and others for love and attention. Puppies might jump to bite – in order to satisfy the urge to mouth when teething. They might do it to grab something or to even pass the time when they’re bored.

The general rule is that there is an underlying reward for their action.

This goes for many of the reasons why puppies and dogs do what they do. This is also why understanding and harnessing the power of Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training can help a great deal in resolving undesirable puppy jumping.

Your best course of action is to tip the scale and make No Jumping more rewarding than Jumping.

Puppy Jumping up on You…

Whenever you enter your home or re-connect with your puppy, be calm and ignore any inappropriate behavior including any jumping up to incite a greeting from you. If you praise, touch, use eye contact or acknowledge, then you’re rewarding the behavior. You want to wait until the puppy is chill and relaxed so that you can reward the desired action.

If you’re working with a new puppy then the process of teaching your newbie that jumping does nothing will be fairly quick. If you’re dealing with an older pup or veteran hopper, you’ll have to be persistent and patient. It might even take upwards of 10-15 minutes before the dog stops trying. Either way you wait until the puppy is calmly sitting or quietly waiting for some kind of acknowledgment without jumping.

If you feel the need to react physically or if you’re getting bombarded with jumps you might want to cross your arms and turnaround or move around to avoid being stuck brewing in one spot. Go on with other tasks. Do whatever you would normally do after entering your home until the puppy is calm and relaxed.

Once you have the desired behavior, you can give your dog a very tasty treat followed with some hugs and petting. You can also use verbal praise. You should scooch down to your dog’s level to discourage the need to jump. In the beginning, don’t overdo the praise or you might excite your puppy into jumping. Just very nicely reward the behavior and keep it moving.

If you’ve got your puppy working for markers, you can ask your puppy to sit or lie down when you arrive home to earn a treat and praise. If they jump, you don’t reward until they’ve delivered the requested behavior on cue. If your pup is being excessive you can gently say “oh-that’s-no-good” or “no-no” to let them know they’re off the mark. This will enlighten your furball to sit in order to earn rewards. This will teach your four-legged buddy the awesomeness of a veritable Treat and Great!

This is the beginning of the Four-Paws on the Ground Rule! You never accept anything less and never reward or give in to jumping when it’s not appropriate. This is sometimes easier said than done but essential.

Jumping on Others…

Most dog owners have no problem graduating from getting their dog to stop jumping on them. It’s jumping on others that is often very difficult to tame.

The key for other people is that they must follow the same puppy jumping rules I’ve outlined above. Ignore the jumping and reward the non-jumping.

The problem usually stems from friends and family that won’t adhere to the jumping puppy policy. You have to be strict with your fellow humans. Consistency is everything! There should be no grey-zone for your puppy. If jumping doesn’t work for you, it shouldn’t work with others.

Ask your guests to ignore the puppy until the puppy sits or waits. At this point, they can bend down and greet or offer a treat. Remember that getting down low for greeting enables puppy kisses without having the puppy hopping to reach high. You can also treat your dog for being good when guests arrive. All of this helps your puppy understand what you really want from him.

You should also take this a step further and set up training sessions with friends and family. Have them come over and give them high-value treats. Ask them to leave and come back in say 5-10 minutes. Upon return, they ignore and wait for the puppy to sit or be calm at which point they kindly treat and offer praise.

A few planned training sessions can do wonders to reinforce the desired behavior. Planned sessions are also far better than unprepared and unexpected visits that might throw a wrench into the teaching process.

If needed, you can also tether your pup to your waist or keep him on leash. The leash is not intended for yanking. You can use it to kindly direct him off if he jumps on guests. You can or might have to use timeouts, which we’ll discuss in a bit.

Once your puppy stops jumping with a few other people, you’ll notice a shift in his behavior whenever just about anyone comes over.

Please remember that all of the above is a process. It can take some time but it works and is the ideal way to get your puppy to calm down without hopping around whenever people visit your home.

Jumping Up on Others Outside…

Using well timed rewards will do wonders to help your puppy use better judgment when meeting other humans.

Right before you allow your puppy to greet someone, ask or wait for him to sit. You can use a treat to get his attention in the beginning but eventually just being able to greet someone will be reinforcing enough for your dog to offer a sit automatically.

This too can all be done with planned exercises in a controlled setting. A few minutes of training with a friend can yield great results.

Say you meet someone and have your dog sit calmly before meeting. Say you then stand around and have a discussion with your friend while your puppy chills or explores the surroundings. Then all of sudden, your puppy gets excited and jumps on your friend.

Jumping After the Greet…

First off, any random jumping after the meeting can and will happen especially with excitable puppies.

When this occurs, don’t completely ignore it but don’t worry too much about it. Your puppy is young and needs times to learn good manners. If you stick to everything I’ve mentioned so far, he will grow out of random happy jumping. He might also need more physical or mental exercise to calm the spirits and channel all that wonderful energy. Don’t get upset or punish your pup in any way.

One thing you could do if the jumping persists is, in a kind tone, let your dog know that jumping up is a “no-no” and (if needed) shorten the lead or take a few steps back so that the person you’re talking to is not within reach until you’re done chatting.

Jumping on Furniture…

Again, positive reinforcement for not jumping is key. You should ideally never give your puppy free run of the house in the beginning so that you can slowly cultivate good house etiquette. This can be done by crate training your puppy and slowly easing your pup into other situations, including how to behave around furniture.

In the early stages of puppyhood, your mini beast is just exploring and learning about all of the wonderful stuff that humans possess. Sofas and Tables are really cool and interesting. Your job is to teach the boundaries and limits within your home.

The best approach is by tethering your puppy or keeping him on leash. Reinforce desired behavior with treats and praise. If the puppy jumps up on a table or sofa that is not permitted, gently direct them off.

Always Reward Handsomely for Doing Anything Right!

Your puppy will understand what you expect of him if you’re clear and reliable with your instructions. This goes for everyone in your household. You can’t make exceptions and expect your dog to decipher what is right and wrong.

If you’re dealing with an older puppy that isn’t crate trained and enjoys jumping up all over the place, then you should seriously consider crate training your pup and slowly introducing him to your upgraded version of house etiquette 101! You can also just keep your pup on leash and reward with treats and lots of praise for appropriate behavior.

You can also remedy the jumping with practice training sessions. Keep your dog on leash and approach the furniture that is prone to incite hopping and see what happens. If the dog jumps, say “that’s-no-no” and gently lead him off. If he doesn’t jump, reward with praise and treats. Allow for the dog to have a moment to decide what he wants to do. This will help him learn what works by his own free will. Make it fun, make it a game. Your puppy is eager to learn how to become a productive member of the household.

Sit down with everyone that lives with you and devise a plan on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and stay consistent. You never have to punish, hurt or yell at your puppy. All you have to do is provide clear information and instructive feedback combined with rewards for doing the right thing. Then all you need is repetition, consistency and patience to complete the equation.

If your puppy is jumping up to snatch goodies or steal food from kitchen counters, then you have a little more work cut out for you.

Stopping the Springy-Legged Bandit!

Puppies that jump and find things are a tough to train because they’ve usually had a strong history of being reinforced in two major ways:

1. They’ve managed to find and chew a treasure (household item) or eat something tasty that they weren’t supposed to eat. Finding valuable stuff is pure gold to a puppy.

2. They get to play “Catch me If You Can” when YOU find out, which is a lot of fun. This game is so fun, that it’s definitely worth jumping up and grabbing more stuff to initiate games on their command. The puppy has pretty much training you at this point.

If you’re dealing with any of the above, you have to clear out any of the hot spots from paper items to food and household goodies that might be encouraging your puppy to jump.

You want to ensure 0% success at being able to reach or grab anything. This might seem difficult but it’s only temporary to help solve the matter.

See what happens.

If your dog grabs something, don’t chase. That’s what he wants. Ask him to give it up or walk towards him or strategically corner him (without scaring him of course) until you can calmly take it back. You can also use a cue like ‘Drop’ (if he knows the cue) and praise him when he does. Of course, if you do this enough times, you might end up with a puppy that grabs stuff just to drop and earn rewards. Choose your steps wisely and never punish or scold your dog.

Again, you can focus on controlling the environment, giving access to a couple of rooms and using crate training to establish nice house manners. You should also integrate healthy physical and mental exercise to keep your puppy from falling into bad habits.

I know I’ve made a point about training with markers a few times already but I can’t tell you how much it can do to strengthen the bond and communication you have with your dog.

Please take a moment to read our articles on Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Dog Training.

Always remember to ‘keep the four-paws on the ground’ rule in full effect at all times.

Backup Plan

What do you do if you’ve got a puppy that tends to spend the better part of his day on two feet after you’ve done a lot of the above? He understands what you want or has had some reinforced training sessions and for the most part, seems to grasp that jumping up in your home and on humans is not acceptable. Yet, from time to time, he pushes a little too much or doesn’t seem to want to give in or listen.

The first course of action with notorious jumpers is to adequately exercise without over exercising or stressing his growing body. You must give your puppy nice long walks and training for mental stimulus. As well, provide healthy chewtoys stuffed with goodies, anything to keep him calm and happy! This will help take the wind out of those bouncy legs.

Another thing you can do when needed is kindly instruct your puppy or use timeouts. Instruction can be a vocal “that’s-a-no-no” or “that’s-not-nice” and if necessary gently direct your puppy to a crate or designated timeout spot for a few minutes.

I would only recommend doing this if you’ve had some successful jumping related training sessions or see improvement in your puppy’s jumping etiquette. The reason being that if you give timeouts and your puppy has no idea why, then it’s kind of pointless.

We believe that fair timeouts can be a priceless training tool that will not physically or mentally harm your puppy. YES you never want the crate associated with anything negative. But for peaceful timeouts – it’s Fine! Your dog will not dislike the crate after timeouts if she’s already crated trained.

Again – don’t use timeouts unless you have a good working relationship with your puppy and have had some history of positive reinforcement during your no-jumping trials.

When all else Fails…

If you’re in dire need of hands-on help, don’t hesitate to contact a dog trainer or canine behavior specialist in your area. Always look for professionals that specialize in positive reinforcement and modern training methods. You might want to re-consider any trainer that encourages the ‘Unnecessary Solutions’ outlined above to stop puppy jumping.

98% is as Good as It Gets!

Remember that all behavior is conditional to many variables. Once your puppy is all good, you may find that he occasionally jumps for no readily apparent reason.

Maybe, you haven’t had a chance to train, play or walk your dog for a few days and he might find other ways to pass the time. Maybe he’ll get so excited at the sight of a new toy that he might bust a jump. All of this is normal and expected.

“Every now and then, I get so excited when family comes over that I do a half-hop-jump-banana-twist to greet even though I’m not really allowed. It Feels so Good!” } Halle

You just have to keep working and helping your dog learn to master his jump control. Not much more too it. I can assure you that any sudden jumping is not an attempt to dominate your or your home.

If you tune into all of the methods I’ve outlined in this article, you’ll be able to completely solve or at the very least, see huge improvements with your puppy jumping woes within just a couple of weeks.

Good luck with your mission to keep Four Paws on the Ground!

Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Are in the middle of jumping puppy madness? What’s your ideal strategy for dealing with a jumping puppy?

I genuinely want to help you potty train your puppy as quickly as possible, using the most efficient tools and methods, so you get the job done with the least amount of problems! This is the principal reason why I took a few weeks to write this very special e-book.

The 67+ page puppy potty training manual is a Free Gift to you to say thanks for supporting and joining our Free HBD Updates Newsletter!

“I didn’t read the e-book but I know the system works because Mom & Dad taught me to do business in all the right places in just a few weeks. I know – I’m too good!” } Halle

Sure, puppy biting, jumping and chewing are all close seconds but housetraining is always at the heap of the pile of things that require immediate attention!

With or without help, most new puppy owners eventually get there, either succeeding at teaching their puppy to “ask for the door” when it’s time or even better, deliver the goods on command when the location is right. It’s an interesting process with many hurdles but success comes with enough persistence and patience.

There are also some owners that find a way to cope or live with a “not-completely-house-trained” puppy. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard something along the lines of:

“We’ve had our puppy for almost a year and he’s housetrained… well almost housetrained. I would say 90% potty trained, it’s going great!”

Shooting for 90% in a lot of things is wonderful but not ideal or desirable when it comes to how and when your puppy goes potty.

You don’t want your puppy half-assing his business, trust me!

Head of the Class!

What you truly want is a 100% or at the very least, 98% potty training puppy within 4-8 weeks and you want to achieve this with zero punishment or unnecessary stress on all parties. This can all be done! It’s not easy and it does take work but it can all happen with positive modern methods that really work!

There are many online sources that offer puppy potty training tips, which can be very useful and helpful, but if you want to successfully potty train your puppy with the least amount of problems, then you need a more than just tips, you need a Complete System that works and works very well.

You know, I said most eventually get there in some way, shape or form. Generally, new puppy owners rely on past experiences, different sources, their vet, professionals and sometimes even unqualified hearsay to achieve success. Some owners even give up and just cope!

This is all good (giving up not included) unless the techniques you are using are knowingly, or unknowingly inappropriate, unnecessary or punishment-based.

Supreme Strategies for Positive Puppy Potty Training…

I’m giving you the nuts and bolts mixed with a little puppy psychology to help you understand the entire potty training process on a deep level. I’ve taken inspiration from 3 of our most popular puppy potty training posts:

1. Crate Training Puppies Walkthrough
2. Potty Lessons with Puppy Training Pads
3. How to Potty Train a Puppy without the BS!
- Plus, I’ve added more than 30 Fresh New Pages of material to bring you the complete potty training system for your lovely puppy!

All you have to do it sign up for Free HBD e-mail updates at the top of this page and we’ll send you a Free Copy! Your subscription also includes a Free copy of our other wonderful e-book by Asia titled:

Give Your Dog an Official Holistic Life Experience!

The FREE e-book also includes a very special “21 Questions” chapter with answers to some of the most common puppy potty training questions we get all the time.

Enjoy…

Learning how to potty train a puppy actually begins with learning how to train yourself to properly potty train a puppy! The recipe is simple, once you understand how it’s done and devote yourself to getting it done, you’ll have a potty trained puppy in no time. This is my no-nonsense article to help ensure you understand how it’s done – with positive methods that don’t require punishment, reprimands or other extra, non-potty-training hooplah.

First let’s get a couple of quick common questions out of the way.

Ahh, this is the question most new puppy owners and owners-to-be have on their minds – often asked out of educational interest or because they’re smack dab in the middle of puppy potty training turmoil and need some reinforcing support. Knowing how long it takes might calm the nerves but won’t help get the job done.

The honest answer is it depends on the puppy and the puppy owner. The real question should be, “How long does it take to train a puppy with a good understanding of puppy housebreaking and using the correct techniques?” That question is a lot more accurate, yet the answer’s still the same – it depends on the puppy and the puppy owner.

I’m not playing with you. It truly isn’t a numbers game. There are too many variables at play. I will say that if you follow everything we teach at HBD, it won’t take very long. You will see REAL results in a couple of weeks and be well on your way within a few weeks. If it helps to know – we used the Crate Training System and had Halle crate trained and house trained in less than a month. It can be done even quicker or it can take longer depending on how much you stretch and bend the important parts. If you’ve got a concise plan and plan to do it the right way, go in expecting a time length of 2-3 solid weeks. You won’t be too far from your desired goals after that so there’s no point in looking beyond that period. Motivate yourself by making it a 2-3-week mission and see where you and your puppy stand. Make the minor adjustments or stick to the plan a little longer and you’ll be reinforcing potty in all the right places in no time.

Again too many variables at play! Keep reading, take important notes and apply the information I’m sharing with you through this post and key articles I recommend reading.

5 Puppy Potty Training Principles

1. If your puppy does business in the wrong place, YOU have to take all responsibilities. You should NEVER punish, hurt or get upset at your puppy for making mistakes. Your puppy truly doesn’t know any better or could have learned that it’s the safest place to go given past punishments. You need to ensure that all associations with you are positive associations. Punishment is counter-intuitive and your puppy is likely to have no clue why he’s getting punished.

2. Control the environment. Don’t give your puppy any more space than he needs. You definitely don’t want to give him free run of the house during the potty training stage. Using a dog crate and creating a puppy safe space in your home is vital. You have to be in control of the environment so you can take control of the double P’s – peeing and pooping! Always keep a watchful eye and be sure to get your puppy out to the desired location so you can reinforce the ideal outcome with a reward – praise and treat.

3. Praise and Treat like a crazy person. If your puppy does business in the right spot whether it’s in a designated indoor area or somewhere outside, praise and treat with gusto. Get high pitched with your voice and really make sure your puppy knows you’re extremely proud of his actions. This will help reinforce the behavior and ensure the outcome re-occurs more frequently until it becomes a wonderful habit.

4. If you catch your puppy making a mistake – not after the fact but as it is occurring – you can peacefully interrupt the behavior and rush your puppy to the desired spot and reinforce successful potty with praise and treats. Don’t panic or scare the puppy. Simply redirect your puppy to remind him where champions do their business.

5. Don’t take accidents personally. Don’t think your puppy has some agenda or spiteful attitude towards your expensive shoes or designer rug. The material things that we value have no equal significance to a puppy. The puppy is just looking for a safe place to let it out and your job is to teach your puppy what is safe. Toss your human rules and expectations out the window and learn techniques that work with puppies. Learn the sweet science of puppy potty training. Besides, why did the accident occur in the first place??? Please re-read principles 1 through 4.

Learning how to potty train a puppy the positive way using the sweet science and logic is serious business. It takes a solid understanding of not only the key principles I’ve outlined in this article but of the entire process. It requires dedication and practical application from you, the dog owner. We like to think of potty training a puppy to be a healthy mix of time, patience, labor, love, with a tiny dose of turbulence. It can go really smooth at times and can also be hectic. Minimizing the headaches and unnecessary stress is what separates the knowledgeable puppy potty trainers from the confused ones. I’m not trying to shock you or anything, I’m just telling it like it is – no BS!

Don’t fret, HBD has puppy training covered. The good news is that everything you need to know about how to train a puppy to potty train is available right here.

We realize how important housebreaking your puppy is and we understand that for many, it’s one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to training a puppy. Nobody wants a messy, untrained puppy yet many folks get all messed up in the process.

Crate Training and Potty Training are like Ying and Yang. That’s why we spent hours writing our complete Crate Training Puppies walkthrough. It’s packed with more than 6000 words offering you a play by play on how you can successfully potty train your puppy with all the important considerations in mind. We’ve explained not only how it works but why it works so you can be confident it will work for you. Once you’re done with this article, make sure you give that one a careful read. If you have any questions, just post them in the comments.

If you’re planning and maybe already using pads to housebreak your puppy be sure to read our Puppy Training Pads article. Though we’re all for crate training, puppy pads can be used for establishing a suitable potty area in your puppy safe space when you have to be away from home and/or your puppy.

Don’t think twice about housetraining your puppy with a crate. There are countless reasons why crate training is your golden potty training ticket. If you’re doubtful about crates or don’t like them, please get over it. The methods are positive and humane and will not harm your puppy or require punishments or other unpleasant tactics.

Remember that taking a little time to learn how to potty train a puppy before getting your puppy will really help establish what works for your family and eliminate most of the second guessing. This will help your puppy eliminate without worry in all the right places.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to leave a comment!

The process of crate training puppies consists of essentially getting your puppy to accept, enjoy and behave when confined to a crate. Puppy crate training is, under most circumstances, associated with housetraining and with good reason. Utilizing a crate to teach your puppy potty manners is in many ways, the most humane and efficient way to get your puppy housebroken.

My plan for this super post is to get you and your puppy to love the crate and create a positive crate training system. Your puppy will be doing business in all the right places without unnecessary heartaches. The one thing you simply cannot take for GRANTED is that it DOES require time, patience, diligence and a clear understanding of crate training puppies with a proven system that enables maximum efficiency in a gentle way.

Puppy crate training will transform the dog crate into an incredible dog den that will help your precious puppy develop positive habits through healthy confinement. The process will flow naturally when done properly, without any punishment or poor housetraining methods.

Crate Haters & Understanding

I say haters with love! Some folks just don’t like the idea of using a crate or can’t stomach the idea of their cuddly puppy confined in a crate. Rest assured that using a crate to housetrain your puppy is a positive experience for your furry friend. Dogs are den animals and innately love the idea of having a little cozy spot where they can retreat, rest and chill, away from danger. Dogs are not humans and definitely not babies.

Oftentimes peeps don’t like the idea of crates because they might have been around dogs that are terrified of crates. Others might have a skewed sense of the importance and utilitarian purpose of puppy crate training based on their perception of what a plastic box or wired cage might feel like from a human perspective. If you’ve witnessed dogs being pushed and dragged into a crate or afraid to frequent their doggy den only to be physically forced into them then you HAVE NOT witnessed the use of a crate in civilized positive manner.

I’ve always loved this quote I believe I read in a dog forum once:

“Stop thinking of the dog crate as a Puppy Prison and start thinking of it like a Puppy Hilton” } Unknown Author

Exactamundo!

Asia and I like to think of it as our puppy’s little bedroom. Kids have their own rooms, why not your puppy?

Even if you’re not fond of crates, they aren’t necessarily intended to be permanent and can be phased out of your dog’s life. Keep in mind that phasing out the use of a crate should be done very gradually. The crate can also be a healthy part of your dog’s entire life if you choose.

If I can’t convince you to train with a crate, you will probably end up giving your puppy free run of the house or a room. This might be sensible at first, but there’s a very good chance you’ll be looking for ways to confine your puppy once the innocent and natural terror begins. Just start off on the right foot and please use a crate.

If we’re talking about zero punishment potty training, I haven’t really come across anyone that has housetrained their puppy in a matter of weeks, with minimal accidents, without the use of a crate. Unless you’re watching your puppy 24/7 and have devised a plan to keep him under militant supervision, it’s just not possible. I stress without reprimands and few mistakes.

Crate training puppies has numerous other advantages like having a safe puppy time-out lounge, teaching healthy chewtoy habits, soothing separation anxiety and learning to be stress-free when confined. All of this will serve your entire family, puppy included, for years to come in all types of situations.

If you want to quickly housetrain your puppy the right way or if you’re an inexperienced dog owner, you owe it to yourself and your pup to try out the techniques and rules I’ll be outlining in this article. Crate training your puppy will prevent a lot of headaches and create a fun and safe dog haven in your home environment.

“I’m crated few hours a day when Mom and Dad are working at home. I’m a sticky Weimaraner. It’s the only way they can keep me away from them. It’s perfectly fine, it gives me a chance to chill & recharge my batteries.” } Halle

Halle was put through the crate training system the day she entered our home and was potty and crate trained in a matter of weeks. She stills uses her crate daily and enjoys spending time doing many of the crazy things that she does inside of the crate. You should see how comfortably this dog naps or sleeps in her crate. Upside down, showing off her belly, heavy and snoring without worry. It’s incredibly adorable and very silly at times. ;)

When friends, family and others visit, some don’t quite understand the concept behind the crate or why our lovely Halle enters on cue and chills inside without protest. They all think it’s pretty damn cool to see a dog cherish and interact with her crate as much as she does.

Getting your Puppy to Love the Crate

There’s a good chance you or a family member has witnessed an unhealthy dog-crate relationship. I’m referring to puppies and dogs that fight, growl, bark and flee at the sight of a crate. The crate is not the source of the problem. Remember it’s normal for a dog to make that crate their very own little safe den. The problem lies in the association the dog has made with the crate due to owner mistakes and poor crate integration.

Instead of teaching their puppy to love the crate and use it when the family is home, many folks never put the puppy in the crate until they decide to leave the house. The puppy has no idea what this thing is and has to figure out why he was left out? This can be very stressful, confusing and extremely unhealthy, leading to all types of behavioral problems. Other owners might use the crate as punishment or physically shove their dog into a crate when the dog isn’t ready.

Your job is to make sure the association your puppy has with the crate is an unequivocally positive one. That means you don’t yell or punish your puppy before placing him in the crate. You don’t force or bully the puppy into the crate. The crate is not a punishment zone. It’s a happy home. I simply can’t stress that enough.

There’s plenty of creative ways to get your puppy acclimated to a crate. I got three for you, either of these should do the trick. Just remember to be patient, don’t get angry or take any of your puppy’s actions or reactions personally.

Numero Uno. You can throw some treats inside the crate and see if your puppy gives. Many will go right in without thinking twice or with little hesitation, gobble the treats, sniff around and trot back out. Do this a few times without closing the crate. Do a few sets at different times throughout the day and then start closing the door while the puppy is inside for a few seconds at a time, then minutes, then say 10 minutes, progressing to you leaving the room without the puppy going into a full blown panic attack. You’ll eventually have your puppy chilling in the crate for a much longer amount of time without issue. For longer periods, make sure your puppy has a valuable chewtoy stuffed with treats to keep him occupied.

Deux. Take a super chewtoy (we recommend anything Kong or Orka), stuff it with solid tasty treats and show it to your puppy. Let your puppy know this Super Loaded Chewtoy is awesome. Then kindly dump it into the crate and close the door with the puppy on the outside. Your puppy will be very interested and eager to find a way into the crate. Sniffing, pawing and pondering. Give him a few minutes then open the door. Once the puppy is in, close the door and follow the time procedure from Numero Uno until you and your puppy are very crate happy.

Three. Getting your puppy to go into the crate is golden. Getting him to go on cue is platinum! You want to make sure your dog is all good with the crate as a whole before you begin this. Using some of the tricks above should help you achieve that initial acceptance of the crate.

You basically toss a treat into the crate and wait for your puppy to enter and claim it. Then invite the puppy out and do it again. After a couple of successful trials, say your cue or command and repeat. There should be a second between the cue and tossing of the treat. We like to use “Go to Bed”. You can use whatever you like whether it be, “Go to Crate” or “Sleepy” or “Housy” as long as it rolls off the tongue. After a few successful trials, give the cue and wait. Do NOT throw in the treat. Have it hidden in your hand behind your back and away from the puppy. When the puppy enters, instantly praise and deliver the treat. Timing is very important. You puppy is likely to go in without thinking twice due to the previous repetitions. After a few on cue entries, wrap up the session. Wait a few hours, stand next to the crate, try again this time only using cue and waiting for puppy to enter. When puppy goes in, praise and give treat. You must reinforce this with a high value treat and lots of praise. Repeat a few times and call it a day. Try to fit in a couple of five minute sessions spanning two or three days and your puppy will be rushing into the crate on cue. You can then try the cue from different distances and keep building.

If at anytime you feel the puppy loses interest or isn’t responding, you’ve most likely gotten a little ahead of yourself. Just start over or kick the process back a few notches and work your way to the desired outcome. Never punish the puppy or assume it knows what you want based on a few successful results.

I highly recommend our Clicker Dog Training articles in order to understand this process a little more and get your puppy eagerly working for markers. A more in-depth post on going to crate on cue might also be warranted. The above is a simple yet straightforward blueprint that should work without a hitch most of time.

More Crate Loving

One of the additional things you can do to enhance the crate loving game is tie a chewtoy on the deep end of the crate so the puppy has to enjoy it from inside, open door or closed.

If your puppy ever enters or chills inside of the crate on his own will, praise, treat and reinforce the behavior the best way you can. This will infinitely help cultivate the positive association to the crate.

Remember that you don’t always have to close the doors during the practice runs and during out-crate time. Just having the puppy enter and leave at will is a wonderful thing and creates a variation other than the crate being solely used for confinement.

Another one would be to feed your puppy in the crate. Crate is usually not a problem when there’s a bowl full of yummy food inside. You don’t have to do this forever, just to get your puppy to love the crate even more.

And most importantly, never let your puppy out or give into barking and howling protests when you’ve decided to confine your puppy for a healthy period of time. You never want to reinforce behavior you consider unacceptable. Provided of course, the puppy is fed and has had a chance to do its business in the designated potty area. More on all that in just a bit.

Using the methods above to get your puppy to ease into the situation is much better then obviously going cold turkey and dumping your puppy into the crate and walking away with your hands in your pocket. This might and will desensitize your puppy but can have other negative effects. A gradual process only takes a couple of days and will yield much less complaints and protests from your puppy which will truly facilitate the entire process. It will also preserve your puppy’s high spirits. Though with most puppies, some level of complaint and protest is inevitable.

Puppy Crate Training Principles

The single most important principle that makes crate training puppies the method of choice is that puppies will innately avoid soiling their dens. Puppies (instinctively) will not do business where they sleep so the crate is an extremely valuable tool that encourages your puppy to wait and hold for a suitable location. Please note that what’s suitable for you will not be naturally identifiable as suitable for your puppy. Don’t ever get that twisted. You need to teach your puppy proper manners. We’ll get to that. The thing you want to remember is that they are not likely to soil their quarters, at least if they can help it.

You can use any suitable plastic or metal crate, whatever works for you and your puppy. Make sure your dog has enough room to sit, stand, turn around and lie down comfortably. For a puppy, it’s always best to get a crate that will be suitable for adulthood and if you’re not 100% certain on size always go one size up to avoid having a crate that is too small when the puppy is all grown up. The big metals ones are also often easily collapsible for easy on-the-go crating. The plastic carrier models are great for dogs that love feeling extra covered and secure though you can easily re-create that relaxing feeling by covering the top of the big crates with something like a blanket.

The key component for crate training puppies is that your adult-sized crate should come with a divider so you can control the living space inside. Look for models that offer this perk. If you don’t have one then you can create a makeshift one using any non-porous durable material. Get as creative as you like but make sure the puppy only has enough room to sit, stand, turn around and life down. No extra space.

The first mistake most novice crate trainers make is give the puppy too much space which inevitably results in the puppy going to the furthest side or corner and letting it all out. That’s what you don’t want.

You can include a blanket, pillow or anything else to make the crate more comfortable though it’s definitely not essential and can be dangerous depending on your puppy’s habits. A blanket might not be best in very early stages due to its porous nature which might incite your puppy to soil. Halle was good with blankets for a couple of months until she learned how tasty and fun they can be with the right amount of destructive jaw action. No blanket since. Sure she protested a day or two with a couple of five minute bouts but she soon forget about it and never has one in her crate. She does occasionally get a blanket outside of the crate and has learned some blanket etiquette, to a degree I might add. Do what you feel is best but be careful and monitor.

What you DO want in the crate is at least ONE solid chewtoy, often if not always, stuffed with goodies, especially during puppy phase. This will keep your dog busy, calm and relaxed. Halle has an extreme Kong that has been named her “bed-buddy”. Having something to chew on is also a sound alternative when barking and fussing doesn’t work.

You can keep the crate in a quiet location or a busy one. You can also keep it close to your bed at night and in a main area of your home during the day. We keep Halle’s crate very close to the main hub of the house so she’s part of all the action and when she was a puppy we never brought the crate into the bedroom at night. We left it downstairs in the same busy day spot cause we didn’t necessarily want her to create a dependency of always having us around or in sight. It worked wonderfully yet she’s still very dependant – Weimaraners are very sticky breeds. The good thing is that she can happily sleep in another space on her own. She now sleeps out of the crate wherever she likes at night but we do put her in the crate once in a while to switch it up. Our bedroom door is always open, yet she always sleeps on the stairs. Night separation as a puppy was valuable for several reasons plus it set the stage for some incredible morning greeting rituals.

The puppy might and will make mistakes in the crate, maybe because of the luxury of too much space which is usually the result of the size being upgraded pre-maturely. Mistakes can also happen if you don’t do your job and push your puppy’s bladder beyond the tipping point. Mistakes can also be accidental. Whatever the reason make sure you clean the crate accordingly. A quick wipe will not suffice as you don’t want a scent trace of the mistake which might trigger even more mistakes. General household cleaners will NOT do the trick. There are products on the market that will remove odors and clean efficiently though we highly recommend just making your own super “mistake cleaning” solution. We keep a bottle handy and it works great. Never punish or reprimand your puppy for accidents. Clean the crate thoroughly to remove the scent and trace.This is very important should an accident occur. Leaving a trace can increase the chance of more accidents happening in the same spot.

HBD Mistake Cleaning Solution

1 Cup Vinegar
15-20 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
5 drops of Sweet Orange Essential Oil
to 1 Litre of Water
(keep handy in a recycled spray bottle)

Final Key Principle – you never give in when the puppy protests inside the crate. Doing so will only teach the puppy that barking, howling, whining gets your attention or gets the puppy the desired result. Will cover puppy protesting in the system below.

Crate training a puppy is intensive but doesn’t have to be difficult. So your puppy has no personal beef with the crate. The crate is in check, location has been decided, awesome chewtoy has been designated, your cleaning solution is ready and you understand that you should never give into behavior you don’t want. It’s finally time to dig into the system of housetraining your puppy.

Crate Training Puppies – The System

Your job is to help your puppy connect the dots and understand that the acceptable place to urinate and defecate is outside or wherever else you specifically prefer. This might be obvious to you but not so obvious for the puppy.

You never punish or reprimand the puppy when he makes a mistake because you shoulder all responsibilities for housetraining accidents. Scolding your puppy doesn’t teach him anything. Your puppy won’t even associate any punishment after the fact so you need to chill with the yelling. Most folks who punish do it out of frustration, confusion and a lack of understanding. The puppy has no idea why it’s being punished even if YOU feel it’s easy for him to understand. Don’t use your puppy as a scapegoat for your housetraining errors. You want any and all associations of doing potty in your presence to be positive. Punishing your dog won’t help one bit and will only increase the likelihood that he will locate special hidden spots to get it done in order to avoid punishment. The problem isn’t that the puppy is doing it in your face. The problem is that he is doing it in the WRONG PLACE. It’s never personal. It’s not about you or the puppy. Just follow the system and believe that scaring, and scolding your puppy is not conducive to smart effective puppy housetraining.

When you’re home your puppy should be in his crate with just the right amount of space for just the right amount of time. The crate should have a chewtoy to pass the time. At about 8 weeks you can leave your puppy in for about 45 minutes (though you might want to start off with 20-30 min and get a feel for your puppy’s bladder time) which is an acceptable amount of time before he’ll need to do some business. Remember if the space is just perfect for sitting, standing, turning around and lying down, your puppy will instinctively resist doing business. The time the puppy can hold bladder will increase slowly which will permit a little more safe crate time. You can bump the time up about 15-20 minutes every couple of weeks without EVER going over say 3 straight hours until your puppy grows 5 to 6 months (20-24 weeks). At night you can overnight crate the puppy but it’s ideal to make a couple of night stops outside to maintain the flow. It’s cumbersome but priceless. I can tell you all kinds of stories on how Asia and I did crazy night shifts with a sleepy, adorable, bladder-full Halle.

In a nutshell, you need to set everything up so you can easily predict when your puppy needs to go and take him to the correct location where you can reinforce the ideal outcome.

Once the allotted crate time is up, your puppy’s bladder will be full and ready to unleash. You take him out of the crate and quickly rush to the desired location. I say quickly because some pups can’t even hold it to the door in the early stages in which case you might want to carry the puppy. But don’t make a habit out of carrying to avoid any kind of dependency. Wait outside for anywhere between 2-5 minutes. When your puppy delivers, praise and kindly offer a tasty treat. Don’t be shy with praising, be dramatic, be super happy almost amazed that he did his business in the right spot. This is your chance to reinforce the behavior you’re looking for. Once your puppy connects the dots, he’ll slowly learn to wait until he arrives at the magic location where praise and treats are abundant. You could and should also put potty on cue which is covered in one of the next segments.

When the puppy goes potty, you don’t rush back home. This will only teach your puppy that going potty completely kills the outdoor experience. Puppies love to go outside, where exploration is fun and everything is new. Following successful potty, take a minimum 3-5 minute walk to reward your puppy before returning home. This will also teach your puppy that going potty not only gets praise and treats but walk time. As your puppy gets older, he will learn to take care of business immediately in order to kickstart each walk.

When you come back inside you can take advantage of an empty bladder to cuddle, play and love your puppy. Not too much as playing and excitement leads to know you what (accidents) but a nice little amount of play time. Then return to crate for the right amount of time and repeat.

If you play for a longer period of time, then please take your puppy out for a quick potty before returning into crate so you know the bladder is all good. We call this safety playtime potty insurance. Always praise and treat for going potty in the right place.

You never give free run of the house or leave your puppy unsupervised. Even supervised play should be in a contained environment you know is safe and void of any chewing hazards.

Given your puppy has been taught to love the crate, you never give in to protests. If your puppy complains, barks, whines, cries, howls and yelps when crated, you do not respond. You don’t go see the puppy. You don’t feel sorry for the puppy. You don’t let your feelings get in the way of the system.

Remember, your puppy has a chewtoy to keep him busy. You’ve taken him outside for potty and he’s gotten a little play time. Your puppy can also take a nap or relax calmly if he doesn’t want to chew. It’s only for a certain period of acceptable time. Given all of these conditions and important needs are met, why is the puppy complaining? To get your attention. This problem will only increase to dramatic proportions if you give attention and reinforce this behavior that you truly do not want. In fact, if you wait long and still give in, it will only get worse given the new precedent. This is guaranteed.

When you talk to puppy and dog owners, they all know THIS yet they still give in. Puppies are very cute and are extremely good at making you question the system. This is where most people fold and it’s truly unfortunate because it’s vital for a peaceful and mindful crate trained dog. Don’t get soft! It’s time to be a lionheart no matter how much the puppy cries. Again, if his needs are met and the puppy is healthy then he’s trying to win your attention. He’s not specifically hurting in any way. Giving in will only get you further away from your end goal. Babies and kids do the same thing, parents know this but still manage to give in creating all sorts of problems.

You can go see your puppy when he’s quiet or has been quiet for a couple of minutes following a failed attempt at protest. This is a great time to walk up to the crate, praise and treat. Puppy is going to figure that quiet gets you to come with treats in hand and making a ruckus does absolutely nothing. Keyword – ABSOLUTELY. This should be VERY clear, thus you never go see the puppy when it’s being fussy. Remember it does get better with time and if you’re aware and persistent, it will improve very quickly.

Halle protested 2 or 3 nights at 8-9 weeks for about 15-30 minutes. We had her downstairs in a crate in the main living space. We never folded. After that we had some minor experimental attempts of whining or complaining which quickly faded when they didn’t produce results. Whenever she was quiet for a few minutes we would go down and treat her. I can’t imagine what would have unfolded had we given in as much as our hearts wanted to. Of course, ALL of her needs were met. The positive puppy crate training system was in full effect.

There can be the odd instance of justified protest where you might leave your puppy past his threshold or for many reasons the puppy has to go in the middle of crate time. If the puppy is complaining and you think this MIGHT be the case, then you take the puppy outside for 3 minutes and see what happens. If the puppy delivers, praise and treat if not than go right back inside and back into crate. This might have been an attempt at sabotage. Re-think your crate schedule and timing to ensure you don’t get played often or puppies will take advantage of this. I’m mentioning this because it can happen, though very rare if you don’t keep your pup in for longer than it can hold and don’t over-play or excite the puppy before going back into the crate.

If at times you don’t wish to use the crate when you’re at home, you can tether your puppy by tying the leash to your waist or belt so he’s always in close proximity where you can keep an eye and go outside when needed. You always have to be vigilant and avoid mistakes.

Whenever you puppy is roaming, keep an eye out for signs that might indicate that he has to unload. Pacing, whining and sniffing are good indicators. Get ready to bring him to the desired potty location.

If, and only if, you catch a mistake as it’s occurring, you can urgently but nicely tell the puppy “Nope. Out. Out” or something of that nature to interrupt the mistake and immediately get to the desired location and reinforce delivery. Don’t sound angry or scare the puppy. Lovingly interrupt and direct your puppy. A few carefully calculated interruptions will really drive the desired location home. Trust me, your puppy wants to know where he can go safely just as much you want him housetrained.

If you missed the accident or catch it even seconds after, you clean it up and keep moving. If your pup makes a mess in the crate, you clean it up and keep it moving. We always recommend cleaning the mess when the puppy is out of sight or when the puppy doesn’t see you cleaning it so it comes back to a nice clean environment. Remember to use an appropriate cleaner or the quick recipe I shared above. You want to remove all traces of the accident.

The success of this puppy housetraining system relies on doing everything in your power to avoid mistakes. Every mistake in the house is a potential for few more bumps along the road. Every reinforced pee and poo in the right place is a big stride in the right direction. Predicting and avoiding mistakes is your job. Mistakes can and will happen in which case you clean up and get back on the system. If you’re vigilant enough, you’ll be able to quickly and safely interrupt mistakes as they’re occurring, which will only help you and your puppy reach the end goal.

When you are NOT at home you follow procedure for long term confinement. This procedure entails creating a Puppy Safe Space. What’s that you ask? You’re in luck, please keep reading!

Gone Long? Puppy Safe Space!

It’s always ideal and highly recommended that you take some time off work or plan puppy arrival during a vacation or in a home that has helping hands available at all times whether it be family or a pet-sitter. That being said, we can’t escape the fact that many new puppy owners have to go to work and leave the home for long periods of time without compromising the puppy crate training system.

You CANNOT under any circumstance confine a puppy in a crate for more that say one or two hours. For anything longer you will need to setup a designated pen or isolated area that is suitable in catering to some the puppy’s primal needs.

You can get a wired pen of a suitable size or designate a room in your home, whether the kitchen or the laundry room. You can also use baby-gates or a divider to designate a limited safe space for your puppy.

Puppy Safe Space Must Contain:

- Bowl of Water
- Bed or Open Crate for resting
- Acceptable and Safe Chewtoys stuffed with treats
- Suitable Potty area furthest away from resting spot
Read Lessons with Puppy Training Pads.

Puppy Safe Space Must NOT Contain:

- Anything that might be unsafe for the Puppy
- Household objects or any other items that might be chew-worthy
- Porous flooring like carpet

It’s your job to make sure the chewtoys and environment are puppy-proof and safe. Don’t leave anything to chance and plan hard.

You can also engage in exercises when you’re home to acclimate your puppy to this Puppy Safe Space. This will also allow you to reinforce your puppy when he chooses to do business in the proper indoor potty area. This will tip him off to where to go when you’re away.

Using the specially created spatial den is also great for when you are too busy to be catering and closely watching your puppy. Though you want to keep that to a minimal since every indoor potty occurrence is another missed chance at reinforcing an outdoor potty.

When your puppy is left alone, you cannot guarantee where he will do his business. Without someone available to reinforce proper soiling or interrupt/redirect inproper soiling you can only hope for the best. If the space you’ve designated and equipped for the toilet area is suitable, everything could and should work out as planned but will not technically housetrain your puppy. The “Puppy Safe Space” is just your best available option if you need to leave your puppy alone.

When you come home, the following THREE things are substantial:

1. Don’t punish the puppy or scold it for not doing what you might have expected. Clean up any messes and don’t complain. Be happy to see your puppy. He’s going to be damn happy to see you.

2. Take him outside for a little potty and walk.

3. Once you’re back home and available for your puppy, go right back to the above crate training system where you anticipate every aspect of the game. Control playtime and reinforce proper potty behavior.

Remember using long term confinement with an indoor designated potty area can slow down the process of getting your dog trained to go outside but will not hinder the housetraining process – the system – if done the right way using the specifications outlined above. Crate training puppies is the only solid way to get your puppy to develop bladder control. He’s learning not to go whenever and wherever he pleases.

I would highly recommend having someone cater to the puppy’s needs during housetraining, like a pet-sitter or a family member. Coming home during breaks or lunch might also be a suitable option. You have to be as flawless as you can with getting your puppy out on time when required without having the puppy do ANY of it’s business inside the home. That being said, the puppy safe space is an option for long term confinement. In fact, it’s the only appropriate lifeline available to you if you have to leave the puppy alone for a prolonged period of time.

The key is to toggle between the Puppy Safe Space and utilizing the all out puppy crate training system when you or someone else is available.

Simon Says – Go Potty Please!

Whenever you take your puppy to the desired outdoor location, you should use a word like “Go Poopy” or “Pee-Poo” before your puppy does its duty to slowly but surely put Potty under cue. Halle responds to “Business”. We take her out when it’s time and say “Business” and she normally delivers within a couple of minutes.

This is great for times when you need to get results on the fly, in different locations or under time and weather restraints.

Just use the cue right before you know your puppy is about to go based on the predictors and situations I’ve already outlined earlier. You say the cue, wait for the goods and then praise and deliver a treat for doing the right thing. With enough reps and consistent reinforcing your dog will learn to offer the behavior on cue.

Special Considerations

If your puppy is having problems getting his business done or seems to be soiling at an alarming rate, be sure to get him checked by a vet. There’s a very good chance there are other powers at work and you want your puppy’s health to be optimal if you want proper potty etiquette.

Crate training is also crucial if you ever need to travel or if your puppy needs to stay overnight at the vet or guardian. A crate trained puppy will be much calmer and well behaved in some of life’s unexpected situations.

Remember that a solid understanding of the system and the principles that make crate training puppies so wonderful is key to success. Housetraining a dog is one of those things many pet owners fear or don’t prepare for adequately. If it’s done right, with extreme patience, positive methods and consistency, you will start to see results very quickly and can expect a housetrained puppy in a matter of weeks. Every dog AND owner is different and the estimated time frame can vary a great deal. Yes the weeks will be exhausting and trying but priceless in the long run, especially if it’s done the right way. It’s all worth it in the end.

When your puppy is all grown and housetrained, he will only have to go out for potty at most 3-4 times a day.

Before we wrap this, make sure you read our series on Clicker Training for Dogs to get you on the right path to training your puppy using the principles of positive reinforcement.

I never expected this article to be this long but truly felt the need to lay it all out. I did my best to break it down into fun sub-sections. I hope it wasn’t too daunting to read. :P Successfully crate training your puppy is a very important first step that will set the tone for a healthy, safe, stress-free and remarkable companionship. I truly hope this article serves your family (puppy included) well.

Where would we be without your stories, thoughts and input? Please leave a comment or post a question below. Thanks!

When I hear about Puppy Training Pads, my head goes into this state of cloudy confusion. Asia is the same way. We’re both like “Why would you use Training Pads to potty train your puppy?” We’re so pro crate training before anything else or basic old school methods that don’t require pads or papers.

Granted, one of the first dogs I helped raise (a beautiful baby golden-cocker mix) was trained with papers. So I’ve been there, done that and at the time thought it was a great idea. I was 17 years old and didn’t know a whole lot about proper dog potty training in the first place.

Before I go any further, let me make it clear that I am not bagging on anyone that uses dog training pads. Diggin’ into the matter, I’ve learned that there are many (and I mean many) good folks that live and abide by dog training pads. On the flipside there are many that are thoroughly against them.

Let just say Asia and I are not entirely FOR them. If fact we’re VERY NOT FOR them. Before I get into why, here’s how you can housebreak your puppy with training pads should you choose to use them:

Get Puppy Training Pads

You can find dog training pads just about anywhere, including online. Shop around, there are value packs and special pricing available that will really save you a ton of money if you decide to train with them. The amount of pads per pack vary a great deal depending on brands and quality but each pack will generally cost anywhere from $10-$30.

You’re ideally going to look for pads that are premium enough to have no leakage since that’s the general concern. Ask around and read online reviews for official leak feedback. I’ve also heard of folks putting pads in trays or litter style boxes for zero leakage control.

The other key advantage of store bought training pads is that they are scented with chemicals that attracts and entices the puppy to use them. If a specific brand doesn’t work well, you can try switching to something else as it can make a difference to your puppy.

In fact, the thought of how many of these scented training pads end up in landfills makes me feel that newspapers and flyers might be a solid alternative. Though leakage will definitely be an issue and making sure the surface underneath the paper is thoroughly cleaned with no scented trace will be essential. Another economical & green choice would be to use reusable pads.

You can start as soon as the puppy enters your home. Dog training pads are not intended for older dogs unless they’re really old or dealing with health issues.

Using Puppy Training Pads

1. Place the training pad in a suitable location. Once you decide on a spot, don’t change it. You don’t want to confuse the puppy.

2. Look for signs when your puppy is ready to unload. Pacing, whining and sniffing are good indicators. Take your dog and place him on the pad. If he moves off the pad, carefully replace him and kindly encourage that he goes. Which, if timed right, will usually happen. A puppy will go 10 times a day easy. General rule is months versus hours. So 3 months old, about every 3 hours and so on. Any dog after puppyhood needs to get out 3-4 times a day.

3. As soon he does his business, give praise with a soft but fun voice. Toss a treat if you like as well. Anything to enforce the behavior. Your puppy wants to please you. Letting him know very clearly that you are a happy pack leader goes a long way. Even a burst of fun one minute play can work wonders. Celebrate it.

4. Keep in mind that you should never scold or punish the dog for not doing what you want him to do. If your dog makes a mess off the pad when you aren’t present or aware, do not punish the dog. This will only confuse your puppy and be counter-productive. Unless you catch the action as it happens, the dog has no idea why you’re correcting them.

AGAIN – Always praise for doing the right thing and never blame if they don’t. Patience and understanding is key.

5. When your little buddy is repeating the process and understanding that the pad is the place to go then move the pad closer to your front door or main exit.

6. At this point it might also be a good time to associate a word to the action. Use a phrase like “go potty” or “peepoo” or “do your business” keep it simple and don’t change it.

7. You then want to place a pad outside your home and open your door next time the puppy needs to go. Let him choose to go in or out as long as it goes on the pad praise and treat.

8. Starting to make sense? Once your puppy is getting it right you eliminate the inside pad and keep the outside pad and then eventually eliminate the outdoor pad.

NOTE – Moderating food and water during the training process really helps anticipate the timing. So does proper exercise. It’s also common to setup a pen or limited area where you keep an open crate and a pad at close proximity so you narrow your puppy’s options. I found this great video on YouTube illustrating what I mean.

DOUBLE NOTE – If your puppy plays or is excited, it’s normal for him to let a little out, don’t get mad or upset, clean it up and let it be. This won’t slow down your potty training process. In fact, if it’s been a couple of hours, have them do their business before a play session and then again after, to stay on top of the situation.

The learning process should not take more than a few weeks and if it’s done right, in fact if any potty training is done right, you should have a trained puppy by 3-4 months old if you started at 8 weeks old. When you clearly communicate and train with patience, training pads or not, a few solid weeks is all it takes. There will be accidents. Just clean them up and keep focusing on the final result. Trust me, you will get there.

Once there, especially if you did it with training pads, you might run into some little bumps and here’s why:

My Two Cents on Dog Training Pads

Now that I’ve covered how you can use puppy-training pads, here’s why we don’t think it’s the best idea. I’ve read and heard of many instances where, after the puppy has learned to go outside with the use of pads or papers, the dog might at any moment start doing his business in your home. Not always, but often enough. That’s when things can get a little complicated and frustrating.

Asia and I believe in crate training and essentially never letting your dog do business in your home under any circumstance. We will be covering crate training tactics in a future post but the process works and works very well. The dog gets it pretty quick and never learns that it’s acceptable to do his numbers in the house, training pads, newspapers or not.

The best way to train your puppy is through prevention. One thing a crate will do that dog training pads won’t is teach your dog to HOLD IT. With time, puppy will get even better at holding it. This is the essential part of potty training. You don’t want your dog to learn that they can go whenever they please, however they please, as many times as they like. Crate training helps cultivate bladder control which essentially gets your dog on track faster and with less future problems.

Crate training isn’t entirely easy either and requires proper instruction and diligence. We will definitely do a dedicated post on the topic as it also has other lifelong benefits. In the meantime do your own research. Ask a friend or a trainer about training your puppy with a crate.

We’re fortunate to have very flexible schedules and work mostly from home. This enabled us to keep a close eye on Halle and get her potty and crate trained within a few weeks. We’re also really proud of not only us but of Halle for getting on track as quick as she did (her keyword is “Business” by the way). Mind you, we did rounds every two or three hours in the first week or two (including in the middle of the night) to make sure she didn’t go inside. We understand that everyone doesn’t have the luxury of time or scheduling on their side.

Scenarios

- If you’re a busy person or don’t have time to potty train consider adopting an older dog that is housebroken. You can help a dog and have a new best friend without potty headaches.

- If you work long hours and don’t have time to potty train, consider getting your puppy when you have a vacation or extended down time from work. Asia calls it a “puppycation”.

- If you work all day and can’t get home for lunch, ask a friend, dog sitter, dog walker, family or anyone, to take the dog out once or twice during the day.

- Doggy day care is an option though your puppy will probably not have all his shots so keep that in mind and also ask around before you leave your dog anywhere. We have heard of many doggy daycare horror stories (future post brewing).

The thing is bringing a puppy into your home should never be an impulse move. You have to consider the above and have a game plan. The first months are crucial in the healthy physical and psychological development of your dog.

When to use Dog Training Pads

Training pads for your dog can definitely serve a purpose. If your dog is old or needs special care, training pads might be the best option. It’s common for toy dog owners to use pads. Small dogs like Chihuahuas can get really cold in some climates and require the use of dog training pads to do their business. Though I personally think most dogs are capable of getting out in any weather, even for 2 minutes, to take care of their business. If your dog gets too cold too quick in the winter months, get them hooked up with booties and a coat and keep the outing short.

The only other time I can rationalize the use of pads is if you truly have no other options at your disposal – which I can say would be 1% of the time if you’ve truly done your homework, considered the above and planned for responsible dog ownership.

If you’ve always used them and feel they’re the way to go when it comes to dog potty training and you’ve had much success with them. Who am I to argue?

If you’re a dog training pad advocate, I probably won’t be able to convince you not to use them. If you’re thinking about using puppy training pads, now you know how and what to consider.

Best of luck with all your puppy potty training efforts. Be patient, put in the effort and your dog will be take care of business outside in no time. Hope this article has helped put things into perspective, I really enjoyed working on it.

If you’ve used puppy training pads, like them or dislike them please leave a comment. We want to hear your experiences.