Crate training a puppy: Should the cage be empty?

Question

I've read a few questions here discussing this (slightly), and it appears that one answer suggests dividing the cage somehow and letting one half be a bathroom area, and one half where the puppy can rest. This denotes that the cage is not empty.

From what I've read elsewhere and have been told, the cage should be completely empty so that if/when the puppy goes in her cage, she will realize she is stuck with a puddle of her urine in her cage and nowhere to go which should in turn get her to stop urinating in her cage.

What is the proper thing to do in this situation? Should the cage have some sort of towel for a cushion from the hard plastic tray, or should we leave it empty and let the puppy stick it out? Shes usually in the crate from about 10pm to 6am. She is currently about 11 weeks old and the potty training adventure has really only just begun.

Answer 1

I agree with Layna, toilet training and crate training are 2 different things. A crate should be a sanctuary for your puppy, a place of safety, a place of her own where she/he can retreat safely, like a den in the wild.

There's several ways to train your puppy to use the crate but this is what I did:

First make it comfortable with blankets and old duvets. The crate needs to have a blanket over the top, like a roof to simulate den conditions.

You need to make the puppy understand the above by associating the crate with positive experiences. Food is by far the best reward. Keep the crate open, and lure your puppy closer and closer. Eventually placing a treat in the crate. Repeat several times until the puppy feels comfortable or goes in on its own. A command can be added later. This may have to be repeated several times. If the puppy gets in the crate, getting hugs and fuss in the crate is really useful to emphasise security. I also used to feed my dog in it as well.

If you want to close the door, you can sit next to the crate when your puppy is in until they start sleeping and relaxing. Then I slowly closed the door and stayed there whilst reading, enhancing calmness. Did it several times a day till the closed door didn't bother the dog. Then I start on moving away, a few feet at the time, until I can do anything around the house. Don't go too fast. Don't be afraid to go back a step. The most effective training is for the puppy to work it out with your guidance. Never force a dog to do something, crate should never be associated with negative experiences. Good luck

**ADDED ANSWER **

Walking your puppy at night might be detrimental to the aim you're trying to achieve: basically your puppy being able to hold it all night! I understand it might be necessary but you should focus more about bladder emptying during the day. Dogs love routines, it makes them feel safe. If you organise a strong routine through the day, nights should get quickly sorted. If a dog was wild, this would be a typical day: Get up at dawn(birds usually give them the queue) Out of the den to look for food. This can last all day if they're not good or very quickly if you have a clever one(which you do!). This is simulated by the walk! That's why you should always feed your dog after walking it. If their belly is full, it's back to the den to sleep all day... or until they are hungry again. Then back out again looking for food. Then back to the den.. and so on. Then sleep all night, without need to go for a pee. In all that, they empty their bladders as they look for food. You'll notice that an adult dog never empty its bladder in one go. What they do is leave little messages that they've been there, for others and for themselves for different purposes.

You need to get the puppy in a similar routine and wee training will work. Of course biology is a factor and she needs to grown in her bladder control, so be sensible.

I hope that helps. Focusing just on bladder control is not the exact answer, giving your puppy structure is. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

Two points should be made here.

First: your puppy is not able to control it's bladder fully yet! No matter it it realises it will sit in pee or not, it will need to go. The general rule to follow is: your puppy can control it's bladder for one hour for each month of age. So, at 2 months, that's 2 hours, at 3 months, that's 3 hours, and so on.

Second: The idea behind the crate it that it is a comfortable place for the dog. It is a peaceful, relaxed place, where the dog will happily go all by itself. This may also be important later: If it is loud and stressful in the house, because of a party, major repairs or something like that, the crate should be a place of retreat for the dog, not a place to be "just out of the way" so the humans are not disturbed.
So: make the puppy comfortable! So, got with puppy-pads, a tray with towels, whatever works out for your puppy, and make sure the puppy has a cuddly, clean place as well.

Good luck with training, and enjoy the time with your puppy! :)

Answer 3

To add to what the other answers are saying, I think you're misconstruing the idea of a long-term confinement area (over 4 hours is long-term) with a crate. In a long-term confinement area, you have a relatively large area, such as the 4x4' area that most exercise pens enclose. Inside that, you have a crate with the door open or removed. Because the puppy can get out, most will not potty in there. This should be comfortable and welcoming, as others have said.

Also inside the confinement area, you should have an area where it's ok to potty. Some people use pee pads or newspapers. Others use things that are more like going outdoors, like a piece of sod in a large pan or a sand box. The reasoning behind the latter is that the puppy never gets used to peeing on things that are like things you will have on the floor. I hope this clarifies.