TIPS & TRICKS

ACCIDENTS IN THE CRATE

If your puppy is having accidents in the crate there could be many reasons as to why. First start off by making sure your puppy has enough time to go potty outside. 10- 20 min should be a good amount of time. Also make sure that there are limited distractions outside. Too many distractions will cause your puppy to not focus on the task. I simply watch and do not engage to let them focus. Big praise for when the do go potty. 

If your puppy has too much space in their crate that also can cause your puppy to choose to go potty in their crate. Think of it this way. Your puppy will start to map their crate out as a studio apartment. They will figure out that they can sleep on one side and potty on the other. To eliminate that thought process, use the crate divider and make sure your puppy ONLY has enough room in their crate to get up and reposition themselves. Our goal with the crate when it comes to potty training is we are teaching them to hold their systems and encourage to only go potty outside. 

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WHAT TO PUT IN THE CRATE?

Nothing, I know this sounds mean but the safest thing you can do is to not put anything in the crate. Your puppy will have alone time in there. Last thing you want to do is leave them unsupervised with linens or toys they can easily tear apart and ingest. 

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As your dog gets older and you gain trust with bedding in the crate what I like to use is bathmats. The bathmats with a good rubberized bottom. The reason why I like using those is because they don't slip and get crumbled to the back of the crate. The are also easily removed and can be sanitized in the washer. But also they are not too thick and over heating. Remember you are dealing with a large breed dog they appreciate the cool more than the warmth.