Dog House Training Tips - Using the Crate in Dog Potty Training By Amy Conrad

Crate training in very beneficial when it comes to in house dog potty training, because it will assist you in training your dog self control as well as spare you a great deal of effort in cleaning up after your dog when he has had accidents in the house. The crate forces your dog, even young puppy, to keep it in for a period of time. However, do not keep him in the crate for too long and do not use the crate as punishment.Dogs have a natural instinct not to mess in its shelter, but if there is plenty of space, it will relieve itself as long as there is enough space for it to sleep in. So in selecting a crate remember to get a crate that is perfect for your dogs size.It is also a good idea to get a crate big enough for your dog when he is his adult size. You can divide it to fit him as he grows. In this way you will not have to buy more than one crate for your dog as he gets bigger.When choosing a crate for your dog, you should take into account that it needs to be the right size for the dog, not only for general house training purposes, but especially for potty training.If the crate is too big for your dog, he will not see the need to keep it in if he has to go.He will also not have a problem with relieving himself on the one end of the crate and sleep on the other end.A very young puppy should not be left in the crate for more than 2 hours at a time depending on its ability to control its bladder. As your puppy gets older you will notice that he can keep it in for longer periods of time.So it is really a matter of your puppy"s individual development and abilities. There is really no rule in this regard. Older dogs can be left in the crate for longer, even overnight.You should monitor your dog while he is still not 100% crate trained yet as he might get anxious and hurt itself in an attempt to escape from the crate.Happy puppy house training.