CRATE TRAINING:

NIGHT TIME:  The first 3-4 nights your puppy is home with you, you will want to put the crate at eye level with your bed at palms reach so they can see you- on a night stand or chair if possible.  The reason we want you to do this is so your puppy knows they are not completely alone as they have never been alone before.  After the 3-4 nights of being eye level with you, you can put that crate onto the floor.  After this- every night that crate can start going slightly farther and farther from the bed until after a week or so the crate is outside the bedroom.  

Before going to bed- take your dog out to go potty to ensure they are good for the night.  Their first night they may be more anxious than usual and they may cry- but ignore them!!!  Do not talk to them or shush them!!  Your dog will calm down and self sooth if you ignore them (almost like sleep training a baby) . If they are really going nuts you can stick your fingers in the crate but do not talk to them to make eye contact.  This way your dog knows you're there but you don't reinforce the negative behavior.  Most dogs from us have already started the potty and crate training process so they should be able to go most of the night.  The first night may be 6-7 hours but after that they should be able to do at least 7 hours.  If your dog wakes you up in the middle of the night you need to completely ignore them!!! This is super important- if you let your dog out of the crate when they are crying or barking in the middle of the night- they will make a habit of that and will continue to wake you up!!!  

When you wake up with them in the morning- they may start crying or barking.  Try to sit and ignore them until they calm down and then take them out of the crate.  That way you can reinforce calm and quiet behavior!  When they wake up in the morning- carry them straight outside into the grass.  If they walk themselves out they may go potty on the way! 

 

DAY TIME: During the day use the rule “If you can’t watch your training puppy- put them away!!!”  

If that means your dog is in and out of the crate several times throughout the day- thats totally ok!!  An unsupervised puppy will go potty somewhere you don't want them to, they will chew on things you don't want them to, and they could get into something they are supposed to get into!  Puppies are like small children; they don't know any better!  If they are left unsupervised at any time and they potty somewhere or do something they are supposed to do- it is your fault… not the puppies fault!!  Disciplining a puppy after they do something they weren't supposed to but they were unsupervised is confusing for them.

During the day, the crate can be moved anywhere; if you are at a desk working- you can have them in the crate next to you.  If you are busy and don’t want them in the room with you- put them in a different room.  If you aren’t home ALWAYS crate your dog!! The crate is the safest place for them while you’re gone.  If you wouldn’t leave a small child alone at home free-roaming, why would you do that with a training puppy?

My recommendation is that every single day (even if you’re home all day long) still crate your dog at least a couple times for a longer period of time(2-5 hours).  This helps your dog learn how to hold their potty for longer periods of time during the day.  If you do not do this, you will have a dog that doesn't know how to hold their potty as well- the crate is a potty training tool! 

The crate is also a tool for separation anxiety!!! If you want a calm dog with little to no anxiety- use the crate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you do not crate train, North Dallas Pups is not responsible for your untrained dogs future behaviors.  Not crate training your dog will cause you many issues with training and anxiety. 

 

PLEASE ASK US ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF CRATE TO USE!! WE ARE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THIS.

 

 

 

 

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POTTY TRAINING:

Potty training can be super easy for you and your family if you follow our tips and tricks!  First off, limit your dog's space in your home.  The more space your puppy has, the more likely they will be able to run away from you and hide an accident.  Make it easier on yourself and close doors to rooms you don’t want them to run into and block off areas you don’t want them going in.  We don’t suggest using a fully enclosed pen/gated area as most of our puppies have started the potty training process already and if you can’t watch them they should also go in the crate and not in a penned area.  All of our puppies have learned to go potty on newspaper before we started taking them outside- we will send you home with a stack of newspaper for you to lay on the inside of the back door that your puppy will be let out to.  Not necessarily for them to use but so they know which direction to go and they will start associating that back door with where they go to the bathroom.  If they do potty on the newspaper- it's better than anywhere else in the house.  But you don't want them to rely on the newspaper- if you notice they go over to it and smell it, it's best to take them outside.  That newspaper should only be at the back door they get let outside at and nowhere else in your home!!!!! If you put the newspaper anywhere else- they will associate that area with where they go potty and you will have a harder time potty training.  

 

This next part is very important!!!!!!!  You don’t want to go outside too often or for too long!!!! We want your dog to understand why we are going outside.  Outside time is not for play time while your puppy is training.  Take your puppy out situationally- after coming out of the crate, after nap time, after play time, and after eating and drinking a larger amount.  When you take them outside- go outside with them!! If you leave your puppy outside alone, you have no clue if they are going potty or just messing around.  Go outside with your puppy and walk around in a big circle and say “go potty, go potty”.  The second they go potty- get really excited and praise them like crazy!!  Praise goes a long way with puppies!!

Now when we say not to be outside for too long, we don’t want you outside for longer than 5 minutes.  If your puppy isn’t going potty after about 5 minutes and they are just playing or messing around- you need to pick them up and take them inside and put them straight in their crate anywhere from 15 minutes-1 hour!!!  This way we can avoid any accidents in the house!!! A lot of people will spend 10-30 minutes or more outside and their dog doesn't go potty.. Then they walk inside and the dog goes potty right away!! Do not give your puppy this opportunity.  This goes the same if your dog went pee but you know they have to poop and they aren’t going poop.  (most dogs poop first thing in the am) (Puppies poop more frequently than adults).

Any potty accidents are NOT your puppies fault- it is your fault for not seeing the signs and not training properly.  Although accidents will happen and that is all part of this process!

 

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Watch

The key to successful house training is supervision. Watch your dog constantly.

Your first duty is to identify what your dog does right before it eliminates. Does

your dog sniff? Circle? Hold his ears in a certain position? Some dogs provide

signals that are easy to spot, while others are more difficult. Watch carefully.

 

Praise

When you see the signs of an impending puddle, react! Quickly -before he has

the chance to squat- ask him in an excited voice, "Do you have to go OUTSIDE?"

Lead the way, continuing to praise all the way. Once outside, stay with him until

you witness the desired results and praise him as he goes. "Good, go potty

outside!" Make him feel that he is the most special dog in the whole world.

 

Confine When You Can't Watch

By confining him to a small place, like an airline kennel, you will teach him to wait

to be let out. He will be more reluctant to soil his crate, because if he does he will

be forced to sit and look at it and smell it until you return. When you do let him

out, take him directly to his assigned toilet area and praise for quick results.

 

Keep a Regular Schedule

Take him out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and many times in

between. Feed and exercise on a regular schedule. Remember, what goes in

regularly, will come out regularly. How soon after he eats does he need to go

out? Keep track. Free-choice feeding may hamper your house training efforts -

what trickles in will trickle out unpredictably! Your dog will probably need to go

out soon after eating, after napping, and after exercising. If you can anticipate

when he needs to go and hustle him to the appropriate spot at the first sign,

you'll avoid accidents.

 

Don't Just Put Him Out - Stay With Him

If you don't stay, you'll miss the chance to praise and you'll also miss the chance

to name the behavior. "Outside" is where he needs to go, "Go potty", "Find a

tree", or, "Do your business" (call it what you like) is what he needs to do when

he gets there. If you stay with him, you'll also know for a fact that both duties

were accomplished before he comes back in. (You'll also be glad that your dog is

comfortable eliminating in your presence when you're standing in the rain at that

rest stop while vacationing with your pet!)

 

He Comes Right Back In And Makes A Mess

If you leave him out alone, you won't know if he completed his assigned tasks or

was distracted by a butterfly. Many young puppies are distraught about being

separated from their owners. They may spend the entire time while outside just

sitting on the porch. It's unlikely that your pup will want to ask to go outside if it is

a negative experience to be separated from the security of its human family. "He

was out for two hours and came in immediately made a mess." He may have spent

most of the past two hours napping, awoke to the sound of the door and came

running. Now he's finally back inside - is he apt to want to ask to be left out again?

 

No Punishment

If he has an accident, swat yourself with the rolled up newspaper, not the dog. It

was your fault for not watching him closely enough! Rubbing his nose in it (yuck!),

scolding or hitting will only teach him to avoid you when he feels the need, rather

than come find you. Correcting before the dog learns how to ask only teaches the

dog to sneak off down the hall where you won't see him.

 

Teach Him How To Ask

If you have been a good cheerleader, your dog has probably made the

association between the feeling of a full bladder and your excitement at the

prospect of going outside. You may notice that he circles and then looks to you

like, "Well? I'm feeling it - are you going to get excited?" Now is the time to start

playing "stupid". "What? What do you want? Show me!" The more stupid you

appear, the more explicit he will be when trying to communicate his needs.

Before you know it, he will be asking.

 

Accidents Happen

Upsets in schedule, changes in food, or illness may contribute to temporary

lapses in house training. See your veterinarian if it persists. Outside stresses,

changes in weather, a new pet or baby in the family, may also upset your dog's

toilet habits. Punishing long after the fact will only add to his stress. Back up,

give him more structure; confine & supervise. Help him be good!