Dogs are opportunistic creatures, and if they have an inch they will pretty much take a mile.

As we said in our Potty Training post, teaching a dog to use the bathroom indoors is a bad idea. Some dogs will most certainly catch on and learn how to pee in a designated area, and even if that’s the case, it’s still not a behavior you want to encourage. We were trying to get Winston to train indoors so that when we left, we could trust that he’d run to his little spot we said was okay to potty on and then everything would be peachy, we were wrong. I think in the end, we just confused the hell out of him and made more work for ourselves.

Crate training (along with other training techniques) has been by far the most effective method in potty training so far.

What a Crate Does:

1. Lack of Space When picking out your crate, the dog should have enough room to stand up and turn around without issue. Meaning, the crate should be slightly longer and slightly wider than your dog. The lack of space doesn’t give them the chance to mess on one side and move to another.

2. Natural Instincts In general, a dog will not mess where he eats or sleeps. The first few times trying out the crate you may experience an accident or two, but just be patient it will begin to pay off, they will learn to hold their bladder.

3. Bully Cave The concept of a crate seemed a bit cruel at first, or at least, the thought of him being so confined seemed cruel. In reality, a crate is your dog’s favorite place. It’s like their own little sanctuary where they can chew their toys or take a nap in peace and quiet.

Best Practices:

DO take them outside immediately upon opening the door of the crate.

DO give them treats or positive reinforcements once they are inside.

DO NOT use for punishment. The second you use the crate in a negative way, your dog will begin associating bad behavior with being locked in the crate.

DO NOT force your dog in the crate.

DO NOT allow anyone to tease, touch or coax the dog from outside the crate when they are inside. They should not feel anxiety from being crated.

DO NOT use newspaper or towels inside. This will reinforce that they are allowed to pee in the crate.

DO NOT open the crate when you hear barking or scratching. Again, we don’t want to reinforce unwanted behavior. Wait until their tantrum has ended before letting them out.

Lastly, if you think that the crate will solve all your potty training issues on it’s own, you are mistaken. There is still work to be done, all the crate does is create less of an opportunity for your dog to make a mess and run away.

Winston can hold his bladder for about 5 hours before he needs to go out (luckily, I can walk home from work during my lunch, so he gets a walk in the afternoon), but anything more than that and we’re pushing it. If you cannot take your dog for a walk for eight hours because you’re at work, you may want to hire a dog walker. Otherwise, expect to walk home to a crate full of poop and pee.

Above all else, just go into the potty training with a positive attitude. If your dog senses you are frustrated, they will be frustrated too. Don’t throw too many things at them at once, sometimes, they need some time to get used to change; just be there to discourage unwanted behavior as it happens and of course encourage good behavior! Winston has had his crate for several weeks now, and he’s improved tremendously. I honestly wish we would’ve done crate training from the very beginning, but I guess sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

I hope this post helps someone out there! As always email sleepingbully@gmail.com if there are any questions or comments! (We really should get an ‘Ask’ button on this page. Note to self.)

Happy Training!

-M