Crate Training, House Breaking and Potty Training

When Crate Training, please remember that repetition is necessary.  Your puppy will not understand what you want unless you repeatedly show him/her the desired behavior MANY times. Keep in mind also that your puppy does not know what is expected and must be shown the proper place to eliminate, and when. Think of the crate the same way you think of a playpen for a human child.  Even if you are only leaving the room for a "minute," either take the puppy with you or use the crate. After all, you would not leave a toddler in the house alone "for just a minute" would you?

A good size crate for a Dane is 28”W x 36”H x 48”L. However, larger is always better for their own comfort as an adult.  It is best to buy the right size crate for the adult Dane since your puppy with be growing fast and crates are expensive.  Puppies may soil if the crate is too big so you can adjust the size of the crate accessible to your puppy either using boxes to block off the bigger part of the crate or some crates also sell adjustable partitions. The DEN is an integral part of the wild dogs upbringing and safety zone.  A puppy kept in her “den” or crate for a reasonable time, no more than 3 hours at a time, will refrain from soiling and will learn to hold herself until you let her out.  But this takes time. 

Allow your pup to explore around the crate.  Then place several pieces of kibble in the crate as your pup watches.  If she goes into the crate after the food, praise enthusiastically.  If not, gently lift her up and place her inside without shutting the door.  Pet if she needs reassurance.  Next, call the pup out and praise her when she comes.  Repeat for several minutes.  If she shows no sign of disturbance try closing the door for a minute.  Conclude by opening the door and praising her.  Feed her inside the crate the next time you feed by luring her in and closing the door.  If she starts barking and whining to get out when she is done discourage it by firmly striking the front of the cage door with your hand and saying “No!” in a deep voice.  Wait for her to be quiet for 5 minutes before opening the door and taking her to the soiling area.  Staying in the crate will teach her to hold herself as she gets used to it gradually staying for longer and longer periods of time. 

Use the crate wisely.  Don't crate only when you are leaving the house.  Place the puppy in the crate while you are home as well.  Use it as a "safe" zone, or for "time outs".  (thus keeping your sanity). By crating when you are home AND while you are gone, the puppy becomes comfortable in the crate and not worried that you will not return, or that you are leaving him/her alone.  This helps to eliminate separation anxiety later in life.For the first night, puppies left alone will bark, moan, and whine.  Give him/her a chew toy.  A very young puppy may appreciate a loud ticking clock which, some dog trainers say, simulates the heart-beat of his former litter mates.  Beyond providing these diversions, grit your teeth and steel your heart.  If in pity you go to the howling puppy, he will howl every time you leave.  Suffer one night, 2 or possible 3 and you’ll have made it.Most puppies will not soil their "den."  The first couple of tries you might have some accidents, but don't be discouraged.  An easy way to avoid accidents in the night for the first few weeks is by following this routine:

1. set your alarm for about 3 hrs after your normal bed time. When the alarm goes off, get up immediately, go to the crate and CARRY the pup outside (I do this in my robe, with my shoes kept by the door to the outside). Place him on the ground and encourage him to eliminate. PRAISE when he does, and bring him back to the crate. Go back to bed.

2. Set your alarm for another 3 hrs, and get back to sleep. When the alarm goes off repeat part one.

3. After about a week of the above routine, IF it has been successful (no crate messing) then you can set the alarm for halfway through your sleep time. Follow the remainder of part one. When you arise in the morning, TAKE the pup outside BEFORE you do anything else. Feed the pup and then crate.  Follow your regular waking routine, then walk the pup one more time before going off to work.

4. Repeat the feeding, walking and crating at lunchtime.  Pups from the ages of 2 to 4 months CANNOT control their elimination for much more than 4 hours, so if you cannot return home at lunchtime, arrange for someone to do this for you at lunch. If the CRATE is too large, the pup can easily soil on one side and sleep on the other.  The way to prevent this is to buy a crate that will accommodate your pet when it is fully grown.  Then get a box that will fit inside the back of the crate.  The box should be large enough that there is only room for the puppy to stand and lie down comfortably. As the puppy grows, provide more room by putting in a smaller box, or cutting down the size.  When the puppy reliably asks to be put outside to eliminate, remove the box so the puppy can use the whole crate. If the puppy messes the crate, replace the box size to the point at which the puppy was reliable, and just give the pup a little more time to learn.  In conjunction with crate training, potty training starts immediately. Whenever you remove the puppy from the crate or just want the puppy to "go potty," take the dog to the door that will always be used to "go outside." Use the SAME door throughout the training period. On the handle of this door, tie a bell to a string, dropping it even with the height of the puppy's nose.  When you bring the puppy to the door, lure the puppy to touch the bell with either it's nose or paw, (using a treat) causing the bell to ring. After the puppy rings the bell, give it the treat, (use a SMALL piece of meat or dried liver) and say "OUTSIDE" in a happy tone of voice.  Take the puppy outside on leash.

Reminder: During housebreaking DO NOT allow the pup outside to eliminate alone or loose in the yard.  Yes, that means in the rain, snow, whatever: YOU GO OUTSIDE ALSO. Give the puppy plenty of time. Don't rush or you will be sorry.  When the puppy urinates or defecates, praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and again, give the puppy a tiny, tiny treat. Continue to wait.  When the puppy poops, again praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and give a treat.  Go back inside, stop at the door again, and treat once again. If the puppy does not "potty" even after staying outside 15 minutes, return back inside, place the puppy back into the crate, wait 15 minutes and start again from the beginning. If done religiously, this training process should take only about 2 weeks for the puppy to understand.  This method will work with any dog, regardless of age.  If you adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue program, follow the same routine.  Remember, even though the dog is older or even an adult, he still does not know the rules of your home, and may not have ever BEEN in a house.  Be PATIENT and this method WILL work. If your puppy does have an accident clean the accident thoroughly as the scent will draw him back to use the area again.  Don’t use ammonia as there is ammonia in urine.  And do not rub his nose in it since he will not understand and only fear you.  If your dog consistently house soils in one area try feeding him there or keep his water bowl there.

House Training Schedules

Program A

Your dog resides indoors, someone is usually at home and you wish to train your dog to eliminate outdoors, either actively (while walking on lead) or passively (you simply let your dog roam free in your yard.)

Program B

Your dog resides indoors, there is no one at home for more than four (4) hours each day, and you wish to train your dog to eliminate outdoors, either actively or passively.

Program C

Your dog resides indoors and you wishes to train your dog to passively eliminate on newspaper inside your house or apartment.

Program D

Your dog resides outdoors and you wish to train your dog to passively eliminate outdoors in an appropriate area selected by you.

Program A

Feeding & Walking Schedule For the Owner Who Is Usually Home

1. When you awake, remove your dog from his crate and immediately take him outside to eliminate. Remember to say the stimulus command words for urination and defecation. When he finishes, immediately reward him with praise, a treat and a walk.
2. Give your dog food & water the dog for 15 minutes only! DO NOT LEAVE FOOD AND WATER OUT ALL DAY! At the end of this time, take the food & water dishes away, whether he is finished eating or not.
3. Lead your dog into his crate using the "Kennel" command. Leave him in there for around 15 to 20 minutes in order to digest. You will learn how soon he needs to go out after some time.
4. At the end of the crating period, take your dog outside again to eliminate and follow the routine once again.
5. If your dog urinates and defecates, bring him inside. He can now be allowed to play outside of his crate for an hour or two while supervised.
6. Repeat this routine after every meal. Be sure to walk the dog one last time before bedtime.

Program B

Feeding & Walking Schedule For the Owner Who Works

1. When you awake, remove your dog from his crate and immediately take him outside to eliminate. Remember to say the stimulus command words for urination and defecation. When he finishes, immediately reward him with praise, a treat and a short walk.
2. Give your dog food & water the dog for 15 minutes only! DO NOT LEAVE FOOD AND WATER OUT ALL DAY! At the end of this time, take the food & water dishes away, whether he is finished eating or not.
3. Lead your dog into his crate using the "Kennel" command. Leave him there for around 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of the crating period, take your dog outside again to eliminate and follow the routine once again.
4. When your dog urinates and defecates, bring him inside. Lead him to his crate using the "Kennel" command. Give him his "Bye-Bye" Bone, close the crate and leave immediately.
5. Upon returning home, immediately walk your dog using the routine.
6. After urinating and defecating, take him inside and allow him to play while supervised.

Program C

Teaching Your Dog To Eliminate On Newspaper

Paper training your dog, that is, teaching your dog to eliminate on newspapers that can easily be gathered up and thrown away, is an acceptable alternative to house training for people who live in hi-rise apartments, for senior citizens or those owners with a tiny dog that eliminates very little. The main reason why we choose newspaper is because it is readily available, costs very little and it will absorb the urine, making it easy to dispose of.

Pick an area of the house where it would be convenient to place paper on the floor. A kitchen corner or laundry room is often chosen because it has a tile floor that will resist the seepage of urine should this occur. Place the dogs crate or bed in a corner and place paper on the floor around it. The area should be a few feet by a few feet, depending upon the size of the dog. Construct a barrier around the perimeter of the area in order to confine the dog to the papered area only. Since the dog will not wish to soil the place where he sleeps, he will eventually wander onto the papered area to eliminate. After about a week, begin to narrow the amount of space you have covered with newspaper until after several days there remains only as much newspaper as the dog needs to confine the waste. Since dogs want to eliminate in the same spot each time, this will make the whole task easier.

After several weeks of eliminating on paper the dog should get used to this habit. You can then attempt to remove the barrier and let him have access to a larger area of the house when you can watch him. If he makes a mistake, tell him in a stern voice, "On the paper.... on the paper..." and place him on the newspaper. When you see him eliminate on the newspaper, always praise him and sometimes give him a treat immediately. Remember, if reinforcement is not given within a few seconds of a desirable behavior, the dog will not make the connection. As with the other programs, food and water should be given for scheduled periods of time and then taken away. Use an odor neutralizer to eliminate the scent when the dog makes a mistake. If your dog makes a mistake, never the punish the dog after the fact. This does absolutely no good. Only correct him with an instruction ("On the paper...") if you catch him in the act.

Program D

When Your Dog Lives Outdoors
(And You Want the Dog to Eliminate in a Specific Area)

If your dog lives outdoors, it is best to crate train the dog indoors as described earlier. It never hurts to have a crate trained dog. When it is time for him to eliminate, take him to the area in which you wish him to eliminate on a leash. Give the elimination commands and give a food treat when he does eliminate. The dog will soon learn to eliminate outside in that specific area. Once he is reliably house trained and trained to eliminate in your special spot, he can begin to live outdoors and may be expected to eliminate in his designated spot.