Crate training has always been the preferred way to housebreak a puppy. Plus, they enjoy the den-like enclosure of a crate. A crate is a good housebreaking tool because it takes advantage of a dog’s natural reluctance to soil its sleeping place. It also helps prevent destructive behaviors and keeps the pup away from potentially dangerous household items.

However, puppies under 4 months of age have little bladder or sphincter control.  Very young puppies under 9 weeks should not be crated as they need to eliminate as much as 8-12 times per day. Puppies purchased in pet stores, who were kept solely in small cages when young (between 7-16 weeks of age), may be considerably harder to housebreak using a crate. This is due to having been forced to eliminate in their sleeping area during this formative stage of development.  This is the age at which most puppies are learning to eliminate outside their sleeping area.

So, what to do when your puppy is too young for crate training. The best method is to confine the puppy in a small to medium sized room space with a non-porous floor. Set up the crate on one end, with the door propped open and soft bedding inside, the food and water a few feet away, and some newspapers (approx. 2’x3′ to 3’x3′) using a 3-4 layer thickness several feet away. It is best to use  child gate versus a solid door to help your puppy feel less isolated. Take your puppy out frequently during the day to get him used to eliminating outdoors. Introduce the crate as confinement very carefully. As a rule of thumb, a puppy between 9 and 16 weeks should be crated from 30 minutes for the younger dog to 4 hours max.  Except for overnight, a puppy or dog should not be crated for more than 5 to 6 hours.

Enjoy your new puppy and  give  all the love you can.  It will be paid back to you in volumes!