165. What is crate training?

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore


This crate is usually sold to the new puppy owner who has a higher budget than buying the playpen (4 pieces of fences). This type of housing resembled that in most pet shops. The puppy is used to the "wire flooring."

He passes urine onto the pee-tray (pull-out) tray below and has NO association or contact with the newspapers which may cover the pee-tray. Some pet shops do NOT line the pee-tray with newspapers as they look unprofessional.

The puppy's stools may drop into the pee tray or just removed manually. When the owner goes home, he puts a piece of newspaper onto the floor beside the CRATE and sprays the HOUSE-BREAKING solution onto the newspaper (if the pet shop operator remembers to sell him one). He expects the puppy to goto the newspaper to pass urine and stools.

Well, some puppies do pee on the newspapers when brought home. But the secret of success is SUPERVISION and PRAISES by the owner. Some owners have no time and let the puppy roam the whole apartment. They wonder why the puppy does not use the newspaper as the toilet even after 30 days at home? The owners MUST spend time to toilet-train the puppy.

The first 7 days of supervision is extremely important and so much happier for the owner as the puppy becomes paper-trained. If there is no time and no confinement to a small area (e.g the kitchen), the puppy still messes the whole apartment and everybody is unhappy with the puppy.

CRATE TRAINING. This method of toilet-training is as follows:
1. Confine the puppy in a crate (cage) of sufficient size for him to sleep and stand but not too big that he can pee inside it.
2. Every hour, on the hour, bring the puppy out to the toilet (e.g. playpen with newspapers or confined area with newspapers). Say "Pee here".
3. When the puppy pees or poos, say "Good puppy." Praise. Reward with a treat.
4. As the puppy grows up, increase the time of confinement.
5. As a general guideline, a 2-month and a 3-month-old puppy can be confined for 2 and 3 hours respectively but you have to supervise and gradually increase the time in the crate.
6. Keep the crate near to when family members are seen as the puppy is a social animal.
7. Praises and rewards motivate the puppy to call you (by whining or scratching at the door) when it wants to go to the toilet.
8. Soon, you just open the door of the crate and place the crate inside a confined area (playpen or kitchen for example). The puppy becomes paper-trained.

9. You can put the crate near the bathroom orthe garden if you wish the puppy to use the toilet floor of the bathroom or outdoors.

10. Observe the puppy for signs like sniffing, circling and whining. It may need to go to the toilet. Also, it needs to go to the toilet when it wakes up, after feeding and after playing.
11. Feeding 2 times per day is a common advice from pet shop operators. Take the food away after 20 minutes (rather than feeding all the time the whole day). No water after 8 p.m at night. All these measures are meant to help you to toilet-train the puppy.

11. In summary, you need to devote time to toilet-train your puppy. Beating it, light slap on the face, putting its nose onto the urine and then bringing it to the newspapers to tell it to "pee here" are some methods used by Singaporeans. The puppy tries to hide somewhere to avoid your beating as it does not associate its bad behaviour done some time ago. Therefore, correct its mistakes when it HAPPENS, preferably with love, praises and treats. It wants a pack leader (you and your family members) and not a puppy beater. All family members must use the same commands (with a firm low voice rather than screamng). Be consistent in the toilet-training methods and schedule or obedience training of the puppy.

Unfortunately, older parents and some siblings tend to sabotage your toilet training by giving different commands. That is hard for you but do your best.