Play with your pup, take him for a walk, generally tire him out. Make
sure he's relieved himself and then put him in his crate. Again, no food
or water and no collar on him. Now go watch some tv, read a book, go
outside and garden, whatever it is you want to do. Let him fuss and bark
and whimper-DO NOT reward him for fussing by letting him out.
Eventually he'll calm down and go to sleep.
When he wakes up, quickly and calmly
lift him out of the crate and take him outside to his bathroom spot.
Notice you are to PICK HIM UP and take him out. If you simply open the
door and let him run out, you are almost certain to have him stop and
urinate in the house somewhere. Don't give him that chance. And don't
praise him or make any kind of fuss over him at all when you take him out
of the crate. You are trying to create a sense of comfort being IN the
crate, not being let out of it.
Repeat this process throughout the day.
When your pup gets tired, place in calmly in his crate, close the door
and let him fuss until he falls asleep. As soon as we wakes up, take
him outside to his bathroom spot and praise him for relieving himself.
Remember-don't make any kind of fuss when you take him out of the crate.
Be calm, matter-of-fact and he will follow your example.
Overnight in the crate
The next big step is the overnight stay. Make sure you haven't fed your
pup for the last hour or so before you retire for the night. Play with
him, take him outside and make sure he has relieved himself. Now place
him in his crate, close the door and get to bed. He will fuss. He will
give up and fall asleep. He will wake up and fuss again. When he does,
do NOT let him out. Instead, wait for him to quiet down and them
immediately go get him and take him outside to his bathroom spot. After he
has relieved himself, place him back in his crate for the night.
Young
pups under 3 or 4 months of age will need to go out at least once in the
middle of the night. Think of it like a baby you need to get up to feed
and change. In the morning, get your pup calmly and take him outside
again. Praise him for relieving himself outside. Well, you both survived
your first night!
Repeat the same thing during the day: when your pup gets tired, place
him in his crate and close the door. During the day when he's up and
about, leave the door open so he can wander in if he wants. What you'll
find after a few days of this is that your pup will start to go into the
crate when he's ready for his nap. This is good! This is what you're
aiming for!