However, when it comes to little puddles on our carpet then we aren’t quite as keen !! It’s a fact that house training issues are one of the most common problems that new puppy owners have to contend with but with lots of patience and by following these simple guidelines you’ll be on your way to a reliably house trained dog in no time.

The dog cage is a great tool that is used in modern house training methods and if it used correctly, a dog cage not only prevents accidents in your home but also helps to prevent your puppy from getting into trouble when you are not there to supervise him.

Ideas-4-pets have a great selection of dog training cages which are made in different sizes to suit all breeds of dog.  Some cages are powder coated and others are galvanised and they come in price ranges to suit most pockets.  There are dog cages with just one entry door and others have two doors – one on the long side and the other on the end. 

Not all dog owners realise that most puppies feel safe and secure in a dog cage and see it as their “den” and their “private space”  but remember when purchasing one that it mustn’t be too big for your puppy. The dog cage must be large enough for him to lie down, stand up and turn around. Don’t be tempted to put puppy pads in the cage as your puppy will learn that he can relieve himself on these and then push them to the back of the cage. Your goal is for him to learn NOT to relieve himself in his new “home”.

Once you have the perfect dog cage for your puppy, it is time to teach him to enjoy being in it. During the day when you have him out, leave his cage with the door propped open and put a few of his favourite toys near the back of it to make it an interesting place to explore. You can also occasionally toss treats into the cage and invite him to check it out but NEVER force him in. Let him investigate in his own time and when he does go in to get the treat, praise him excitedly and give him another treat before letting him to come back out.

If you repeat this exercise several times he will happily go into his dog cage for the treats and a good idea is to add a voice cue at this point like “go to bed” so that you can get him used to going into his cage whenever you need him to.

Once he is happy with this arrangement, you can start leaving him in the dog cage for short periods of time. Encourage him to go into his cage again, but this time when he goes in shut the door but for a few seconds. If he doesn’t protest, open the door and give him lots of praise and treats and try doing it several times throughout the day, gradually extending the time he stays in the cage.

NEVER let him out if he cries or protests but wait until he has calmed down first. If you feed your puppy his meals in his cage, this will also help to create a good association and there are some great toys like the KONG that you can buy from your local pet shop that are made to stuff with food and treats that you can place in his cage with your puppy to help to keep him occupied when you have to leave him for a short time.

Remember that the dog cage should only initially be used for short term confinement as young puppies can’t hold their bladders for very long and the last thing you want to do is to confine him to the point where he is forced to relieve himself in his cage. Make sure that you constantly take him to where you want him to relieve himself – whether this is on a puppy pad or outside and make a huge fuss when he does it in the allotted place – give him lots of praise and a treat so that he knows he has done something correctly and he will eventually remember where he should go in the future.

During the day you shouldn’t leave your puppy in his cage for more than a couple hours at a time. As a sleeping puppy can hold his bladder for a little longer, the dog cage can be used for extended periods of time during the night.