How to Crate Train or Paper Train

Crate training and paper training are two effective ways of housebreaking your puppy. Each has its own steps, but both rely on a combination of patience, persistence and consistency. Both work through small, gradual steps and both achieve the same result---training your puppy to go potty outside or even in a specific area of your yard. For crate training, you will need the properly-sized crate, but for paper training, you will only need yesterday's newspaper.

Instructions

  1. Crate Training

    • 1
      Use a crate your dog can stand up in.

      Buy the right-size crate for your puppy. A dog's instinct, even when small, is to keep his sleeping area clean. Buy a crate that lets your puppy stand up and turn around, but doesn't give him any room to sneak into a corner and poop. Get an expandable one so you can enlarge it as your puppy grows.

    • 2

      Crate your puppy whenever you can't watch her. If you can see your puppy at all times, you can rush her outside to poop or pee and praise her, but if you are busy, put your pup in her crate. Never leave your puppy crated for more than two or three hours.

    • 3

      Take the puppy outside as soon as you take him out of his crate. Tell the pup to "potty" and then praise him for success. If your pup doesn't poop or pee, put him back in the crate and repeat the process until he is going potty outside on command.

    Paper Training

    • 4
      Keep plenty of clean newspaper handy.

      Confine your dog to a specific area when you are unable to monitor her. An enclosed back porch, gated kitchen corner or tiled area near the back door is easiest. Cover the floor with opened newspaper pages. Praise your puppy when she goes on the paper.

    • 5

      After a week or two, remove one page of newspaper each day. Your puppy should poop on the newspaper that is there and not on the bare floor. Keep removing newspaper pages until there is only one page and your puppy is consistently using it. If your pup makes a mistake, add more newspapers and then remove gradually over time.

    • 6

      Move the last page closer and closer to the door, finally taking the paper outside and laying it gradually nearer the area you want your dog to use. If your dog potties in the desired area, praise him. Finally, eliminate the paper altogether.