YOUR DOG'S HOME WITHIN A HOME

FOR HOUSEBREAKING

FOR SLEEPING

FOR TRAVELING

FOR HIS (and your) SAFETY WHEN YOU ARE AWAY FROM HOME

FOR A CONVALESCENT DOG WHOSE ACTIVITIES MUST BE RESTRICTED

If your dog has been crate-trained before you bring him home, just continue with the schedule for
housebreaking as suggested below.

If you are initially introducing a puppy or older dog to a crate, follow these instructions first.

The crate should be just large enough for your dog to be able to stand, turn around, and lie down in it. You
can buy a full-sized crate for a young puppy, but make sure to partition it so that he just fits it, and move
the partitions back as he grows.

Place the crate where your dog will see and be part of your family's activities. Place a favorite toy inside the
crate. Line the bottom with newspapers or indoor-outdoor carpeting. Introduce your dog to its crate
gradually, for short periods several times a day. If your dog howls and barks when he is introduced to his
crate, do NOT remove him until he is quiet for a short period. Then, release and PRAISE. All meals and
snacks should be served to your dog only while he is in his crate. Gradually lengthen the time he remains in
his crate. Soon he will quietly sleep there every night and while you are away from home.

NEVER USE YOUR CRATE AS PUNISHMENT

REMOVE ALL COLLARS FROM YOUR DOG BEFORE PLACING HIM IN HIS CRATE

HOUSEBREAKING SCHEDULE

· MORNING: Your puppy has slept in his crate all night. Get dressed. PICK puppy up and CARRY him
outside to where he will relieve himself. Give a lot of praise as soon as he has performed, then CARRY
him inside IMMEDIATELY. He can run free in the kitchen while you are preparing breakfast. After you
have eaten, feed him. CARRY him outside again. Praise him for his accomplishments, and carry him inside
right away. Don't use this time for playing. Put him inside his crate to nap while you are busy.

· NOONTIME: CARRY your puppy outside from his crate to the same spot he had used in the morning.
Praise for his accomplishments. Carry him inside and allow him playtime in the kitchen while you have
lunch. If he is eating 3 meals a day, you can feed him at this time. Repeat the morning schedule. Remember
to restrict his freedom to one room and his playtime to 1 to 2 hours.

· EVENING: Repeat the morning schedule. Let the puppy play in the kitchen while you prepare dinner.
After his dinner and playtime, again place him in the crate for a nap. Carry him outside to relieve himself at
about 8:00 p.m. and once again before you go to bed.

Remember to use the same word/phrase whenever you take your pup out to relieve himself. Restricting him
to his crate (which he will want to keep clean) and praising him for relieving himself in the right place will
teach him by association and repetition. Gradually allow his free periods to be for a longer period of time.
If you notice him sniffing and circling during one of his free periods, CARRY HIM OUTSIDE
IMMEDIATELY. If he makes a mistake occasionally, correct him only if you catch him in the act. Say
"stop it," and carry him outside to his spot. Praise him as soon as he relieves himself where he is supposed
to..

IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS HOUSETRAINING, HAVE YOU CHECKED THE
FOLLOWING?

Does your pup have worms? Take a stool sample to your vet. Your pup must be in good health to form
regular habits.

Have you restricted his intake of water and food? Offer your dog water after his meals, and after play.
During the initial training period, no food or water should be offered after the evening meal. Use this
schedule for 2 weeks. Gradually allow your pup more freedom, always being ready to go back to the more
rigid schedule if the pup regresses.

Don't lose your sense of humor.

Your pup will be a housetrained adult very soon.
 

What A Puppy is Not

Reprinted from Better Homes & Gardens

February 1973

A puppy is one of the most appealing creatures on earth.

He's the embodiment of exuberance, humor, and affection. But there are a great many things that a puppy
is not, and these negative aspects deserve some thought before you bring a puppy home.

A puppy is not a toy to be enjoyed while he is a novelty, then set aside in favor of a new diversion.

He is a Living thing whose physical demands must be met constantly for as long as he lives.

A young puppy needs more sleep than a human infant, even though your children may be in the mood
to play with him.

He needs to be fed regularly and often even though his meals may conflict with family plans.

A young puppy is breakable.

Very young children can inflict unintended tortures on a puppy, especially one of the small or fine-boned
breeds. And his broken leg is much harder to fix than the broken wheel of a toy truck.

A puppy is not a teaching aid guaranteed to instill a sense of responsibility in children.

If a child loves his dog, he will probably enjoy brushing him, taking him for walks, filling his water dish,
and other tasks. A sense of responsibility may well grow out of the relationship, but it is unfair to the
animal to put his entire well-being into the hands of children.

Even the most dog-loving youngsters tire of daily chores, and parents who try to force the regimen will be
asking for friction. Unfortunately, it is the puppy who is the loser in this battle. Responsibility lessons are
better left to household tasks that don't involve a pet. The essentials of feeding, housebreaking, and
discipline training will fall to an adult member of the household. Youngsters can help with the less essential
jobs of grooming and walking.

Dogs and children do give each other something very valuable - time and attention that adults are often too
busy to offer in sufficient quantities. This is the main function of a child-dog partnership.

A puppy is not cheap.

Whether you pay a nominal fee at the city humane shelter or what seems to be a king's ransom for a really
special pup, the money paid to make the pet yours is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what it will cost
to keep him.

There will be veterinary bills to pay for both emergencies and regular vaccinations and checkups. There will
be city and county licenses to buy. And there are legal aspects of dog ownership you may never have
considered - not just personal injury claims, but replacement of shrubbery or grass or neighborhood
children's clothing torn in play. And there's the wear and tear on your furniture and carpet.

A puppy is not a spur-of-the-moment purchase, or at least he shouldn't be.

The wrong dog can be an unending nuisance to a household - and it's much easier to acquire a pup than it is
to get rid of a grown dog who didn't work out. Animal shelters are bulging with dogs who were acquired
for the wrong reasons, or without sufficient investigation.

If your family has decided to buy a dog, by all means take the time to learn about the breed you have in
mind. Every breed has characteristics of temperament, and some of these traits may not fit in with your
life-style. Some breeds are prone to physical problems such as hip dysplasia, ear cankers, and eye
anomalies. If you are aware of these problems, you can do a more intelligent job of selecting your puppy.

Many towns have kennel clubs whose members are reputable, knowledgeable, and generally helpful. Most
breeders will be glad to answer your questions and to help you locate the pup you want. A veterinarian can
put you in touch with the nearest kennel club.

If you take the time to do some investigating before you buy, you will know what the going prices are for
your breed. Pet shops are often able to sell pups of very low quality for show-dog prices simply because
few buyers bother to check.

Many puppies are bought impetuously because they looked cute in the pet shop window; because it was a
nice day for a drive in the country and there was a kennel with a "Visitors Welcome" sign; or because
another family pet had just died. Pups bought without being genuinely wanted - and planned for - too often
end up at the animal shelter.

A puppy is not a gift unless the giver is certain that this particular pup will be wanted.

Not only now but a year from now, ten years from now. And even then the puppy should be selected by
his new owner rather than by someone else. The pup that appeals to one might very well not appeal to the
other. It's a matter of chemistry, like love at first sight.

A puppy is not self-cleaning.

There will be puddles on rugs, vomiting occasionally, dog hair on clothing and furniture. There may be
worms to be dealt with. If these prospects are intolerable to the housekeeper of the family, then perhaps the
pleasures of owning a puppy will be overshadowed by the tensions it will cause.

Long-haired breeds need to be groomed - not only while the pup is small and new but also week in and
week out, for years. The heavy, silky coats of breeds such as Cocker Spaniels. Yorkshire Terriers, and
Lhasa Apsos become matted in a very short time, especially in areas of friction, such as legs and flanks. If
the dog's coat isn't combed thoroughly and frequently, it becomes unsightly and uncomfortable. The matts
pull and irritate and they make excellent hiding places for fleas and skin disorders.

A puppy is not an adult dog.

He has neither the physical nor the mental ability to perform as an adult dog would. He cannot go for long
periods of time without relieving himself. He cannot tolerate harsh training methods, nor can he
differentiate between what is chewable and what isn't. Nor will he make any distinction between food and
objects that hurt if he swallows them. He will try the patience of the most devout dog lover in the
household, and at times he may drive everyone mad. If he is very young, he will cry during his first night
or two in his new home. He will require patience and understanding from everyone in the family.

A puppy is not a puppy for long. Before you succumb to the charms of a clumsy St. Bernard pup, or a
sad-happy hound, or a limpid-eyed Cocker, be very sure that you want not only the puppy he is now, but
also the gangly, unattractive adolescent he is about to become, and the adult dog who may fall short of what
you hoped he would be.

If you've faced all the negative aspects of puppy ownership and still want him, chances are good that your
new dog will be one of the lucky ones who finds a permanent happy home. And you will enjoy the rewards
of planned-parenthood, dog ownership - rewards which will far overshadow the drawbacks.
 
 
 

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