It’s not even spring yet, and there is some serious puppy fever going on in Atlanta! Everywhere I turn someone is telling me they have just gotten or are getting a new puppy. We are getting two puppies as well, and thought it was the perfect opportunity to show you all what you need to know to crate and potty train these cute little furballs!

Please join us each week for tips you can use as we post a short video on the Adventures of Milly and Bella as they learn to love their crates and how to potty outside. With three dogs in our urban home, we are using our Crate Couture™ furniture system to elegantly hide the crates in our living room. Here is our basic system:

Give each dog its own crate
Feed them in their crates so there will be no fighting over food
Sleep them in their own crates so they do not get co-dependent
Use a divider panel to make the crate very small when they are little, and move it as they grow
Use a puppy pen for playtime when you cannot watch them closely (a small room like laundry or bathroom works well also)

What you need to know right off the bat is that the key to housebreaking is not letting them have too much space without supervision. They will use the bathroom in a space that they feel is far away from their “den” – so if you give them the run of the house you’ll find surprises in far off corners! The other thing you need to know is that they will absolutely learn housebreaking, but puppies are little babies who do have accidents, and you need to equip yourself with paper towels, a good rug cleaner, and lots of patience. But if you stick to your routine, you will see results quickly.

Tune in next week as we introduce Bella to the crate for the first time!