Rubicon Climbing Dobermans

There are many kinds of cages/crates on the market.  You will want to make sure you choose a large/xtra large cage or crate because your puppy will grow fast and you will need a large one by the time they are 4-6 months old.

The best way to house break your puppy is with a cage/crate.  A puppy will not use the bathroom where he/she has to lie down.  They will use the bathroom in their cage for a few weeks, but then they should stop once a routine is established.  Make sure when you take your puppy out of the cage you take him/her straight outside.  If you do this over and over they will associate getting out of the cage with using the bathroom.  It takes several weeks, but they will eventually be able to hold their urine/stool for longer periods of time.  You will also learn that with eating and drinking there is a routine with having to use the bathroom too. 

If you choose to put a blanket or some kind of absorbent pad in the cage, it might take a little longer to crate train them because they will use the bathroom on that blanket in which will absorb the mess and then the puppy is still  able to lie around in the cage without getting in the mess.  It does not hurt the puppy to have nothing in the cage for the first few months.

Once you establish always taking the puppy outside with  him/her being taken out of the cage then they will not use the bathroom in your house. If you leave the puppy out of the crate for any length of time then you will need to take the puppy outside to relieve itself frequently.  I recommend though that you only take the puppy out of the crate when you have time to spend with it so you can keep up with taking him/her outside frequently.  Also, it is improtant to have your puppy out of the crate several times a day so they get the appropriate attention/bonding time and exercise that they deserve.

In my past experience if you get a routine established you can house break a puppy in about two months.