Crates

No matter the breed, your new puppy needs a crate. Your dog will bark for a while in the beginning, but don't give up! Crate-train your dog, meaning make sure he/she knows that the crate is a safe place and that they cannot do potty in the crate. As a young puppy, they'll sleep in their crate, but it's up to you to decide wether they can sleep with you or not. To make sure your dog feels the crate is a safe place, put treats inside and coax them in. Never in any way push or force your dog into something. There are many different sizes of crates. If you're unsure wether the crate you've chosen is a good size, make sure your dog can stand comfortably, turn around easily and lie down. If they can't, try a bigger size. If the crate is too long, put a towel or pillow to make sure your dog doesn't decide that the front is a sleeping space and the back is a potty space or vice versa. Also, put a small bed at the bottom, because crates are solely made of plastic and your new dog won't appreciate sleeping on plastic. When you first get your dog, put them to sleep as late as possible and wake them up very early, maybe from 10 pm to 6 am, as to avoid accidents. As they get older you can put them to sleep earlier and can wake them up earlier. 'Waking up' doesn't literally mean 'wake up', but it actually means just opening the crate door and letting them out. If your dog is still sleeping when you go to open the door of the crate, let them sleep and come back later.