Leash training - guided chaos or Go, Puppy, Go!

Once the puppy is comfortable with the concept of controlled wandering within a safe area, it's time to start "guiding" the pup's movement using the leash as a means to communicate.  My belief is that the leash should be 95% communication and 5% control, and as you, the human get better at communicating, you will need the leash less and less for control.

There is some irony about how I start using the leash to actually guide the puppy since it will seem more like chaos than control.  What I do is start the puppy in a safe area that is wider than what we have been working with before.  As the puppy is doing her usual wandering, I suddenly jiggle the leash a little (not pulling on it at all) and excitedly say, "Let's Go!"  at the same time I take two excited running steps, careful not to travel far enough to make the leash taut.  If the pup follows, running after me, I keep running a few more steps, then abruptly change direction back the way we came, again jiggling the leash and saying, "Let's Go!" I do this over again about two to four more times, zig zagging back and forth.  Then I end by saying "Stop" and stopping abruptly.  When the puppy comes to a stop I shower her with praise and attention.

If the pup doesn't follow at first after the two steps, I change direction back the way I came, again jiggling the leash and saying, "Let's Go!" and slapping the outside of my thigh (usually the side closest to the puppy, but I don't think it really matters).  Interestingly enough, I have never had a puppy NOT follow me when I do this.  They all usually change direction when I do as well.  This is fun for them, and the abrupt change from quiet to chaos to quiet seems to keep them engaged.

The problem I do run into is that some puppies will want to run through your legs or nip at your heels.  This is not an act of aggression, but behavior most likely bred into the puppy's ancestors in order to herd sheep and other animals.  Also, some puppies (like some people) are just klutzes and can't run side to side easily.  When I have situations like these, I first try to use a longer leash and stay further away from the puppy, changing direction before the puppy can catch up with me.  If I can't do this because the puppy is too big or too fast for me to stay apart from it, I enlist a helper who acts as the target, (who takes on the role of running back and forth) while I say, "Let's Go!" and jiggle and leash holding behind the puppy.  I keep enough pressure on the leash to keep the puppy away from my helper while still running in tandem back and forth.

This exercise may seem chaotic, but once the puppy gets used to the fact that the leash will signal a direction change, she seems to understand that even when you are not playing this game she should follow the shaking and general direction the leash is going.  I love this phase of leash training, but must admit it gets me winded sometimes.  But looking on the bright side, it helps me burn some excess calories so I get double benefit from working with my pup!

My puppy won't stop biting her leash!

Okay.  By now you have your puppy NOT biting at her leash, at least most of the time.  If your puppy is able to ignore the leash some of the time, but still insists on trying to keep biting it and won't stop when you say eh-eh and take it out of her mouth, remember, she isn't trying to be bad.  She may just be getting bored or overwhelmed and looking for a diversion. To combat this you may want to try to replace the leash with something more appropriate to chew immediately after you remove the leash from her mouth.  This can be an 'easy to carry' chew toy or stuffed toy, but shouldn't be anything edible (including pig's ears or rawhide chew bones) or something hard for the puppy to control (like a ball).  Those things tend to distract the puppy too much from the task at hand.

I like to use a length of ordinary clothesline rope.  I make it long enough so it is at least 1 to 2 times my height. I also make sure that this rope is cotton (or polyester) not treated with any chemicals, and wash it with soap and bleach then fully dry it before I use it with my puppies.  Once the rope is ready to use, I put a large knot at the end of the rope and then create several interlocking slip knots, pulling the lose end through the last loop.  If the puppy is small, I make sure these slip knots are very tight so she can't catch her head in any of the loops.  I put a knot (or knots) on the other end as well so the rope won't easily slip out of my hand if the dog grabs and runs with it, but generally hold this rope trainer near its middle.

I use this rope for several different things when I train my puppies, but with regard to leash training, I use the slip-knotted end as a diversion if the puppy insists on chewing her leash.  When she starts chewing on her leash, I say "eh-eh" (or "no" if the puppy has been trained to respond to "no") and take the leash out of her mouth, replacing it with the rope end.  After repeating this a few times, instead of actually reaching down and taking the leash out of her mouth, I say the "eh-eh" command to stop and then drag the knotted rope end past the puppy slowly, giving it a few shakes while it goes by.

Most puppies will drop the leash and go after the rope.  After I let her play with the rope for a few seconds, I pull it up out of her reach and go back to leash training.  This has worked for me with all kinds of different dogs.  Whether the puppy is an Australian Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Poodle mix, Terrier, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Chow chow or Chihuahua, my rope distraction usually works for me when the puppy has trouble not biting her leash.   However, to make this work you must remember the following:

• You have to be consistent 100% of the time when your puppy attempts to bite her leash. If you only stop her on occasion, she will take much, much longer to stop this behavior.
• If you use the clothesline method for distraction, you can never yank at the rope once it is in the puppy's mouth.  You can injure the puppy and pull out some teeth.  Once the puppy latches onto the rope, put absolutely no pressure on it (but don't let her get the rope so far into her mouth that she could swallow it!)  Let her play with it and carry it in her mouth until she drops it to follow you when you move.
• DO NOT let your puppy get the rope so far into her mouth that it can be a choking hazard.  The bigger the puppy, the bigger the rope and knots you should use.  
• Never let your puppy play with the clothesline at any time if you are not connected to the other end and controlling it every second she is in contact with it.      

And although I have had this work in many cases, making short work of leash biting behavior, there are always exceptions.  One puppy I had who was a hound mix never would chase the rope.  She never even showed any interest in it.  To get her to stop biting at her leash, I started with her fetching a ball for very short distances in a closed space without a leash on her.  I rolled the ball further and further and had her bring it back to me each time (this was easy because we were in a space the size of a closet).  As she got more engrossed in this game, I attached her leash to her collar and continued the game.  After a few sessions like this, this puppy stopped biting the leash when I put it on her and paid more attention to whatever we were going to do.  

Leash training - next step

Once you have acclimated your puppy to having a leash attached to his collar without biting it, the next step I like to take is what I call "controlled wandering."  I let the puppy walk wherever he wants within a "safe" area I determine ahead of time.  This could be a patch of grass in your yard, or a 8 x 10 square area on your patio.  I keep the leash slack at all times, following the puppy slowly but not guiding him anywhere in particular.  However, if the puppy gets too close to the edge of the safe area, I don't follow and let the leash slightly tighten.

If you are using a martingale collar (see blog on collars, June 17, 2010), the tightening will signal to the puppy to stop to release the pressure.  I stand firm, not letting the puppy go outside the area, but giving the leash slack again if the puppy changes his direction so he stays in the safe area.  If the puppy just keeps wandering within the safe area, I just let him go.

Of course it is better if the safe area is not boring.  I place some toys, interesting objects (like a brick or rock) and a water dish within the safe area.  If your puppy starts getting used to this exercise and wanders around  freely without responding negatively to being kept within the borders of the safe area, you have made excellent progress and your puppy will be primed for more guided walking.

If your puppy doesn't want to stay in the safe area and pulls at the leash, showing his displeasure at not being able to go out of the area, then use the same technique of walking towards him or distracting him by calling his attention to a toy within the safe area.  If you walk towards him, walk past or around him to another spot within the safe area, reeling in the leash as you near him so he doesn't get to go out of the safe area.  Then stop so there is no tension on the leash anymore, but the puppy hasn't "won" the tug of war by getting you to go directly to where she / he is trying to get you to go, but to somewhere else.  It also helps if you don't keep focused on him, with your body pointed int he direction he wants to go (i.e., outside of the safe area).  Face toward another direction and look at or touch an object within the safe area.

Alternatively, you can sit down on the ground and invite your puppy to sit in your lap for a cuddle, a vigorous scratch or whatever he might like to do.  Again, patience and taking small steps are the keys to success. Once I get the puppy to understand how we should stay in the safe area, and that the leash is a way to signal the safe area, we can go onto the next step, most often in another session. I end the session by picking up the puppy or (if they are too big to pick up) patting it on the head and giving it a lot of praise and tell the pup it's time to go home.  Once inside, the pup gets a nice treat and time to let his training session sink in.

Beginning leash training

After you choose the right collar (see my last post dated June 17, 2010) it's time to move onto leash training.  I find that the biggest barrier to getting good leash training accomplished is that people set up the expectation that this should all be completed in one session.  Impatience will get you nothing but frustration.  Going into leash training with the understanding ahead of time that it should be broken into several small steps will not only keep you and your puppy happier, it will end up making leash training much easier and faster.

For the first step, put your puppy's collar or harness on if it isn't already on.  I have found getting on the ground and putting the puppy on your lap, petting, cuddling and scratching him / her is a good thing to do while you start putting on the collar and attaching a leash.  Alternatively, if your puppy knows the "sit" command, you can ask him / her to sit while you put their collar on and attach the leash.  Then make sure you take the puppy out or over to a place they like so they associate the collar and leash with something they like, such as a walk, or playing in the yard.

I find it best to use a strong but relatively lightweight leash. If it is a big puppy, a leather leash will be lightweight enough, but I like to avoid chains if at all possible.  Chains can cause pain to you if the puppy jets off and the links tighten around your hand.  They also add weight and noise that may distract your puppy.

The entire first lesson will be focused only on getting the puppy NOT to bite on the leash or pull back.  If there is one thing that you must remember, never, ever, ever get into a tug of war with your puppy.  If the puppy starts pulling back, either walk towards them or distract them with a diversion.  If you walk towards them, walk past or around them and stop, so there is no tension on the leash anymore, but the puppy hasn't "won" the tug of war by getting you to go directly to where she / he is trying to get you to go, but to somewhere else.

Step two: Stay put and let the leash go slack.  The puppy will likely start sniffing around and exploring.  He will take a few steps and you will let them go wherever he wishes within the length of the leash.  Once he gets to the end of the leash, if he tries to start pulling, don't let him. Stand firm or move in another direction a couple of steps (not in the direction opposite to his pulling because that will just get you into a tug of war). If the puppy follows, praise him and give him lots of hugs and cuddles.  You may want to use treats as reinforcement, but I prefer to train as much as possible without using food as a motivator.

If your puppy keeps pulling back, try picking her up (if they are small enough) and reposition her (don't pick her up and carry her, just reposition her so she is looking in a different direction).  Then repeat Step 2.

Whenever your puppy tries to chew on your leash, stop her immediately.  I like to use the command "Eh-eh" instead of "No" because for some reason, the puppies seem to respond better to it.  Take the leash out of her mouth and pull it up away from her reach. Pick her up and reposition as above or walk a couple of steps in another direction and start Step 2 again.

If your puppy doesn't start pulling back, just start taking a couple of small steps (not looking at the puppy) and stop, seeing if the puppy will follow. If your puppy follows and stops when you do, exploring the new area you have moved to, give her lots of positive reinforcement, pick her up and take her inside the house.  Once inside the house, give her one of her favorite treats. Going back into the house is one of the exceptions I make to using food as a motivator. This way, the puppies associate "home" with where they get food.  This tends to dissuade them from going far away from home without you, and gets them to come back quickly if they jet out the front door when you don't want them to.

This will be enough for the first lesson.  This lesson should be repeated several times until you find the puppy doesn't bite at the leash or pull back from you when their leash is on.  Keep each lesson short and end on a good note.

Collars - So important to pick the right one

Getting your puppy a good collar that he or she doesn't mind wearing is so important to ensuring happy leash training.  I remember the first time as an adult when I had to decide on what type of collar to use on my puppy.  A trainer I was working with told me to use a Choke Chain.  She told me that using a choke chain with a leash would be the best way to get him to slow down and learn to heel.  But it never did.  He was a very strong, exuberant puppy, and he kept pulling on the leash to the point where the chain would choke him.  I was afraid that he would hurt himself by damaging the bones in his neck.  So I would back-off his training.  It took me awhile to find a better alternative and by that time, my puppy had already developed a habit of pulling at the leash which took me a very long time to break.

The alternative I moved to was the Gentle Leader headpiece / collar, seen here to the right.  While this is a humane device, I found my puppy really didn't like it, so I had to "bribe" him to put it on.  However, I have heard from many others who swear by the Gentle Leader (or the very similar Halti), especially when working with active breeds like border collies.  But I didn't like having to bribe my puppy into agreeing to put the collar on.  Additionally, I don't think this type of head gear works well with very small puppies.

During my work for Tony La Russa's ARF, I was introduced to the "Martingale Collar."  I had used martingales before for my horses, but had never heard of them for puppies.  But these are wonderful!!!  I find that they make them in sizes that fit even the tiniest puppies.  With the martingale, the puppies never can choke themselves, and since they always release once the puppy backs off, they get instant relief.  I've used the martingale now for every puppy I have had and they all seem to respond to it.  I can get much less "wild lassoed bronco" behavior when I use these with a light leash, and they are small and light enough not to bother the puppies.  They are easy to put on or take off and easy to clean.  Also, unlike choke chains and easy leaders, the martingale can be left on the puppy even when not on the leash.

Of course you may choose to use a harness instead for small puppies, but I find that the although the harness is great at protecting the puppy from harm, it doesn't provide as much direct communication to the puppy so training them to heel, stop, and turn seems to be more difficult, especially when you are talking about a very young puppy who has never been on a leash before.

In any case, I strongly advise against the horrible "Pinch Collar" as shown here to the left.  I think it's a travesty to use this device which can cause injury to the dog.  If a puppy is so difficult to control, that no leash can help other than this type, then it's best that that puppy only be handled by an expert, and you should not try to train it yourself.  You will be much better off if you never pick a dog you can't control.

Next:  Some tips on beginning leash work.

Rescue, Shelter or Breeder?

In my opinion, no one else gets to have an opinion whether you get your new furry baby from a rescue organization, a shelter or a reputable breeder.  When making such an important life decision for your entire family, and for the innocent puppy, whatever is important to you to make sure that choice keeps everyone happy and healthy is the most important consideration.  For instance, while it may be considered more politically correct to adopt from a rescue organization or a shelter than to get a puppy from a breeder, if it is best for your family to get a puppy whose parents and grandparents have been bred to be calm and non-shedding, than a breeder will most likely be your best bet.  Read my blog post, "Picking your puppy -  pure of mixed breeds?" from May 8, 2010 to get more information on things to consider when you are trying to decide between a mixed and purebred puppy.

The one exception I do have is to "Puppy Stores" (see my last blog post on Mall Puppy Shops on June 10).  I see no upside to purchasing from Puppy Stores.

There are some things to expect when dealing with responsible breeders and rescue organizations.  You might be surprised to find out breeders and rescue foster parents will be extremely selective in finding who adopts their precious babies.  They most probably will ask for references (including your veterinarian) agreements to provide proof of neutering, and proof of home ownership or permission from your landlord that you can have a dog.  These are all good things.  It means the people you are dealing with value their puppies and want to provide you the best match more than they want to make money or place the puppy.

That being said, there have been instances where breeders and rescue fosters have gone overboard, doing home inspections that are more intrusive than necessary, or asking for unnecessary personal or financial information.  If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable with your puppy's seller / adoption organization, there is nothing wrong with choosing not to go forward.  It may not seem like it, but even when you have to pass up the "perfect puppy" another wonderful perfect puppy will become available.

On the other hand, please don't be taken in by the multitude of puppies for sale scams that are popping up all over the place.  Visit http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-scams-cons.html to get some valuable information about the scams you can run into.

Mall Puppy Shops? Not a good choice.

I have to start with a confession. I absolutely love to go to malls that have "Puppy Shops" so I can see the little puppies in the windows. But at the same time, I feel there are so many things wrong with the business of selling puppies that way that I can't understand why anyone would buy a puppy from them.

First, the prices are ridiculous. For a purebred puppy you end up paying over $1500 for a puppy without a good pedigree and which you have no history - of their health, or their parents.  You can get some extremely well bred, closely monitored purebred puppies from a reputable breeder, and can have the history of their parents and even their grandparents in many cases.  You can even actually see the parents and watch how the parents behave in most cases.

Next, there are more and more "designer dog" mixes being sold through these stores.  Names like Puggle (pug/beagle), Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund) and Maltipom (Maltese/Pomeranian) all 'sound' cute, but in reality, they are not very different than the "mutt" mixed breed puppies you can find in at any time in any animal shelter.  It baffles me that people pay over $1000 for a puppy of this type when you can find extremely cute mixed breeds that look exactly like these designer mixes for a modest donation at the shelter or rescue organization.

Third, I can never be sure if purchasing a puppy in a mall store is supporting the awful Puppy Mill industry. Having seen and worked with puppies and moms rescued from a puppy mill, it makes my heart sad to know that the industry is still going strong.

Lastly, putting puppies on display for "impulse sale" goes against everything I believe is important for you to consider when you make the serious decision to bring a puppy into your life.  You need to understand what you are getting into.  You have to understand what type of behavior you can expect from that breed and that particular bloodline.  You have to understand what type of time commitment you will be making.

If you aren't willing to research what types of dogs would work for you, and if you aren't willing to spend the time to drive to breeders or shelters in your area to find a puppy, you probably shouldn't get one.  This is not because I feel everyone should think or act like I do when selecting a dog or puppy.  It's because I know how much effort it takes to raise a puppy, so making the right choice...and understanding that you are ready to make that commitment is more than 80% of what will make your relationship with your pup happy.

Rule #3 Choosing a Puppy means making a HUGE commitment!

No one loves puppies as much as I do, but I know I am in that rare minority of people who appreciate the opportunity to clean up poop as often as possible to keep my canine babies healthy and happy. My neighbors have gotten used to seeing me walking dogs in the middle of the night, and my family knows that when there are puppies in the house, I will be getting up to feed them every 8 hours.

That might seem obsessive, but the truth is, it is not. Taking care of puppies is like taking care of any newborn. If you don't stick to a schedule, if you don't keep their glucose levels from dipping, you can expect behavioral and possibly physical problems. So, if you are deciding to get a puppy, you have to commit to making the pup's schedule your priority for several months. If you don't make this commitment, you aren't doing your puppy or yourself any favors, and both of you will suffer.

Another thing to consider is the entire family and environment you will be bringing the puppy into. I intentionally looked for an adult dog for the first dog we got my kids. My youngest was petrified of all animals and we knew we had to nip that problem in the bud before that fear became permanent. As cute and small as puppies may be, they can have needle sharp teeth and nails, and need to be taught not to chew on kids or kids' toys. They also have to be taught not to jump up. Can you imagine what would have happened if a puppy jumped up and nipped at my daughter's face? Also, as much as I love puppies and my kids I love myself as well, and I didn't think I deserved having to potty train a child and a puppy at the same time.

I got a wonderful 3 year old adult dog, fully leash and potty trained. She never chewed on a stuffed animal or sock, and daughter and dog became close friends, and my daughter's fear was gone forever.

If you still want a new puppy, and circumstances make it so you can't make the kind of commitment right now that a puppy requires, consider starting with an older dog. There are breeds that are very puppy-like in how they look and act. Papillions, Pomeranians and Shetland Sheepdogs are some of my favorites. Some of my friends like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or the ever-popular Chihuahuas. There are wonderful small mixed dogs at most shelters, and many of these may already be leash and potty trained.

So remember Rule #3 when you think about getting a puppy...you owe it to yourself.

The right water bowl

Picking the right water bowl may seem trivial, but since this blog is dedicated to enhancing the joy of puppies and living with puppies, I want to touch on this subject. As discussed many times, there are indeed both breed and individual differences in behavior, and these will impact your choice (and ease of care) when selecting a water bowl.

But before we go into water bowl differences, let's start with the universal information you need.

• Access to clean, fresh water for your puppy is VITAL! Water should be changed at least once a day.
• At least once a week, or more if soiled, clean the water bowl.
• Use an anti-bacterial soap and make sure you rinse thoroughly.

Also... If the bowl was a) used by other dogs before, or b) became soiled because your puppies either pooped or peed in the water, or c) your puppies are sick (this includes both respiratory and gastro-intestinal illnesses), you should sterilize the bowl before offering it back to your puppies.

• This can be easily accomplished by soaking the bowl in a solution made of 3/4 cup of household liquid bleach to each gallon of clean water.
• After the bowl is cleaned as described above, soak it in the bleach solution.
• Make sure the bowl is submerged and soaked for at least 10 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly! This is very important. Then allow to air dry if possible.
• I like to purchase 2 bowls and alternate using one and cleaning/sterilizing the other

Okay, back to differences. Differences between size, breeds and individuals translate in differences in how they treat their water bowls. And things to be considered.

1) One of the first things to realize is that most puppies will soon begin to consider the water bowl as a toy. Because of this, I like to use water bowls that can't easily be picked up or tipped over. Bowls like these to the right and left, have a rim that makes it easy to pick up and/or tip over. This is true regardless of whether the bowls are made of plastic, ceramic or metal. The metal ones can become irritating noise makers as well.

Even if they don't have a rim, they can be possible be knocked over, picked up and tossed around.

To prevent bowls being knocked over, I recommend bowls with sloped sides for puppies. The rounded rim also makes it hard to pick up.

Plastic, hard rubber and aluminum and ceramic bowls are easier to clean and sterilize, but ceramic bowls have a higher chance of breaking into dangerous shards when dropped.  However, sometimes a puppy or group of puppies can get ambitious and pick up even a sloped aluminum bowl. In those cases, a very heavy sloped ceramic bowl may be your best bet.  Just be sure that you choose one that is heavy-duty and non-breakable.

Also note that nothing is fool-proof. There will be puppies who can figure out how to knock over bowls that even you have trouble picking up and tipping over. That's why I like to opt for plastic sloped bowls to eliminate both the breakage and noise factor.

2) Size of the bowl is very important as well. Some puppies like to get way into the bowl, putting both front paws (or sometimes all four paws) into the water. Bowls that are too large can be dangerous. Bowls that are too small will mean you have to check them more often during the day.

3) One litter of four Scottish Terrier mix puppies that I had had two male pups who loved to 'dig' in the water dish until it was empty. It was impossible to keep fresh water available for the litter. I used a water bottle like the one pictured below.

This is also a great option to use when housing your puppy in a crate when traveling.

When selecting water dishes, another thing to be aware of is that puppies aren't always careful. Dishes that are lower can get poop and even pee into them. One way to avoid this if it keeps recurring is to get an elevated water dish, or simply elevating the dish by placing it securely on a platform. I have duct-taped water bowls to the top of a small cardboard box weighted down inside with bricks. This makes it difficult to clean the bowls so having multiples is helpful.

More on crate success

Crates are wonderful, but as with any good tool, they need to be used or modified according to the situation. Just putting a puppy into a comfortably prepared crate won't guarantee success. Here are some things that have worked for me when I have a puppy that is having a little trouble becoming acclimated to his/her new sleeping place.

- This is up to you, but I strongly recommend (and have always been successful more quickly ) if at night they are close enough to see and hear someone sleeping in the room with them.

- If you get a whiner, try blocking their direct vision of you with a box or by draping something over that side of the crate, leaving the other sides of the crate exposed so they can still hear you.

- When it’s time to get up, go directly to them, praise them and take them out to pee as soon as possible.

• Young puppies can only hold their bladders a few hours depending on age and individual tendencies. It’s like a baby, you might have to wake up in the middle of the night, give them a little snack and take them out. Then back to the crate

- Many times the puppy whines in the middle of the night because their blood sugar is down. For a healthy pup, they usually should be fed every 8 hours – consistently.

• If you avoid free-feeding and feed on a regular schedule, the puppy will most likely also quickly develop a poop reflex. The puppies will be ready to poop soon as they finish eating.
• So, it becomes an easy routine, give the pup food. Then take the pup immediately outside ( when I have multiple pups, I make it easier by feeding them out on the grass and never inside until they are potty trained). Wait till they pee and poop (patience, patience).
• Then praise them, give them a treat and take them back in to play or the crate to sleep.

- Always take the puppy in the crate when you need to drive in your car – resist the temptation to have them ride next to you until they are older and trained to sit still and not pee.

• Again, make sure they have “safe” toys in the crate and that you carry extra towels and a plastic bag in case you have to make a quick clean up of the linens
• Put the treats in the crate to get them in, but don’t add more during the trip.
• Again, it is probably better if they can see and hear you.

- Schedule is EVERYTHING until they are big enough to keep their blood sugar and other bodily processes going steadily. So, if you can keep them to as close to a feeding sleeping schedule as possible, it will pay dividends in both a healthy and calm puppy.

- If you can’t go to sleep when the puppy has to, simply put them in their crate and turn down the lights. You can work quietly or watch TV in the same room.

- If they wake up during the night NEVER let them sleep with you. If they fall asleep in your arms, transfer them into the crate, make sure little treats are in there and close the door.

- If they get up and it is not time for them to eat, take them outside ON A LEASH. Don’t let them run around.

• Once they do their business, or show that they aren’t going to do their business, repeat the process you use when you first put them to sleep.

Any other crating tips out there?