Crate Training and Housebreaking
Crate training and housebreaking go hand in hand. A crate is a wonderful tool for training your new puppy. If your puppy is not learning good manners, he or she is learning bad manners. Your puppy should be in his crate any time you are not able to watch him. The only exception for this is for a household where one person will not be home during the day. If your puppy is going to be home alone for a long period of time during the day, a gated off kitchen or a puppy x-pen is a great place for him to stay. Realize, if someone is not home during the day and he is allowed to potty in the house, housebreaking can take twice as long.
Your puppy’s crate should be a positive place to be. One way to teach willing entry of the crate is to give your puppy a small treat every time you put him into his crate. A puppy’s crate is his den. Never punish him in his crate and never allow children to pull him unwillingly from his crate to play. (Not that an English Cocker is often unwilling to play!) Your puppy’s crate is his bedroom in your home. As your puppy grows up, you will be able to see how he treats his crate the same way a wild dog would treat his den. Leave the door to the crate open during the day while you are home so that your puppy can go in and out as he chooses.
Your puppy should sleep in his crate at night, at least until he is completely housebroken. If he will eventually sleep in your room or in your bed, crate him next to you in your bedroom at night. If he cries in the middle of the night, take him outside to potty, but do not allow him to play games with you. If he Your puppy should be taken outside to potty first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Often, this entails waking up quite early for the first week or two and going to bed late at night. Carry him to the door. Usually, a puppy will stop on the way to the door to potty if he is not carried. Take your puppy outside to potty after every meal.
If you catch him “in the act” going potty in the house, grab him by the scruff of his neck and say “no,” and carry him outside. Never spank him or rub his nose in his mistakes. Puppies do not like being interrupted while going potty. If you interrupt him, it often makes a bigger mess, but he will quickly decide not to go in the house. Be sure to give your puppy lots of praise each time he or she goes potty outside. You need to make it extremely obvious to your puppy that going potty outside is a very good thing.
Another benefit to crate training your puppy, is the ease in which you will be able to take him along when your family travels. A dog who is used to sleeping in a crate will have no problems traveling in his crate or sleeping in his crate while at a motel room. English Cockers generally like to travel and they enjoy new places.