VinnyGuide
Crate training a puppy
The crate is a bedroom, not a timeout. Feed there, rest there, potty first — then a short closed door. Vinny treats it as home base in week one.
Home base, not jail
Cover three sides if they settle better. Toss meals or a chew in with the door open. Sit nearby. Close the door for a minute after they are already calm — not after a scolding. Vinny’s method will not tell you to crate for punishment.
Potty, then crate
A full bladder plus a closed door is how you teach “crate means accident.” Out first, then the nap. Age in months, in hours, is the starting interval — same rule as potty training. Toy breeds often need tighter cadence; see Chihuahua care.
Nights
Put the crate in the bedroom the first night. A laundry-room exile is not independence. Brief fuss, potty out, back in. Hours of screaming in another room teaches panic.
What Vinny does with this
Week-one Today plans name a crate or pen as home base and keep sessions to three to five minutes. Tell Vinny the breed and age — a Golden Retriever puppy and a toy breed should not share a “leave them eight hours” fantasy.
FAQ
How do I crate train a puppy?
Feed and rest in the crate with the door open first. Potty, then a short closed-door nap. Pay calm. Never use it as a timeout. Vinny treats the crate as home base in week one.
Should I use the crate as punishment?
No. A crate that means “you were bad” is a crate they will scream in. Home base, not jail.
How long can a puppy stay in a crate?
Bladder first: about one hour per month of age, capped around four, plus after sleep and meals. A crate is not a parking lot for an eight-hour workday.