Mole diaries: toilet training

This is the first thing that many puppy owners tackle when they bring their youngster home. As a perfectionist with a fear of failure, I was in a bit of a state about this. I read the books and downloaded stuff off the internet, but nothing really prepares you for the reality!

Here skinny squirrel is being dragged into the Mole den - my cat crate

I decided to use a crate to help with toilet training. I used the crate for nighttime or if I couldn't supervise him during the day. Otherwise I just kept a close eye on him and let him out into the garden every 30 minutes or so. And yes, there were accidents and this is when the first session with our trainer, Sophie was invaluable because she reassured me that accidents were going to happen and that I shouldn't beat myself up about them. I had the right cleaning products to remove any lingering smell, and I didn't tell Mole off he did have an accident (because, basically, it was my fault for taking my eye off the ball). I praised him lots and gave him treats when he toileted outside. And it seems to have worked! We do have the odd accident, but it is rare. He now seems to understand that he toilets outside and we can go for an hour or so without him needing to go out.

Mole then transitioned to this crate, padded out to create a smaller space within

Overnight, I decided to leave him for 7 hours and deal with any accidents in the morning. I had to admire his ingenuity one night when he managed to push his poop through the bars of his crate so it didn't impact his sleep! This only happened once, and it was probably due to his crate being too big and the fact I was still establishing a feeding and pooping routine.  Because he was so small, he started off in the cat's travel crate. I then padded his other crate out with rolled up towels, and placed vetbed on top so he had  a smaller sleeping space, which can help to minimise accidents.

Mole also travels in a car crate which I padded out

The other thing I learned through experience is to let him out of the crate in the morning even if he's making a noise when I enter the room. The books state you shouldn't let a dog out of a crate until he's quiet because otherwise you are rewarding the noise. However, you learn to interpret the different noises your puppy makes. In the mornings, I let Mole out straight away because I interpret the noise he's making as a greeting rather than a 'let me out' bark. Furthermore, this has helped to reduce any toileting accidents in the crate due to his over excitement. Books are a an invaluable resource, but it's not until you experience the reality that you start to think for yourself and understand your own puppy.

What toilet training techniques have you used and what issues have you faced?

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.