Crate training is the first step in potty training. Choose a crate with enough room for your dog to turn around comfortably. However, it shouldn't have so much room that he could use the bathroom in one corner and sleep in another. If your puppy learns to associate his crate with using the bathroom, he'll resist going into the crate to lay or sleep.  In the first few weeks, expect accidents in the crate even if it's the right size for the puppy. Don't lose your patience, though! He's still learning. If your puppy is a larger breed, consider buying a crate with adjustable barriers that can be removed as the dog grows. Place the crate in a busy room in the house, where people gather often. The den or family room is a good location for crate training. Leave the crate door open so the puppy can explore it at his own pace, and treat him whenever he goes into the crate.  After he's grown used to the crate, start closing the door and leaving him in it for longer periods of time. Crate him at night and anytime you aren’t home or able to watch him. You can move the crate between rooms, bringing it into the bedroom with you at night, for example. But always make sure it's somewhere your dog feels safe. Take him to that same spot every time you take him out. If he associates going to the bathroom with a very specific place, he'll be less likely to have accidents in other places. It'll also make clean-up easier in the future because you'll know where he likes to go. Minimize how much time he plays outside during the first 2-4 weeks of potty training. Playing with the dog outside in the middle of his potty training will confuse him about what he should do when he goes outside. When he's mastered potty-training, you can start spending more playtime outside with him. Choose a specific word or phrase to serve command him to use the bathroom. "Bathroom" or "Go potty" are examples. When you take him outside, use that same phrase and the same tone of voice every time he goes to the bathroom. If your puppy uses the bathroom after you give the command, praise him with a lot of excitement and a treat. You might also choose a separate command specific to encouraging your dog to defecate. Young puppies need to defecate more often, so teaching a dog to associate a specific command with defecating can be useful. This isn't a punishment, but a training tool. If your puppy doesn’t use the bathroom within a few minutes of you giving the command, put him in his crate for 5-10 minutes. The dog may whine or cry when confined to the crate, but don’t let them out.–It will confuse the learning process.  After 5-10 minutes have passed, take him back outside to use the bathroom and give the command again. Repeat the process until he makes an attempt to use the bathroom after you give the command. When he finally uses the bathroom, repeat the command and reward him with lots of praise and a treat, then let him back into the house to play.
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One-sentence summary -- Buy a crate for your dog. Get your puppy used to the crate. Assign a regular bathroom spot. Limit the puppy's outdoor time. Encourage your puppy to use the bathroom on command. Crate the puppy if he doesn't potty on command.


To properly recycle food waste, you’ll need to purchase or create a compost container. You can construct homemade containers using fence posts and either wire mesh siding or lattice. The container should be square or round and have an open bottom. Professional compost containers come in two forms:  Compost bins, large containers that look similar to trash cans. These are small and cheap, but open at the bottom, making it difficult to turn compost. Compost tumblers, rotating cylinders that, though expensive, are easy to turn and incredibly effective. To help it compost successfully, it’s important to keep food waste at an internal temperature of at least 135 °F (57 °C). To achieve this, place your compost container in an area where it can experience direct sunlight. If it does not have a built-in cover, place a slab of wood or tarp on top to pack in heat. If your compost container has an open base, set it on a patch of soil. This allows your waste to drain properly and gives insects and microbes a chance to break down the materials. If possible, do not put your bin on paving or decking. To prevent vermin from getting into your compost, dig a 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep hole beneath your container and cover it with wire mesh. When filling your compost container, try to make even layers of green, quick rotting foods and brown, slow rotting foods. When the container is full, each type of material should make up about 50% of the total compost mixture. Examples of proper materials include:  Green items like fruit peels and pulp, vegetable peels and pulp, tea leaves and bags, coffee grounds, and carrot tops. Brown items like egg boxes and shells, nuts, tomato plants, corn starch liners, used kitchen paper, and cardboard. Do not compost bones, meat, fish, bread, dairy products, drink cartons, olive oil, plastic bags, or plastic bottles. Food waste needs oxygen to decompose. To make sure all your waste gets an equal amount of air exposure, use a pitchfork to turn over your compost every few weeks. If using a tumbler, you can simply rotate the container itself with the attached crank. If you need to add more food waste, mix it in while turning the compost. Throughout the composting process, check to make sure your pile is decomposing properly. Your food waste should be consistently damp, not dry or soaking wet. Use a hose to water dry compost, and add brown materials to soaking wet compost. Food waste takes a long time to decompose. In general, expect the composting process to take between 9 months and 1 year. You compost is ready to use when the bottom is a dark, rich color. You can use compost to add nutrients to soil, making your yard, garden, and plants healthier. To enhance plants already in the ground, try spreading about 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) of compost over garden beds and around trees. To help new plants grow, combine your compost and soil to create a rich mix. The compost should comprise about ⅓ of the mix. In most cases, homemade compost will have rough spots where the materials did not break down completely. Use these areas as mulch for flowerbeds and shrubs.
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One-sentence summary --
Get a compost container. Cover your container and set it in a sunny spot. Set open-bottomed containers on soil. Layer your bin with green and brown materials. Turn your compost every two to four weeks. Water your compost bin if necessary. Wait 1 year for your food to compost. Add your compost to soil.