[House Training & Crate Training]

Having just done a search and finding I had written 2 pages of results concerning house and crate training I thought I might give an outline of both combined and pin it here.

 

House Training

 

I personally do not like to paper train puppys. The reason being that you train them to pee in your house then you train them not to pee in your house. What my wife and I do is; everytime the puppy wakes up take it out side...when she pees,(and she will) tell her good girl and give her lots of praise. We also put a command ,(go pee), to it so that the dog learns to empty when told, this saves frustration and time when the dog is older and you are in a hurry. Besides taking her out as soon as she wakes, she will need to go out right after eating or drinking, a play period (remember the harder she plays the shorter the time she will hold it) and every hour inbetween that she is awake. Which brings us to sleep time, (yours not hers), CRATE HER. Teach her to spend the night in a crate. If you are using a full size crate block it of so that she only has enough room to lay down comfortably, turn around in and sit in. Any more room than this and she will have an area that she will use for a washroom. As soon as you let her out of the crate in the morning take her outside.

 

Crate Training

 

A crate should be just big enough so that he can laydown comfortable, stand up and turn around in. Buy one that will fit him full grown and then block it down to puppy size with a box or board. In the crate place his bedding...blanket, an old jumper that you have worn, a stuffed toy for company and an old style wind up alarm clock.....this simulates a heart beat. If you buy a wire crate cover it in a blanket at night so that it becomes a cozy den, and he should settle down quick.

 

Introduce the pup to the crate by tossing in a cookie ...leave the door open.....when he is done let him walk out and repeat half a dozen times. I then give a cookie each time the dog is put in the crate. You will be amazed how fast they learn to run in to get a treat. You can also feed him in his crate this helps him to learn that this is a safe comfy place aswell.

 

The crate is his place. It is where he goes when he wants to be left alone, when he is tired, or to stay safe when you are out....it is not a place of punishment.

 

 

Remember pups have small bladders so at night lift his feed and his water 3 1/2 to 4 hours before bed. You can give him a slurp of water just before but no amount or he will wet the bed . Once you put him in he will bark, whine and carry on...ignore him....if you go to him he has won and will continue to carry on. You may only go to him to let him to see him or let him out when he is quiet. That being said listen to the tone of the bark whinning etc. There is a big difference between I am bored and hating this, and I really need to go out and make a mess. If you find he needs to go out through the night, take him outside tell him.... go pee, make a mess, or whatever command you wish to use,.... and as soon as he does praise him up put him in the crate and give a cookie. Do not have a play setion or once again he will start using it as an excuse in the middle of the night.

 

Crate training done correctly usually only takes 2 or 3 nights, although some stuborn pups can take longer.

 

All dogs should be crate trained. This way if they need to spend an extended time at the Vets, or are required to travel, they are ready for that type of enviroment and are under no stress.

 

NTTF

Thanks for the advice, I have recently taken on two puppies!! Im begining to think, maybe we should have only taken on one, but we thought as we work part time, it would be company for each other. They are cross cockers and springers, and both males. Very boisterous with each other, and we are finding that one appears to bully the other one a little bit more, and actually does make him cry (well I think so). Would you say I would be correct in telling him off or is it just playful puppies who are brothers too and it will pass? Also, you mention about crate training, well I was given a rather large cage for them to sleep in, and also to go in whilst I am out. However, as we have not had a dog before and I was led to believe they were not allowed in the garden until all injections we initially started with puppy mats to train them. After a few days and many accidents and the constant play fighting we decided we had to let them out to burn off energy and get used to doing their toilet duties outside. We have been doing this for 3 days now, one appears to be getting the hang of it, the other it is hit and miss. I am doing what you say, as soon as they wake or first thing in the morning take them out. However, they seem to be needing to go all the time and therefore, can sometimes do it in the house if the back door is shut, even though I am there, do I need to leave the door open at all times? or will they eventually know to sit at the door so I know they need to go?

 

Also, with regards to the crate overnight, as my cage is very big I have been putting a puppy mat in as well thinking being only just 8 wks old they will not be able to hold it in all night (even though they do go out around 11pm before settling into their bed), I find that there is always something on the puppy mat, not sure obviously if both are using it or just one, but should I still be doing this or is it encouraging them to relieve themselves indoors?? I hear them around 5am in the morning but have been told to ignore them even though initially I was getting up and even then they had still used the mat? Im getting quite confused on what to do for the best, more so because I have two!! Also would you allow toys in their sleeping area or not?Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[House Training & Crate Training]

Thanks for some great advice

I`ve got 4 weeks until my pup arrives (Sprocker)

She`s my first ever working dog and I`m really looking forward to training her, seeing her develop and one day taking her into the field on a shoot

Pics when she`s here (thinking of calling her Bel).

ATB

Nick

 

Thanks for the advice, I have recently taken on two puppies!! Im begining to think, maybe we should have only taken on one, but we thought as we work part time, it would be company for each other. They are cross cockers and springers, and both males. Very boisterous with each other, and we are finding that one appears to bully the other one a little bit more, and actually does make him cry (well I think so). Would you say I would be correct in telling him off or is it just playful puppies who are brothers too and it will pass? Also, you mention about crate training, well I was given a rather large cage for them to sleep in, and also to go in whilst I am out. However, as we have not had a dog before and I was led to believe they were not allowed in the garden until all injections we initially started with puppy mats to train them. After a few days and many accidents and the constant play fighting we decided we had to let them out to burn off energy and get used to doing their toilet duties outside. We have been doing this for 3 days now, one appears to be getting the hang of it, the other it is hit and miss. I am doing what you say, as soon as they wake or first thing in the morning take them out. However, they seem to be needing to go all the time and therefore, can sometimes do it in the house if the back door is shut, even though I am there, do I need to leave the door open at all times? or will they eventually know to sit at the door so I know they need to go?

 

Also, with regards to the crate overnight, as my cage is very big I have been putting a puppy mat in as well thinking being only just 8 wks old they will not be able to hold it in all night (even though they do go out around 11pm before settling into their bed), I find that there is always something on the puppy mat, not sure obviously if both are using it or just one, but should I still be doing this or is it encouraging them to relieve themselves indoors?? I hear them around 5am in the morning but have been told to ignore them even though initially I was getting up and even then they had still used the mat? Im getting quite confused on what to do for the best, more so because I have two!! Also would you allow toys in their sleeping area or not?Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

Hi,

 

try one of the spaniel rescue centre's, they often have puppies and all the ask for is a donation. I have attached the link below:

 

www.englishspringerrescue.org.uk/

 

I believe they are based in the Manchester area. Hope this helps

 

Great, thanks for that will have a look on that website.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

Try here mate...always have dogs /bitches available

 

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?board=46.0

 

good luck with search

 

Daz

 

Hiya,

 

Thanks for the link, just had a little look on there, lots of dogs on there looking for homes, not many younger ones at the mo, but will keep an eye on that, thanks again.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

hi ii have a liver roan cocker dog for sale he is fully trained just needs the finishing touches he has been brought up in a family enviroment but is a bit older than you are looking for just over 2 i would sell him to the right home for £500 the only reason he is for sale is that i have a bitch and dogs and bitches are a pain kennelled together as the pups my bitch is due next week prove these will also be for sale bitches for £500 and dogs £450 both parents are extemely well bred im only up the road south cumbria if either pups or dog are any good to you

 

Hi there, thanks for your reply. Yeah Im looking for something a little bit younger really, pups sound great, however £450 still a little much for me really, I appreciate that appears to be the going rate and therefore, may look at what a previous member has suggested... a sprocker? Thanks again.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

Most Cockers seem to go for around £500 round my way but I know of a few people who have mated Cockers with other dogs - Springers etc. Obviously the results are not pure pedigree dogs so are generally a lot cheaper but are still great pets as well as working dogs.

 

Might be worth considering?

 

Good luck.

 

cheers,

 

 

Yes you may be right, thanks so much.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

my mate as a choclate dog pup 11 months old kc reg good pedigree working bred basic training started genuine reason for sale wigan area £400

 

Thanks for your help guys, could you possibly send me a pic of your friends dog? Would it be okay as a family pet? Thanks again.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

i mated my choc cocker last week to a black dog so hopefully il have some but mine will be priced the same £500

 

Thanks for your help, sounds like you will have a lovely colour of pups, just the colours we are after. Nevermind, good luck.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

Hi have you tryed pets4homes web site just sold all my pups on it.

 

Hi there,

 

Yes Ive looked on so many websites ive lost track!! They do seem to sell really quick particularly if they are a bit cheaper than the average. I guess I will just keep looking. Thanks for your help.

[WANTED - Cocker spaniel]

Hi,

 

I am new to this website, so hope it is okay to put this on. I am looking for a cocker spaniel puppy, or a dog that is no older than around 6 months old. I would like this as a family pet as I have two children and a cat. I am not looking to spend a huge amount of money and am not too concerned about papers. Could anyone recommend anyone or websites? I have looked on a few sites, but they appear to go very quick and are around the £500 price mark which is a bit too expensive.

 

I live in Wirral, and am willing to travel to north wales, lancashire, merseyside, cheshire.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks