Puppys and crate space.....help

[cab09]

I have read a few artciles on the use of crates for puppys. Nearly every article tells you to limit the size of the crate/ compartmentise it so that the pup is comfortable i.e. can lay, stand up and turn around etc. which is to stop the pup emptying itself in the crate. What happens during the night when the pup is in there for longer periods? The pup wont be able to 'hold it' for say a minimum of 6 hrs during the night and will no doubt dirty their bed area and get distressed.

 

I have put my pup in a large crate at the moment where he is quite settled, day and night. I have one half covered in newspaper and the other with a towel for bedding. I take him outside to do his business last thing at night and wake up early to take him out again in the morning, so not to avoid anything been done in the crate (not much sleep for me at the moment though). Sometimes I have come down on the morning and found he has went on the newspaper or even his towel bedding and inevitably trodded it all over. Am I doing something wrong, I just seem to think if he has only the room on the towel bedding during the night he will inevitably go on it and become distressed (not to mention covered in it).

 

Any advice or help much appreciated....

[ODG]

Just part of the training process... Like kids, pups can't hold it all night at first. Although you can buy them, nappies aren't really an option for pups! Some say to restrict the space overnight to try to force the pup to try and hold it - they really don't want to foul their sleeping area if they can help it - but for me it's just been a case of patience, routine and reward. No point punishing the pup for fouling overnight, just reward when he goes where and when you want him to. He'll get the idea. I think you're doing everything right - just be patient..

[JJaxeman]

I am crate training my Rotador (Lab Cross Rotty) at the moment he is now four and a bit months old. Like you have a large crate but resticted it's size with the use of a large cardboard box (Very heavy Duty) and other than the odd wee in the begining he is now good as gold although he does wake up most mornings at 5am wanting a wee now LOL. But he hasn't solied his crate or the house in anyway now for almost a month now so hopefully got through it I will open up the space he has as and when required. Have attached a pic of my set up of what I have done hope this gives you some idea.

[cab09]

thanks for the advice, plenty of things for me to consider. i like your set up Jas with the box, good idea and seems to have worked.

Thanks again

[WGD]

TBH I just put mine in a full size crate straight away with the bedding on half and paper on the other and dealt with house training as a separate issue, she was pretty clean from the start; it's just part of a young dog getting older... they can hold it for longer and learn where to do it.

[Lancs Lad]

I have read a few artciles on the use of crates for puppys. Nearly every article tells you to limit the size of the crate/ compartmentise it so that the pup is comfortable i.e. can lay, stand up and turn around etc. which is to stop the pup emptying itself in the crate. What happens during the night when the pup is in there for longer periods? The pup wont be able to 'hold it' for say a minimum of 6 hrs during the night and will no doubt dirty their bed area and get distressed.

 

I have put my pup in a large crate at the moment where he is quite settled, day and night. I have one half covered in newspaper and the other with a towel for bedding. I take him outside to do his business last thing at night and wake up early to take him out again in the morning, so not to avoid anything been done in the crate (not much sleep for me at the moment though). Sometimes I have come down on the morning and found he has went on the newspaper or even his towel bedding and inevitably trodded it all over. Am I doing something wrong, I just seem to think if he has only the room on the towel bedding during the night he will inevitably go on it and become distressed (not to mention covered in it).

 

Any advice or help much appreciated....

 

Wetting aint much of an issue....................craping is......................take up its water an hour before bed time.............

[activeviii]

your crate needs to have just enough room to turn around and sleep. dogs are very clean animals by nature and will not mess there home (bed) unless there's no other way. box up the crate so he cant use the other bit, but watch out for staples or packing tape.

 

you need to lift water about 4 hours before you put him down for the night, do not leave him any in the crate.

 

let him out and make sure he does his business before you come back in. encourage with a key word as in a very short time you can get them peeing on command. I used "toilet" for a pee and "be quick" for poo.

 

you need to go down a few times in the night and let him out side, whether he wants to or not, he will once you get him outside and the cold air hits him.hehe

 

in the morning you need to do the same.

 

 

if your putting paper on one half and bedding on the other you are just teaching him that its ok to mess in his house.

 

 

NTTF told me this when i first had my pup. my first pup as well.

 

 

sticking to this i have had two poos in his crate, both time after his jabs. never had a pee in it. had a few on the carpet but it went from 4-5 a day to the odd one in about 2 weeks.

 

I can take him in the garden or park and tell him toilet of be quick and job done. if im popping out i take him in the garden and tell him and straight away he does it.

he is so good at it that one day my son siad to the dog " Teague want to go to toilet". he did, right there on the spot in the middle of the carpet. lesson learn very quick.hehe.

 

there was a sticky at the top, well worth the read.

 

stick with it and you'll find in no time that your clean. we go from 10pm to 7am every night and have since he was about 3 months old. before that i, or the wife, would go down about 5 times a night. hard work but clean very quick.

 

hope that sort of helps

 

Phil

[mark_mjs93]

double post OOPS

Edited May 4, 2009 by mark_mjs93

[mark_mjs93]

to be honest mate i had the same trouble with ollie my wippetXspringerXcollie it is something that they grow out of, he is only little, so after a day of eating and drinking, when he goes to bed and the drink and food that hasnt got through gets through his bladder is only little so he has to empty to make space for more, mine i used training pads, they are SUPER absorbent and worked GREAT, if he did a wee it just soaked right up, what activeiii said is EXTREMELY true, i left the pads in for a little while, for the first 3 weeks whilst he got settled in, then i took them out, he did a couple of wees but he soon learned it was not the right thing to do, he went to do a few wees in the house but he was just picked up taken outside into the garden and he would do a wee out there, something i found helped, is basically, if when you take him outside wether it be morning night, or anyway through the day, if he does a wee or a poo outside praise him, lots of fuss, lots of "good boy" and do this EVERY time he does a wee or poo, when he does a poo give him alot more fuss.... (not during by the way, wait for him to finish.... do you like being disturbed on the throne?!?!? thought not, well neither does your dog!)

 

ATB

Mark

[DaveK]

sticking to this i have had two poos in his crate, both time after his jabs. never had a pee in it. had a few on the carpet but it went from 4-5 a day to the odd one in about 2 weeks.

 

You dirty peasant

 

 

Haven't you been toilet trained?

[cab09]

Just a quick update - took newspaper out of crate and compartmented the crate off. Things going really well now, he goes out last thing at night and then first thing in the morning an no accidents in the crate or house! thanks everyone for all your help and advice, looks like we might have cracked it....

[sprocker]

I'm in the process of cage training my sprocker pup ( I said I as it was me who pestered after having a pup, so to stop the moaning I do more than my fair share). At the moment the cage (medium sized) isnt partitioned off and my pup is 11 weeks old, most nights she goes in the cage at 11 after i get in from work, and has been taken out. She goes through the night till 5am mostly without messing although this mornin I got up to a STINKY cage as she was given a treat before we went up, never again. She does go outside most times but accidents happen dont they?... When we take her out we tell her well done after toileting, as we keep good girl for when she has done something like sit and so on.