Quote:
Originally Posted by victoriaj
i sympathise with you because i have read so many different books and spoke to the breeder of my puppy and friends who have crate trained and they all say different things.
i have a crate for when my pup comes home but am still confused as some people say you need to take them out a few times to toilet during the night and others ( including breeder) say that you do not take them out you put paper one end of crate until they are old enough to control themselves
if i take her out during the night will she whine every night because she expects it and if i don't will she think it is ok to toilet on the paper all the time? 
and also how quickly can you get them used to having the door shut as during the night surely its shut to prevent them wandering toileting everywhere and chewing?
i am armed with books and kongs but am still not sure of how to crate train effectively!!  |
Hi I take it that you haven't go your puppy yet? Then I would suggest the first few nights you have the puppy with you, in the crate beside your bed. It is a big shock leaving mum and littermates and you can reassure the puppy.
A lot will depend on your puppy, some pups are able to go through the night, some not, but by having puppy by the bed, you will be able to know when he starts figiting and take it out. I would say give it a last wee and poo - they will need to have a little walk around the garden - as late as you can, say 12 - 1.00 and then see what happens, your puppy should be able to go up to five or six in the morning. A lot will depend on routine and what access they had to wander around in the night with mum. Even if your puppy hasn't asked to go out, then get up at 6.am and take him downstairs to go out. At night, if the puppy is next to you, you will be able to shut the door, the first night you may have to put your hand on the cage initially
I would try and avoid getting up at three unless your puppy asks, as if you start doing this, it could become a marker of time for your puppy, like they know walk time, food time etc.
I would also avoid paper in the crate, but have paper outside the crate during the day if you have to. Most little puppies will leave their den to toilet a little way away. The breeder probably has used paper with the bitch, so the association should be there. As puppy grows you can move the paper nearer to the door. However, if you watch your puppy carefully and think about when it needs to pee or poo, you should anticipate any accidents. The idea is to pre-empt it.
Try and get in the habit of letting your puppy walk to the door and only say anything if they toilet inside and they are in the middle or about to do it. Then just say 'no' or 'ah ah' and recall them backwards to the door, otherwise ignore any accidents, not a sigh should eminate from you, nor a raise of the eyebrows!!
Dogs read body language before anything else!
No puppy should have the opportunity to wander off into another room, or upstairs without you, for the first few weeks you need to watch your puppy like a hawk and help them get it right.
Gradually over the weeks you can move your crate at night further out across the room, to the door until it is downstairs, this hopefully will coincide with their bladders growing too and then into the kitchen. This is why is is good to have two crates, one for upstairs initially.
It doesn't really matter what crate you have, although I have found the wire ones ideal, as the puppy is still part of what is going on and you can throw treats into it easily as you are pottering around to get good associations with it, either when they are shut in, or just nearby. If you need to, at night, you can put something over it, so they feel cosy and safe.
Wire crates also collapse down flat to take with you, or just store away after your puppy has moved on, until the next one comes along
Get the book Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey is great to help sort out your plan of action!! and whilst you want to listen to everyones advice and it will certainly be varied, do what suits you and your puppy, don't feel presurissed to do it a set way, but be consistent with what you do choose, it is no good swapping and changing every few days, or you will have a confused puppy.
Puppies will adjust anywhere with a crate, in my job with an assistance dog charity, I worked away four nights a week, staying in hotels throughout the UK. As well as having two of my own dogs with me, I very often had a puppy, or dog in training with me too. I had cages in most of my cars, but if not, would have crates, sometimes on the backseat if I had to, but ensure it is secured with a strap or lead, onto the seatbelt.
I think we all know that no dog should travel unsecured.
Kate