Our 12 week old rough collie is 99% toilet trained during the day but soaks the paper in her crate at night, so much so that I'm washing her vetbed too as it's soaks everywhere.

I'm guessing this normal as she's obviously in the crate for a long period at night, but is there anything we can do to help things along? She does have a small bowl of water at night as she'd get too dehydrated otherwise, will it just improve over time?

Thanks x

collies should live outside they love it

Ive always personally taken Mine out at night, I never used paper or pads, it can confuse them and give the message its Ok to go in the house. By taking them out night and day and only giving them the choice of one place, there can be no confusion. Mine at that age were not going through the night either. The first couple of weeks I slept downstairs as the garden was nearer and the whole house didnt get woke up. That way if they woke or stirred I could pop them out no fuss and then they just went back to sleep. Over the next couple of weeks the number of times they stirred or woke got less until they were going right through. If you cant have her within sight and sound of you, maybe set the alarm a couple of times and just pop her out that way.

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I'd happily do that but it took a week for her to accept going in the crate at night, think if I took her out Around 2am, I'd never gather back in the rate again. x

If she cant go through the night at the moment and she cant get out the crate, then the only thing is to carry on washing the vet bed until she can go through completely.

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It's too long to leave her overnight in the crate and what you're doing is teaching her it's ok to mess in the crate so will make house training so much more difficult. You need her to be happy to go in the crate - rather than it be punishment! Have her near you so that you can get her out eg at 3am and then gradually move it so she goes ok overnight. You are right to leave her with water. Perhaps a biscuit after she's been out will encourage her to go back in for another sleep?

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Penny
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I have a collie lab x and we also have a crate but I tie the door open at night so she can have the space of the kitchen. But I still need to put a pad down at the door to the back yard as she wees a lot at night or first thing.

We also keep the crate door open during the day as she seems to find the vet bed too warm sometimes and chooses to lie down to settle beside the fridge. You could maybe try leaving the door open and placing her paper beside the door if you aren't getting up to let her out? Are you up early in the morning to catch the morning toilet?

Intersted by what borderer said about collies being outside - we are thinking of getting an outside kennel for Reba but I was worried she wouldn't want to come in Should we just let her spend as much time as possible out?

Gavs

PS Sorry for hijacking your thread!

Why would a collie want to live outside any more than any other dog. I think Borderer was not being serious. At least I hope not. Nothing wrong with keeping a dog outside, mine always used to be outside at night and when we were out - but if you want a house dog the breed is beside the point.

I have never got up at night to a puppy. I used to put newspaper on the kitchen floor and just clear up the mess in the morning - which gradually gets less and then stops. the last two pups have been in a cage at night and they have been completely clean from the first night. If your pup cant hold it I would be reluctant to put her in a cage as you are rather defeating the object. I would leave the door open and have the cage as her bed but the kitchen floor for peeing on.

I`d get rid of the crate, personally. It`s really not working.
I always gave my young ones a run of the house and left the back door (secure garden!) open. That way the dog can go out when needed.

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She only goes in the crate at night, we're pretty much open plan so it safer to do that. She doesn't protest at going in at all, settles down quite happily but although it's left open all day, she very rarely goes on there of her own accord.