A Question On Crate Training

[Chaconne]

With crate training I've noticed that time limits apply to how long a dog is able to be inside the crate for, does this appy when the dog is sleeping at night? Do I have to get up and take her out the toilet itermittantly during the night or will she's be alright?

Thanks

[cavNrott]

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Edited May 8, 2009 by cavNrott

[Chaconne]

I don't have the puppy yet, that's why I'm asking now. She wouldn't be in the crate very long during the day, but it would be her sleeping place so she'd be in their all night.. therefore my question being, does she have to be let out intermittantly during the night or will she be fine while she is asleep?

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Your future pup will let you know when she needs to go to the toilet...most pups and dogs whine, some scratch (at the door to signal they want to go out) and some bark. A very few do nothing but you can train your dog to use the signal you would like her to use for "toilet please". I know of many greyhounds (pets) that have been trained to ring a bell at the door. My own dogs usually go to the door or become VERY playful/excitable and this is their cue to me that it's time to go outside.

Crates make toilet training much easier for you and your pup/dog. Good on you for investigating training ideas before your pup comes home, that will certainly help once she is with you!

[TangerineDream]

With new puppies (I've had Dobes and GSP's) I put the crate in the bedroom with me and make a bed in the crate in one end and line the rest of the crate with a lot of newspaper - this lets me know when the pup moves off the bed onto the paper (I sleep with one ear open like you do with babies), and as soon as I hear them stirring it's outside quickly for a toilet stop. With babies, I've found that they might want to go every couple of hours for the first few nights until they settle and then the sleep periods lengthen quickly. Hints: no water after 8pm, and a toilet stop last thing before bed (say 11is) - I actually have 2 stops just before bed about 10 minutes apart - you'd be amazed at what babies forget to do the first time they are out there.......especially in cool weather.

Lots of luck...just been there and done that myself

[edited because I had bablies...what's a bablie?????]

Edited June 9, 2006 by TangerineDream

[Tassie]

Assuming you're getting your pup at about 8 weeks, you should plan for maybe 4 weeks of getting up at least once a night to take the pup out for a wee. I used to take mine out for a late night toilet break before going into their bed, then usually had to take out again about 2.00 am, then they could usually hang on till about 5 or 6.00 am. Depends a bit on the pup.

Echo the congratulations on forward planning, and on planning to use your crate for helping you to train the pup.

I recommend that you get into the habit of taking the pup out on lead - especially for the middle of the night wee. It means you can start putting the toileting on cue, you know when the puppy has performed, and can reward that, and pup gets used to toileting while on lead - all useful things.

I found it good to have the pup's crate next to my bed. Meant that I didn't miss the signals that pup needed to go out. If your bedroom isn't going to be the pup's long-term sleeping place, you can always move the crate out later.

[Keen]

My puppy's crate goes in the laundry. Until 9 weeks the door was left open and newspaper laid down so she could use it at night. After 9 weeks the pup stayed in the crate all night. On weekends I sleep in - so does my pup. I never got up in the night to my pup - I certainly didn't want to teach her that all she had to do was whine and I would be there. She has never cried at night, not even once. Our dogs have always slept in the laundry. I don't want them to become so dependent upon us that they cannot function if we are not there. This makes for happier, healthier dogs who are not fearful of any situation they might face on their own.

[Chaconne]

Thanks for all your help everyone, it's really really appriciated

[imy]

I know of many greyhounds (pets) that have been trained to ring a bell at the door.

Ooohh... thanks for the info. I'm trying to devise a way of making an automatic door opener for my boys but one that won't let the cat out too... I was looking for an inductive sensor so it would open when it sensed a tag on the collar... but just teaching them to nose a touch pad sounds cheaper and easier!

Now to figure out the rest of the plan... LOL

[wyvernblade]

I have a nearly 10 week old pup that I've had two weeks and he's being toilet trained with the crate. The crate is next to my bed and his bed covers the whole crate. I sleep with an ear open (great way of explaining it Tangerine Dream) and as soon as I hear him even snuffle, yawn, or whatever signals that he's awake I take him straight out. The first few nights it was two or three times, but he's now going from 10 pm til about 5 am, then we get another hours sleep before I get up at 6. Stupid me was sitting in bed watching telly last night when he started barking at me! I had already taken him out for a pee and a poo so I was just trying to calm him down in his cage, when with a look of complete contempt, he turned and peed on his bed! ;) Silly me, not listening to doggy! So I had to go chuck bedding in washing machine, and grab the spare, and while I was doing that he picked up his water bowl and ran through the lounge with it, spilling water everywhere. *sigh*Gotta love puppies! So I now know that if he barks, I take him out (He has me well trained............. )

Edited June 11, 2006 by wyvernblade