[kitty17]

We are collecting our puppy on friday and have purchased a training crate. I was wondering if there were any basic do's and don't's we should stick too.

I also have some concerns about how long the puppy can be left in the crate? Should he be left in at night with the door open or closed? How about in the day time when we are out?

Any help/advice would be really great! :?

xxx

 

[Gezza]

Hi Kitty...

Your pup will love his crate! It will be his personal place of peace and quiet!...I'm pretty sure there a a fair few posts deeper in this section which will give you lots of advice, but this is what we did with Beetle...

Do note though, that I am a first timer, so the other posts will have far more experienced advice...

Beetle was in his crate at night (with the door shut most certainly) from Day 1....actually, since the breeder knew he would be crated, she started him off inside one, since he left home about a week after his siblings

For the very first few weeks, we had his bed at one end and a puppy pad at the other, but as soon as he was 12 weeks, he was holding on overnight for about 6 hours or so....

We didn't actually go down during the night either - although I think this is the general advice - to pop down halfway through the night when they are tiny to let them have a wee etc outside

Your pup may well howl for the first couple of nights....you may want to put the crate in your bedroom at first and then move it to the permament place gradually...but the key thing is not to go running to the crate to fuss him as soon as he howls - otherwise you will be creating a nightmare for yourselves!

The kids are not allowed to talk to Beetle when he is in his crate - it is his own space...

During the evening, he is on the sofa with us, but now and again will pop into his crate (we leave the door open, unless we are going to bed or out etc,...

At first, the longest he was left in his crate during the day was one hour, building up gradually to his now 4 hours during the day

Some don't put water in the crate with their pups (to avoid too full a bladder) but we've never had a problem there....

Thats all I can think of for now - but as I say, if you do a search on crates in the puppy section, you will be bombarded with posts with lots of good advice

Lastly - WELCOME!! and pics are obligatory!

g

 

[Quarrybank]

With Bailey, I collected him in the morning & was home by lunchtime. I then fed him lunch, dinner & supper in there on day 1.
At bedtime -11pm, after a visit to the garden for wee's & poo's, I put him in the crate (in kitchen) shut the door & went to bed.
He cried for about 15 mins & then was quiet, I got up at 3am, 5am & 7am to take him out. By day 3, I was just getting up at 3am & 7am & then over the next few weeks I made the 3am later & later until at 11 weeks, I was going from 11pm until 7am.

He's never poo'd or wee'd overnight. During the day we've prob had about 5 or 6 wee's but that's when I've not be concentrating :lol: so the crate def helps with toilet training.

As for the daytime - if I went out I would pop him in the crate with a filled Kong, shut the door & go. The first time was day 2 as I needed to do my horses & I was gone for about 2 1/2 hours..... he was fine.

I'd always leave water in it during the day, but never had any in there overnight.

At 14 weeks now I can go out for up to 4 hours, although to be honest I tend to take him with me if I can, especially when I go down to the yard.

During the day, if I'm in the door is open & he quite often takes himself in there for a sleep. It's his space & he's very happy in there.

Good luck with your new pup & we def need pic's

 

[Roo]

Put a nice comfy bed in there, some toys and something of yours (e.g. t-shirt) so he knows your scent. Feed him in there at first and give him treats in there so it's a really great place to be.

At night, shut him in and then it's your choice whether to cover it with a blanket or not. We always had a blanket over the top and sides so it was like a cave for him and dark when he wanted to escape! We also left a radio on quiet for him for the first few weeks.

COMPLETELY IGNORE ALL OF THE WHINING, CRYING AND HOWLING.

Pop down once or twice in the night (set the alarm) and take him for a wee. Don't interact with him, just our for a wee then straight back in the crate - night time is not play time! If he happens to be crying when you go down to let him out, don't go in until he is quite else he'll learn that crying=attention.

We put Roo in his when we went out too - same routine as night time. No fuss, just in the crate, give him a filled kong or chew, and leave.

When he's in there, try to leave him as it's his den and his private place. If you have kids, don't let them go in there with him.

Hope this helps some and please post pics!!

Edit: leave him in the day for very short periods at first and build up. For the first couple of weeks an hour or two is fine - you can eventually leave him for four hours in the day maximum. Put him in last thing at night and get him out when you get up ...

 

[helena]

I think everyone's said it all really. I just wanted to add that we did NOT get up in the night at all, and after being taken out for a wee at 11-12, we left Bracken in the crate (door shut) with bed at one end and pad at other. She weeed on the pad during first night, then never again. She's now two and a half and still loves her crate but we never shut the door these days!

I really don't agree with setting alarms to get up in the night because it sets a precedent, and this is a puppy not a baby. Lots of people will disagree and that's fine! Your puppy, your choice!

Lastly, our breeder asked for a bit of old blanket which she put in with all the pups and mum, and then when we collected Bracken it came with her and it was in her bed (it STANK but she loved it and I am sure it helped her settle - after 5 days I washed it and put it back with no ill effects).

Good luck - enjoy!

 

[YJB]

I agree with Helena - we never went down in the night to Molly although I did get up at 6 am! She only wee'd in the crate for the first three nights but we had one big enough for her to have her bed one side and a puppy pad on the other side. She has never had an accident in there since. I leave her for up to 3 1/2 hours during the day when I go to work and we find that she goes in there anyway when we are home. We always shut the door and put her toys in there with her. She is 11 weeks old by the way.

 

[_Donna_]

With my pup, and i look cruel but he was put in the crate first nite and left too it. He never whine for attention but did cry at 1am and 4am the firt 3 nites to go out for the toilet. After that the 4am one stopped and then the 1am til he was going from 10pm til 6am..think this was 10 days from coming home.
Door is always closed at nite time but they rest of the day he wanders in and out, i don;t lock him in it when i go out as he hasn;t chewed yet(well while i've been out). I do know though i can leave him for 2 hrs in his crate with the door shut to go out...but thats not often.

 

[kitty17]

Thanks for all your help and advice everyone - I suppose we'll just have to play it by ear and see what happens tomorrow night.

 

[Winks]

With Summer i leave the door open on the crate at night after i've taken her out at 11pm. Then put Training Pads on the kitchen floor. So if she needs to go for a wee or poo, she can go on the pads. Some of the time its not on the pad but on the floor . Should i start to shut the crate door at night?

She is 8 1/2 weeks old

 

[_Donna_]

Me i would close the door, the majority of pups will not go where they sleep. It may mean up a few times through the nite as she will whine and cry for the toilet...make no fuss of her, take her out let her do her business and right back into the crate. I only had to do this for the first week and then my pup went out at 11pm and that was him til 6.

 

[Winks]

Thanks for that Donna...i'll close the door tonight and see what i wake up to in the morning

btw, Alfie looks so cute