Getting pup, talk to me about crates etc

[alysonpeaches]

We have had a dog before, but its been a while since we had a pup. I notice everyone seems to get a crate these days. Im not sure if to get one or indeed if I need one, but it seems like a really good idea as we have a new house and new carpets (madness isnt it?).

We will be getting a Yorkie, and I did think we could perhaps manage something with our babydan playpen and stairgates. I did think first of keeping him in our kitchen as it has a hard floor, but our kitchen is at the front, and our back garden is accessed via the lounge dining room (French doors) so that would be a better location. I was thinking of actually buying a waterproof decorating sheet to cover the lounge carpet, or at least part of it. Then perhaps using the baby dan playpen with his bed in it near the French doors for easy access at pee time.

Any suggestions as to how to set up home for him or how a crate would help things along?

[MmeGoblindt]

We were advised to get a crate and we never used it.

I know that many people swear by them but I did not like leaving our puppy in one and tbh, it was not necessary as she is not destructive.

She had (and has) pretty much the run of the house. She was house trained pretty fast and since then has rarely had an accident.

[minimu]

It is a personal choice and you do not have to have a crate. Advantages are that pup has a secure time out place that they love, it is easier to house train, they are safe if you are called away to do anything, can be used when travelling in the car. Can help to keep the doggy hairs etc in one place, prevents separation anxiety, and your kitchen bin is the same when you come home as when you went out!

Disadvantages they do not add much to house interior design.

The idea behind the crate is that dogs love their own personal space and will not wee in their beds hence the eaiser pupy training. Also the pup feels secure in their bed you have a chilled easier to train pup but this can as Mme Goblindt says be achieved in other ways.

Obviously sleep for a pup is vital and many pups will setle in their cage but if given the free run of the house will easily get distracted from sleep and become a bit hyper so the cage helps with that as well

But really it is up to you.

If you are very vigilant there is no reason at all why pup should wee indoors on the new carpet just take out every half an hour maybe for the first few days, especially after pup has woken up, eaten etc or gets excited.

[MmeGoblindt]

lol, sorry. I am just laughing at the statement that some dogs get so hyper that they don't sleep.

Our pup was a right sloth. She was always sleeping. Still is. Everytime I sit down she is up on the couch beside me for a snooze. She is a very gemütliche dog.



Just as well we did not get a Springer Spaniel.

[minimu]

Watch a working cocker pup with youg kids MmeGoblindt it is like a pup on speed!

[Stayingscarygirl]

Our brown lab pup is flat out, snoring in her cage just now. As minimu says, it is personal choice, but it has worked well for us - she's only soiled her cage a couple of times, settled well in it at night time, and is happy to be left in there if I have to go out and leave her alone for a while.

She is quite a destructive pup, so we would have needed some way to keep her out of parts of the house at night etc, so that the destruction was limited.

She definitely sees it as her safe place, and will take herself off there for a sleep whenever she feels the need. We give her a last run in the garden before putting her in there at night, and she gets a puppy bonio in there as a bedtime treat.

Dh wanted to use it as somewhere to put her for time out if she had been naughty, but I talked him out of that as I wanted it to be her safe place, and didn't want her to associate her bed with being in trouble.

We were lucky that we already had a small cage, because we'd got one for our cats to travel up to Scotland in when we moved up here last year. We used it instead of a cat box because they could be together as it was bigger, and because they could see out. Now the puppy's outgrown that one, someone did give us a bigger one, that may well do her until she's sensible enough just to be left in a bed in the diningroom at night.

[MmeGoblindt]

Oh, yes the destruction. We were lucky, our pup has hardly chewed anything. A couple of toys that the DC did not tidy away (she likes Polly Pocket and Barbies) but no furniture or doors or anything.

[alysonpeaches]

Right, I have got the baby dan playpen out, Hedley fits through the bars, so I have had to weave corrugated cardboard through them. I have put his bed and blanket in there, covered the carpet with plastic, and put a puppy pad at the opposite end to his bed. He has had a piddle on the puppy pad which is good. He also piddled outside on the lawn, but did a poop behind the sofa. I knew he wanted to go and let him out twice, but he did it when he came back in. He has a yapping fit if we leave him alone in the playpen, just as you would expect him to on his first night away. He is happy sleeping on our laps or next to DH on sofa. I expect its going to be a very long night. Any helpful suggestions?

We dont have a collar for him so we cant walk him to tire him out. (the lady I bought him from said, dont buy anything until youve seen us).

He has had 2 vaccinations but Im not sure how many he is supposed to have. Is a course 3?? The card from the vet didnt tell me! He also came with worm medicine which I have to finish tomorrow.

[amazonianwoman]

Just replied to your other message re crate vs playpen.

We had 2nd vaccination today - that's all he needs. Just have to wait one more week before we can take him out. At this age just playing with toys/kids tires them out.

[elastamum]

Get a crate. They are a godsend and really help with housetraining a young pup.

i have just been given a 10 month labradoodle not properly housetrained and i am considering putting one back up for her as she keeps weeing in the house and it is a difficult habit to break (she is the size of a small pony so it will be a big crate!). also a crate keeps your puppy safe if you are out. dogs quite like the security they offer. When i put a crate back up for puppy number 2, (yes we now have 3 labradoodles!) our oldest dog moved straight back into it and chased out the pup! Does 3 dogs and no husband put me in madwoman category - I think it might