Ok, so we collect puppy in 9 days time. Very excited and pretty organised with what we are doing and having everything etc. But just one question about crate training at night. Have read lots of threads on here about what to do but am still confused as to what is best. I definitely wanted to try and stick to the outside for all toileting, and not use newspaper or pads at all, but now, after speaking to a friend, not sure if this is best ? let me explain, these are the options I think:
- leave him in crate at night with no puppy pads or anything (obviously after a late night wee), keep crate as just a bed area, ignore any crying and just see if he can hold it all night or if does do anything just clear up in the morning and wait for him to learn to control. I know posters have done this and said that they never have any night-time accidents but he will be 8 weeks and I am sure that a lot of pups cannot hold it that long. I guess this would just be a case of try and see if we are lucky, but then might he get distressed laying in his own mess and have negativity about the crate?
- sleep downstairs with him for a few nights, ignore any crying but take him out for a wee at a set time (say 3am) without any fuss. Or don?t set the alarm and leave until he lets me know he wants to go ? but how do you know if crying is due to needing a wee or just anxiety? And if I do this will he expect it every night ? do I leave it later and later each night or be guided by him? I don?t mind sleeping downstairs (probably not where he could see me) but I don?t want him to think every time he cries I will come and let him out ? I know we need to be tough and am bracing myself for ignoring the crying.
- Put a pad in just at night-time, take him out in the garden during the day and last thing before bed, but put a pad in for nights only. Will he get confused with this or realise what it is for and differentiate between day and night?
The reason I am not sure is because I was going to do option 2 (although unsure how to know when he will want a wee or is just looking for attention), but a friend said I needed to put pads in at night, or else he will learn that every time he cries I go to him. She said I would be crazy to keep going down at night, but from reading extensive posts on here I think in the long term puppies are trained much quicker if you do just stick to outside, and I really don?t mind some sleepless nights for the sake of the future. DH thinks option 3, but that is because he does not want us to have broken nights (we will share this), he and my friend say that eventually in the morning the pad will be dry and then you can take it away, but would this confuse pup?
Sorry for length, any advice appreciated!!