Would this house set up work?

[Hughes12345]

We’re thibking of getting a dog (in 2-3 years time). We live in a 3 story town house style property. Ground floor is hallway and kitchen/diner with integral garage leading off the hall. Upstairs is the living room,spare bedroom and top floor are our other bedrooms. Upstairs is carpeted throughout.

I’m wondering how toilet training would work from just the kitchen/dining room. I don’t really want to be confined down there for that whole time and also when I’m cooking I’ve got nowhere to safely shut the dog away.

I was wondering if clearing half of the garage and turning it into a safe, cosy dog zone would work? Somewhere we could put the dog while I’m cooking and it’s still toilet training. We could keep the internal door open so that it’s not shut completely out. Once it’s toilet trained it could have free run of the house.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

[CMOTDibbler]

If you plan to get a puppy, you need to take them outside super frequently to toilet, and they need social company. So either you are up and down the stairs or you spend more time downstairs. While you are cooking you can use a crate or puppy pen.

The carpets will get wee and poo on at times though. Its part of the joy of puppies

[Nesssie]

Shutting the puppy in the garage area won't help with toilet training, it will just mean that when they toilet, it will be contained to that area. To toilet train, you have to have the puppy within sight at all times, otherwise the puppy will just learn to toilet in that garage area.

It sounds like a good safe area for the dog to be out the way whilst you are cooking for example, but to toilet train you will need to be in there with him/her, or the puppy would have to come upstairs with you.

[Hughes12345]

Oh yes sorry, I haven’t explained myself very well. I just meant that while the puppy’s not toilet trained I’d rather not give them the run of the house so when I’m cooking or need them safely contained (for whatever reason) I’d have the garage as a safe space to contain them in for short periods. There’s no room in the kitchen for a pen or crate.

[Nesssie]

Then yes that would be fine. You may find that if the puppy can't see you he might whine and show signs of separation anxiety. If you are to do this, I would suggest continuously talking to him and popping in and out of the room - but don't necessarily interact with him, just so he knows you are there and coming back.

[adaline]

How are you going to toilet train? I mean, are you happy to carry the pup out from the living area to the toilet every 20 minutes? Because that's the reality of toilet training and pup won't be able to go on stairs for a good six months at least.

I mean, are you going to spend all your time in the kitchen/diner for the first few months, or are you going to let the pup upstairs where they can (and will) have accidents on your carpet!

[Hughes12345]

Yeh kitchen/diner for the first month or so and then they can venture upstairs when we’ve got a bit of a toileting routine established.

[adaline]

What are you going to do at night? For the first while they'll still need letting out at night - mine did until about six months of age, give or take.

[Hughes12345]

We’ll let it out at night of course,DH will be on duty-he’s a night owl.

[adaline]

I meant more how will you hear the pup/what will the set-up be? As in, if pup is downstairs and you're on the top floor, you might not hear it cry or stir in the night.

If pup is to sleep upstairs in a crate (which may be necessary as she might not settle so far from you) then you'll need to carry him/her up and down two flights of stairs all the time - all things worth thinking about especially if you happen to get your dog in winter!

[Wolfiefan]

You need to be with the pup to toilet train. Leaving it in the garage for any time when it isn’t toilet trained will teach it that inside is the place to do it.

[Aquilla]

Get a little telly for the kitchen and make it more of a hang out zone for you?

[Aquilla]

Baby gate at bottom of stairs?

[Hughes12345]

Wolfiefan that’s ridiculous surely? So I wouldn’t be able to go to the toilet myself or upstairs to make the beds or pop it in the garage whilst I’m cooking (I can’t safely section off the cooker). I’m not talking about leaving it in there for any great length of time but just creating a safe zone.

Yes I’m happy to hang out in the kitchen as much as needed too.

[Missingstreetlife]

Ssdonyou know how much work a puppy is, even a grown dog should not be left alone. It's like having a baby that never grows up. I think you need to do more research

[Wolfiefan]

If you want to toilet train a pup that means you need to be outside when the pup needs to go. That means after eating, drinking, playing and sleeping and every half an hour.
If I had something I wanted to do then DH would watch pup. It’s 24/7 to start with. Every time pup goes to the toilet reinforces that’s what should happen. And every accident inside makes it harder.
Puppies are bloody hard work.

[Hughes12345]

Missingstreetlife I don’t know a single person with a dog that doesn’t leave it alone at times. That’s life surely? I’ve had a dog before (a rescue) and she was perfectly happy to be left for a couple of hours at a time.

Wolfiefan I do understand how much work it is but I don’t see the harm in leaving them safely whilst I go to the toilet!

DH will be in work. Again,I know of many many single parent/adult households that have successfully trained a puppy.

[adaline]

Just be prepared that not all puppies cope being left alone.

Where is the puppy going to sleep?

[Hughes12345]

We’d start with them crated in our bedroom and then move them into the kitchen.

[BiteyShark]

I basically camped out in the kitchen diner for weeks as it was easy to take him outside and was the only room that was really puppy proofed.

I was wondering if clearing half of the garage and turning it into a safe, cosy dog zone would work? Somewhere we could put the dog while I’m cooking and it’s still toilet training.

Is a town house one of those modern terraced types houses? If so just be aware that a puppy crying and howling can make a bloody awful lot of noise so be prepared for that if you plan on shutting him/her in the garage and you have neighbours until you have got them used to being away from you.

[Hughes12345]

BiteyShark good point, our neighbours are out of the house 8.30-6 each day so that shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve got 2 dogs themselves and we don’t hear them. The walls are pretty well insulated.

How long did you camp out for?

[Wolfiefan]

I too camped out with mine. If I popped to the toilet I did it after she had been in the garden and left her with a toy. At one point she chewed through a wall when I did this.

[BiteyShark]

Can't remember exactly but I was definitely in there for at least 2 months. The reason being is that every time we tried him in a different room he would go crazy, really hyped up and would try and chew things. Occasionally we put a square of Lino down (for accidents) in the lounge and a playpen on top of it but he would try and get out all the time. It just wasn't worth the stress.

Fortunately our kitchen is big and we have a tv in it so I just moved a comfy chair in there and camped out until bedtime. As he got older we started to gradually introduce other rooms for short periods when he was calmer.

[Hughes12345]

Wolfiefan crikey-how long were you on the toilet for ?😄

[Wolfiefan]

@BiteyShark our bloody bitey monsters were so similar as pups weren’t they.

[Hughes12345]

It’s good to hear the horror stories,I want to be as prepared as possible but at the same time its unrealistic to advise that the pup can never be left alone, that I need DH at home so that I can go to the toilet myself.