Puppy pad in crate

[Whywhywhy1]

We’ve had our 12 week old puppy for almost 4 weeks now. He sleeps really well in his crate from about 10pm when he goes in until about 7.30 when he barks and we get up with him.
I am following the breeder’s suggestion of not getting up to him in the night (he sleeps without a peep anyway) and having his bed at one side of the crate and a puppy pad at the other for him to toilet on and just throw the pad away in the morning. That’s all fine- he uses the pad not his bed etc but I’m just wondering if I’m doing the right thing? Will he stop going to the toilet on the pad when he can hold it longer or just carry on going on it because he thinks it’s ok to poo on the mat? Just to add, we don’t use pads anywhere else in the house- he is taken out regularly through the day to wee/poo Sorry for all the questions. I’m a first fine puppy owner 🙈

[BiteyShark]

I never used pads as I was worried it would teach him that going inside was ok and I didn't want to send him mixed messages.

I think some people use pads and their puppy transitions just fine and become perfectly toilet trained as they grow up but I have also seen some posts with people struggling with training and it looked like the pads were confusing the dog.

[Whywhywhy1]

Thanks bitey, yes I know what you mean. Not sure what to do really. As I said we don’t use them anywhere else in the house at all just the crate. I could swap it for a piece of newspaper- wonder if that would be the same?
Do other people get their puppies up at regular intervals in the night to take them out to toilet? Whypup never wakes us so we just wait til morning which was suggested by breeder.

[BiteyShark]

I was one of those people who got up at a set time and then just extended that time so it got later and later.

My thoughts are you might find your puppy simply stops using the pad and you can stop putting it in the crate. However, I wonder if he might think he can still poo/pee at that side of the crate as he gets older.

Hopefully someone will be on later who was in the same position to advise.

[Whywhywhy1]

Thanks Bitey, yes that is my concern too

[thatainttheone]

Despite my very best efforts our puppy toileted on puppy pads, on the floor , on the carpet, and also in the back garden. Despite being let out very regularly she literally just went wherever.

I never reacted, just quickly cleaned up and continued to take her outside for "wee wees in the garden" regularly ( so regularly it felt like we were always outside!)
As soon as she squatted outside I'd repeat that phrase.

I thought it would never click. But it did and she never goes inside now. I still use the same phrase and she can practically wee on demand now cos of the word association.

Not really offering advice for you but just some support to say try not to worry too much, enjoy the puppy stage, sounds like you're doing all the right things and your well loved puppy will soon understand what you're trying to teach.

Good luck x

[Whywhywhy1]

Thanks thatainttheone. That does make me feel a little more relaxed. As long as I can hope it will click one day I will chill out a bit. Ha! X

[shinynewapple]

I probably wouldn't do anything to encourage your puppy to toilet in its crate. I am no expert but I thought this goes against their natural inclination to toilet away from their bed.

We didn't do the recommended timed awakening for toileting but I slept in the room next to the kitchen where puppy's crate was and got up for him when I heard him wake. We did use puppy pads, putting them down around kitchen to start with but stopped when puppy chewed them up. We didn't lock crate though which is slightly different.

[Elphame]

I did exactly what you do with Elfdog as a puppy. He slept in one end of his crate and had a pad at the other. By about 12 weeks he was sleeping through and we rushed him outside as soon as he woke so he'd wee out there. A couple of weeks later he was reliably dry in his crate and we stopped using the pads