New Puppy - Two scenarios

[RedHotChiliChips]

We will be bringing our new puppy ( 9 wk old Chorkie) home on Friday. Regarding the night time and potty training, I am wondering which scenario you would think is better?

1. We have a puppy pen and his crate inside it. I'll leave a puppy pad in the pen (away from the crate). His crate door would be open so he's free to wander outside and do his business to the pad. We'll then dispose the used pad in the morning. He'd be taken outside to learn toileting during the day.
   

1. No puppy pad at all in his pen. I would get up and take him out throughout the night. His crate would still be open so he can feel "free" within his pen.
   

In both cases, I'd be sleeping in the kitchen-diner with him at first. Kitchen-diner is the place where we are planning to keep his crate permanently.

We have a secure private garden, before he has had all his jabs, is it an issue to take him out on a lead to teach him where his potty spot is? And what about a general little walk about in the garden? On the lead at all times of course. How big risk there is to contract Parvo? I keep seeing conflicting information online.

[Borderstotheleftofme]

I wouldn’t use puppy pads.
Straight outside.

I didn’t get up in the night with mine either, it was out very late for toilets then the crate wouldn’t be opened until 7 or so in the morning.
It didn’t take long at all for her to be able to hold it but then mine was older when she arrived (10 weeks) and a bigger breed, I don’t suppose a little breed like a chorkie would be able to hold it all night.

[pupstersdream]

We had a similar set up to the one you are describing. I put a puppy pad down but he didn’t use it (or wake in night). Put him to bed in crate (but open) at 10ish and he lasted until 6am the next day.

[paintmegood]

I would put a pad out but try to take him out as much as poss. Before bed, in the night and first thing in the morning.
I really regretted relying on puppy pads either ours as it took ages to break the habit.

[nearly50andstillhavenoidea]

We have a 10.5 week old cocker spaniel. I haven't used puppy pads. We take him out at 1030pm for a wee, then crate him and he wakes around 730am. We were advised not to use puppy pads and crate at night as they don't like to mess their beds. We've had him 2.5 weeks and al good so far.

I have a patch at the bottom of the garden I've covered in pea shingle and I'm trying to train him to go to the loo there, I just take him down there (just calling and sometimes carrying) and then lots of praise and a treat when he's been.

[RedHotChiliChips]

Thank you all! That's what I was thinking that the pads will just lead to forming habits, which will be another job to solve down the line. Our kitchen floor is vinyl so it's easy to wipe of any accidents anyway.

[RedHotChiliChips]

Nearly50 Do you lock the crate door at night?

We have a suitable area in our garden too, it currently has bark but I also have some artificial lawn off cuts which I'm going to put down and hopefully he thinks it's grass and will learn to do his business there.

[nearly50andstillhavenoidea]

Also, I never had him on the lead in the garden. It was suggested to us we keep him off the lead as much as possible so that he learns to stick with us. You are his new parents so he wants to be with you all the time! We have taken him out since his first set of jabs, off lead and he stays with us. Parvo isn't prevalent in our area. Also, the second jabs are just a repeat of the first, it's not a booster or anything..

[nearly50andstillhavenoidea]

redhot yes the crate is locked at night

[nearly50andstillhavenoidea]

redhot yes the crate is locked at night

[RedHotChiliChips]

Ok, thank you Nearly50 .

(btw, I'm nearly 50 too and still no idea either )

[nearly50andstillhavenoidea]

😁

[zombiepara]

Sorry to jump on the thread @RedHotChiliChips , but very interesting to read crating vs not...

I've read so many horror stories about puppies getting anxious and breaking legs/injuring themselves when distressed in a crate overnight...

Ive just picked my puppy up and am still torn on which to go for...

[mellowgreenspring]

We've never used a crate, it's personal choice as we have 3 dogs, we just keep the pup in with the big dogs in a utility room, then let them out in the morning.

Even when we had single dogs they just had a room, kitchen or hallway overnight and a bed.

I'm not a fan of crates, just visually in the house having a giant cage? But I fully understand the logic behind them.

To me they just look like the intention is to leave them home while at work etc so get them crate trained.

[Pipandmum]

I used a crate with my dogs. I put them in after last trip out and then out quite early next morning. The only other time I used the crate was when there were a few visitors over and I thought the pup need a break. After the dogs were reliable no more crate. I never slept with the dog either - now they are adults they do sleep with me.
No need to put a lead on in your own garden.

[LittlePickleHead]

We have an almost 10 week old cocker spaniel and she's slept in the crate with the door closed (in our bedroom) from night 1. The most she's had is 1 wee overnight, and has slept through quite a few times. She also loves her crate (in the kitchen) in the day. The idea is to move the crate once she's sleeping through reliably.

Not using the crate to leave her, but it's quite a helpful potty training aid, plus as PP said a safe space to retreat to if things get too busy.

[RedHotChiliChips]

Thank you for the replies! Puppy has been here since Friday and he's been such a delight, hard work but so lovely.

What we have ended up doing is to take the crate in our bedroom with a door shut. He's a tiny dog and the crate is small so it's easy to move up to our bedroom at night time. So far he's not a shredder so he's allowed to have a blanket and a hot pad thingy I bought for him from amazon. I microwave the pad for 3 mins and put it under his blanket and he seems to love it. He lies directly on top of it and has slept through from 10:30pm to 6:45am. He also has a towel from his breeder that smells of his mummy and siblings.

During the day his crate is inside a puppy pen in our kitchen and it's been a big saviour. He's getting a lot of playtime outside of it but after the play, I put him back in there for enforced naps. His crate is door is open whilst it's inside the play pen and he jumps in and makes himself cosy and sleeps there very well despite all the noises we make.

Once he's bit bigger and wiser, the plan is to get rid of the puppy pen but so far it is very practical item to have.