Thanks for kong advice and crate question...

[Clareandjaya]

Hi,

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice (from minimu and others) about using a kong to keep pup (20 wk GSD) from becoming too frantic during the morning rush of DP leaving for work, getting DD up and about etc. It has been brilliant, and also have found giving him an old plastic bottle to play with very useful...obviously I watch him to check he does not hurt himself.

Now a question. We have found crate training him very successful- he is dry overnight and when left in his crate for short periods. The problem seems to be now that he is finding it hard to realise that the rest of the house is also not for using as a toilet.

We have very few accidents, but this is becuase we watch him like a hawk and take him out regularly. However If he is left alone in the kitchen for example, it won't be long before there is a puddle or poo, even though we know he can hold himself much longer than that.In addition to this he becomes destructive the minute I leave the room.

At the minute, I am struggling to see how to improve things and what i want and need to work towards is being able to leave him alone in the house for 3-4 hours (i don't necessarily expect this to be yet, just what i need to get to) for the occasions when i need to be out for longer (not often).

He always comes out with me in the car if the time i need to be out is longer than he should be in a crate ifyswim. However I won't be able to always do this as the weather gets warmer.

Any advice welcomed.

I go in the garden with my 10wk golden, and click and treat when he wees. He sometimes asks to go out for a wee now, so i think it's working.

The key is, to watch him like hawk, as you are doing, (I would crate him at any time he cannot be supervised 100%) an dwhen he doe swee/poo in the garden, praise praise praise like mad. You can also give a treat if you like.

The mor epuppy is 'allowed' to toilet in the house, the more he wil think it is the right place to go, if he is never allowed the chance to go in the house, and always paraised when he toilets in the garden, he will eventually get the idea that the garden in the place to go.