Can someone please talk to me about crate training?

[izzybiz]

I am arranging to go and look at a puppy!

I have read a few times about crates and how they can help with toilet training etc, but just wondered how exactly you go about it.

Is crating the pup something you introduce gradually, or will she be ok from the outset, I'm thinking of nightime.

Also, is a crate something you then keep for the life of the dog, or do you get rid of it when the dog is a bit older?

I have had a dog before but she was 7 when I got her, so all the house training etc had already been done!

Will appreciate any advice! TIA.

Thats brilliant thanks!

Sounds a bit like trying to teach my Ds2 to settle himself to sleep

So if the puupy cries at night after being quiet for a while, do I wait for her to stop again before I check if she needs a wee?

Another wholehearted vote for crates here. They make housetraining easier, keep pup safe when you can't supervise them and provide a much loved den for the pup. I usually phase crates out by about 1 year old, but your pup may have other ideas. I tried leaving my 7 mth pup loose in the kitchen the other night, but there was a big commotion so I went back in, only to find pup sat on top of one of my adult dogs in the crate - older dog reckoned he had nabbed the crate first
Dogs Trust website has lots of useful factsheets, including one on 'indoor kennels'. Although Mutt has probably covered all of it already
All the best

Crates are a great idea, providing they are not abused. I always feel the need to state they are a training aid, not a substitute for training.

You do need to remember that not all puppies can 'hold on' all night from a young age, so if you intend to shut the puppy in the crate, that might mean having to get up several times a night to let puppy out for a wee/poo. If you do have to do that, just do it quietly, with no eye contact and don't talk to the pup other than a 'good girl' if she toilets. It is very cruel to leave a puppy to toilet in a crate, and counter productive to toilet training.

Some breeders will crate train, or partially crate train their puppies before they leave at eight weeks, (I do) if you can find one that does this, it will make life easier for you.

Good books that explain how to crate train and about puppies in general are 'The Perfect Puppy' by Gwen Bailey (very good, I give this to all my puppy buyers in their puppy packs) and 'Before and After You Get Your Puppy' by Ian Dunbar. (this is a little dated, but very good) Both books help explain how to find a good breeder, so would be useful before you start to look for your puppy.

As for how long you keep the crate, that is up to you. I put them away once pup (my own, not pups I breed) is toilet trained and past teething, but only due to space restricions. I always continue to use them at shows though. If I had room, I'd keep them up all the tme, as the dogs love them. My friends ST. Bernard, according to her, would nto be crate trained at her house, and would cry all night, yet here she sqaushes herself into a medium sized crate.

Agree with everyone else, crate training was fab for our 19 month old lab puppy. She had a safe place away from the children and I knew when we were not there she could not get into any harm. It is unusual but she was house trained in about 2 weeks!

I phased it out when she was 15 months. By this time she had got past the chewing stage!

She has a huge cosy dog bed now!

We've had out puppy for just over a month and have been using the crate as her bed/sanctury for the whole time.

She was from an abandoned litter and had been in RSPCA kennels for a while so it was really quite messy with toilet training for a few weeks.
Now she's totally settled in and loves her crate I've started putting her in there at night ( we're on day 2 now) and she's been fine.

I let her out as soon as I get up (or one of the children do) and she has the worlds biggest poo virtually on the doorstep outside and 50 gallon wee. She's still going on the carpet here and there but I'm sure she'll get it soon...

We start pupy classes on monday.

I didn't realise that I shouldn't use it as a punishment (that sounds horrible anyway) but I can understand why now I think about it.

She's a lovely lovely addition to our already big family (4 children, 5 chickens, fish and one other dog), she's my baby girl...although a rather large baby she is!!

Im getting quite excited about meeting her now, like I say, I had a dog before but have never had a puppy! She's a blue Staff and ever so pretty, I'm thinking of naming her Lola if we take her!

We got her today! We have named her Lola, although her KC name is Bluebell Blue Bottom!

She has weed on the floor twice and pooed once!

We also got the crate and she loves it! She is asleep in there now, wish us luck!

Good luck, have fun and get plenty of 'simple solution'

(in case you do not know it is a lotion that rids floors including carpet of any smell and germs in little accidents and prevents them going again in the same place - fab fab stuff!)

Enjoy your pup!

Welcome home, Lola

Well she was ready to go so we took her!

She's 10 weeks old and very playful, she settled in pretty much straight away. My 15 month old Ds is not bothered by her at all, she keeps trying to chew Dds hair though!

She is absolutely beautiful! I will try and add a pic!

Have uploaded a pic!

I've just come across this thread which is fabulous as Mutt and Midori's posts, in particular, answer many of my questions. I have had a dog before but he was a rescue dog who came to us at 2 yrs old. Now we have an 8 week Golden Retriever puppy who has been with us since Friday. She has shown very little interest in her crate up til now (although the few times she has gone in there to have a little sleep or to fetch a toy, I have given her loads of praise). I think I am going to bite the bullet tonight and leave her in the crate with the door closed, following the advice re toilet etc given in the previous posts.

It all sounds very like 'controlled crying' with babies - I was hopeless at that too and usually gave in . Will no doubt be back to ask a million other puppy questions so please be patient fellow dog-lovers