Puppy dog crate-what do do-clueless!

[loveyoutothemoon]

Hi, getting an 8 week old puppy who hasn't been crated and pee's on paper. Do I need to crate him, and at night where do I crate him in my bedroom, or is it best to get them used to being on their own downstairs? Do they need paper in the crate at the side of the bed, they can't go long without a wee can they? If I just use a bed, do I put paper at the side. What about putting puppy on the bed?

Any tips or advice appreciated (on any aspect of looking after a puppy) as I'm a first dog owner who is clueless!

Thanks.

percheron67 I couldn't agree more. I have never & would never put a puppy in a crate, it goes against all my instincts. I've raised all our dogs very successfully in the exact way you've described.

There is nothing wrong with crate training. I think you are experiencing Anthropomorphism Percheron67.

I wouldn't like to be placed in a type of situation where my world was shrunk and the ceiling was too close

You're not actually a dog though ! Dogs have a natural instinct to be in a den...

Absolutely. No, I am not saying that animals think the say way as we in any situation. I am not Mrs. Tiggywinkle. I am saying that common sense should prevail in the way we teach and handle dogs. Far too many owners seem to have no idea how to train and teach a dog to work for you. So many dogs are out of control on ridiculous extending leads and the owner has no chance of bringing the dog to safety if it runs into the road. Dogs love to learn and work and the biggest treat for a dog is when the owner rewards with a pat and a kind word.

I don’t see what all that has to do with crate training. Our dog loved her crate and slept there from day one. It was her bed and her safe place. She went into her crate when she was tired and needed to rest. We put her in there at night and when we went out. She was housetrained very quickly and using the crate prevented her from chewing things.

People see crates as cages, dogs see them as their safe place.

The crate is not a fearful, claustrophobic place which is used as punishment. It recreates the idea of a den, which is where dogs would naturally retreat to. It’s not about what humans feel in a crate, it’s about what dogs do.

It’s not a choice between collar and loose lead, or harness and dragging! The choice between collar and harness depends on what makes you dog more comfortable. The lead can be loose or dragging whether you use a collar, harness, head collar, or other. I usually teach a loose lead command, which means ‘we are walking together, you don’t pull me, you can go to the end of the lead, you can sniff or toilet but you are walking with me”, a heel command which means “you are stuck to me and paying attention” for obedience and a walk to my right, walk to my left command for agility, but most people just need the first.

We are hoping to get our first puppy soon too (the litter is due next week ) so, thank you everyone for commenting. Lots of different views, inevitably, but lots of really good advice for us. And yes, I'm just blatantly place marking!

This is how I approached it, and it worked very well for me....
I got a crate for the kitchen that was large enough for the puppy to be able to stay in until he was fully grown, even though he came out of it at 8 months. This was just so there was plenty of space. I put a 3 sided cardboard box one end to draught proof his sleeping area, and put a pillow in it, then the rest of the crate had newspaper in. When I first got him I did his feeds in the crate, for positive association. Also when he nodded off in the day I carried him to the crate to sleep (just left door open).
At night time after having his last toilet break, he went in the crate with his teddy, I gave him a treat. I then closed the crate, put a blanket over the top, leaving just a couple of inch gap at the bottom, and put the radio on low. For the first couple of nights I sat on a chair next to the crate wearing my dressing gown so I could shush him when he cried, then when he settled down to sleep I went to bed leaving dressing gown draped over the back of the chair next to the crate, along with my slippers. He did cry a few times in the night but only for short periods. I did not go down to him, if he needed to toilet he had plenty of space on the newspaper, but he actually only did wee a couple of nights, from then on he was dry. At first we were up early 5-6am but this gradually stretched out to a reasonable time. He actually loved his crate, he would often go in to sleep in the day.
I know some people who go down in the night and let them out to wee but I just think that encourages them to get up in the night!

Perchon a harness will not harm your dog a collar and lead will even without pulling bit it must be a y shaped harness at the front. Loads of evidence to prove this so not my opinion - fact.

Crates can be abused. However the benefits are numerous they give the dog a safe place, an undisturbed place to be, safety when travelling in the car, gets them used to be crated if on vets visits or needing to recuperate from a illness. For working dogs a place to chill wherever they are. The benefits are huge is used correctly.

It is a good life skill to teach any dog to settle in a crate.

The op is asking all the right questions so that her dog is used to a crate and not stressed and enjoys the experience. I use Susan Crate games and this is a great bonding exercise to use with very young puppies. - They love the game

I know some people who go down in the night and let them out to wee but I just think that encourages them to get up in the night!

A very small puppy has a very small bladder. I set our alarm for the first few weeks to take our dog out for a wee. This is the kindest thing to do and does not encourage night waking. If either of us gets up in the night now and goes downstairs, our dog doesn’t get out of her basket. She will open one eye to check all is well and then snuggles down again.

Most puppies need crate training. You might be lucky and get a pup that takes to it straight away but if you try and force a dog into using a crate they may well become fearful of it.

When we got our pup at 9 weeks we took it in turns to sleep downstairs on the settee as we didn't want the dog in our bedroom. We started with the crate next to the settee (our pup was already used to crates as his breeder uses them). When the pup woke in the night and cried we would talk softly to him and stroke him through the bars. If he went back to sleep fine, if not we took him in the garden to see if he needed to toilet.

Second week we moved the crate a bit away from the settee. Third week further still. Then we went back to sleeping in our own bed. If pup cried though we would come down to see him.

I don't believe in letting puppies cry and ignoring them. It must be scary for them away from their mum and siblings and in a strange place. Also puppies should not be encouraged to toilet in their crate. They should be taken outside regularly and that includes during the night.

It can be hard work and I hated the disturbed nights (don't have children so wasn't used to it) but that is what a responsible dog owner does.

We had never used a crate before but did this time because we didn't feel we could make our open plan downstairs puppy friendly and safe. Also because the breeder uses them.

We fully intended get rid of the crate by the time pup was a year old. He will be 7 this year and we have an enormous crate in our living room which looks pretty awful. Can't get rid of it though as 9 times out of 10 that is where he chooses to lay

yearinyearout, glad it worked out for you but a crate should not be big enough to have a toilet area in nor should a puppy be encouraged to toilet in its crate.

Not a good idea to ignore a crying puppy either. Personally I could never ignore it as I think it is cruel. A puppy needs to wee frequently and part of getting a puppy and being a responsible owner is getting up to it in the night. Most parents don't ignore crying baby do they?

Crate trained my puppy within one week with this video. He has fantastic videos for very young pups less than 6 months. It is reward based kind training that works. You just have to be consistent and treat puppy training as a part-time job. Good Luck.

If you’re on FB OP (and anyone else expecting a pup!) there’s a brilliant group called dog training advice and support. Run by experienced and positive dog trainers. Lots of info on crate training (gradual) and the first night and toilet training. Their advice was so so useful when we got our first dog.