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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

The doghouse

Would this house set up work?

43 replies

Hughes12345 · 06/03/2019 15:14

We’re thibking of getting a dog (in 2-3 years time). We live in a 3 story town house style property. Ground floor is hallway and kitchen/diner with integral garage leading off the hall. Upstairs is the living room,spare bedroom and top floor are our other bedrooms. Upstairs is carpeted throughout.

I’m wondering how toilet training would work from just the kitchen/dining room. I don’t really want to be confined down there for that whole time and also when I’m cooking I’ve got nowhere to safely shut the dog away.

I was wondering if clearing half of the garage and turning it into a safe, cosy dog zone would work? Somewhere we could put the dog while I’m cooking and it’s still toilet training. We could keep the internal door open so that it’s not shut completely out. Once it’s toilet trained it could have free run of the house.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

OP posts:

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loveyoutothemoon · 08/03/2019 13:14

My apologies, I'm not sure where I got the no garden from, sorry!

Would it be able to get from the garage to an enclosed garden? And you could use a gate at the internal door. I think you'd get a lot of whining and barking though.

Hughes12345 · 08/03/2019 06:24

A small dog, probably a jack russell.

OP posts:

Fluffypot333 · 07/03/2019 21:57

Are you thinking of having a large or small dog? Just thinking of the future when they get older and and the stairs situation .We let our dog sleep upstairs with us which in hindsight was not a good idea as she got older and more arthritic was a nightmare as she didn't want to be apart from us yet couldn't make it up the stairs ,bless her.With a small dog of course this would be a fine set up.

Hughes12345 · 07/03/2019 19:53

loveyoutothemoon we’ve got a garden.

OP posts:

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 19:46

A puppy needs freedom in a house

Hmm maybe you haven't got to the really chewy bitey phase yet. I preferred to supervise so he didn't chew things he shouldn't. Trust me you only have to turn your back for a short time to find that they have decided some dangerous items was tasty.

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 19:42

Also I think it's unrealistic to have a puppy in 1 room 24 hours

loveyoutothemoon my puppy went outside of the house for his socialisation plus my kitchen diner is massive so it wasn't like he was confined to a prison cell. I don't think he missed out on any socialisation because he couldn't watch tv in the lounge or my bedroom

UrsulaPandress · 07/03/2019 19:40

You leave a puppy for 5 hours?

loveyoutothemoon · 07/03/2019 19:37

Also I think it's unrealistic to have a puppy in 1 room 24 hours, I think it can take months to wee train fully. A puppy needs freedom in a house and socialization.

loveyoutothemoon · 07/03/2019 19:33

I have an 11 week old puppy. I knew nothing about puppies and training before I got him, and I've learned so much since we've had him. It's hard work. He has the whole kitchen overnight and while I'm at work for 4.5-5 hours.

I really can't see how you can successfully train a puppy outside without a garden, unless you're happy to permanently have poo and wee in your house.

adaline · 07/03/2019 19:16

Same as Bitey - mine is one now and follows me like a shadow around the house! I can't make a cup of tea, pee, brush my hair, go and get a pair of socks or light a candle without him following me as if to say "Hooman? Where go? I come? I help?"

UrsulaPandress · 07/03/2019 19:15

Mine lived in a crate in the kitchen at night. He was fine from 11pm to 6 am but did an excitement wee before I could get him out of his cage.

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 19:15

I think the key thing OP is to be prepared to rethink everything when they arrive. I had lots of intentions to do certain things but BiteyDog hadn't read the same guides and just did it his way

Wolfie you had better start ordering the and again to get you through the puppy months

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 19:12

I used to dash to the toilet and would have to keep talking to him so he didn't get upset but all our rooms are on one floor so it wasn't as if I was far away.

When he was bigger he used to follow me everywhere. I could never have a pee or a shower in peace . Now he is an adult he still wanders in and either sits with me or waits outside

Hughes12345 · 07/03/2019 19:12

UrsulaPandress I’m starting to realise that raising a puppy is the same as raising children-you’ll get lots of well meant, conflicting advice. I’m sure we’ll figure it out as we go, it can stay in the bedroom with us if it doesn’t like the transfer to the kitchen but as a pp suggested, we need to be close to hear when it needs to go out during the night.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 07/03/2019 19:10

OP the toilet was the room next door. I had the quickest wee it is possible to have.
Bitey. Remind me why I want another.

adaline · 07/03/2019 19:08

I can't go to the toilet alone - mine comes with me! If I close the door he sits outside and whines until I'm finished!

UrsulaPandress · 07/03/2019 19:03

My dog goes to the toilet with me.

You can’t have it in your bedroom and then expect it to move downstairs.

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 19:03

Wolfie I still shudder at the memories of the bitey monster . Thank god they grow up quickly.

Hughes12345 · 07/03/2019 19:02

It’s good to hear the horror stories,I want to be as prepared as possible but at the same time its unrealistic to advise that the pup can never be left alone, that I need DH at home so that I can go to the toilet myself.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 07/03/2019 19:00

@BiteyShark our bloody bitey monsters were so similar as pups weren’t they.

Hughes12345 · 07/03/2019 19:00

Wolfiefan crikey-how long were you on the toilet for ?😄

OP posts:

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 18:59

Can't remember exactly but I was definitely in there for at least 2 months. The reason being is that every time we tried him in a different room he would go crazy, really hyped up and would try and chew things. Occasionally we put a square of Lino down (for accidents) in the lounge and a playpen on top of it but he would try and get out all the time. It just wasn't worth the stress.

Fortunately our kitchen is big and we have a tv in it so I just moved a comfy chair in there and camped out until bedtime. As he got older we started to gradually introduce other rooms for short periods when he was calmer.

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Wolfiefan · 07/03/2019 18:51

I too camped out with mine. If I popped to the toilet I did it after she had been in the garden and left her with a toy. At one point she chewed through a wall when I did this.

Hughes12345 · 07/03/2019 18:51

BiteyShark good point, our neighbours are out of the house 8.30-6 each day so that shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve got 2 dogs themselves and we don’t hear them. The walls are pretty well insulated.

How long did you camp out for?

OP posts:

BiteyShark · 07/03/2019 18:37

I basically camped out in the kitchen diner for weeks as it was easy to take him outside and was the only room that was really puppy proofed.

I was wondering if clearing half of the garage and turning it into a safe, cosy dog zone would work? Somewhere we could put the dog while I’m cooking and it’s still toilet training.

Is a town house one of those modern terraced types houses? If so just be aware that a puppy crying and howling can make a bloody awful lot of noise so be prepared for that if you plan on shutting him/her in the garage and you have neighbours until you have got them used to being away from you.

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