Some advice please on puppy & cage

natalie1974

Hi , I picked my new puppy up today , a 13 week old cavalier king charles spaniel and where i got her from had a puppy pen with a bed in the corner and then paper over the rest of the floor .
I have purchased a cage/crate for her http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8706014/Trail/searchtext%3ECAGE.htm and put her bed at one end and then paper over the tray so she would go to toilet at the other end but the 2 times she has been to wee it has been on her bed !
I am unsure of how to get her to wee on the paper and not on her bed , do i take her bed out and just leave newspaper or do I continue to put a bed/cushion in for her ?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received

viktory

Personally, I wouldn't be encouraging the pup to toilet in her crate by putting paper down. You should be taking her out every 30 minutes or so, and after every game and every meal. At 13 weeks she is old enough to be trained and to learn that her crate (her bed) is a place to be kept clean. My pup at that age was even able to go through the night without an accident.

My pup has a furry pad thing that covers the entire bottom of the crate, so it is warm and comfortable for her.

sarabe

^^^Wot she says.

You absolutely do not want to provide you puppy with an en suite in her crate. You should be taking her outside to the toilet. If she is used to peeing on paper in a pen at the breeders then you are going to have to be really on the ball and get her out frequently. When she is awake and active every ten minutes or so until you have worked out how frequently she needs to go. When she is asleep get her out the second she wakes up.

natalie1974

Like I say she was in a puppy pen with paper all over it so I will do as you say and take the paper out and keep putting her outside to go .

As she was for sale the breeder didn't train her , only to go on paper , not outside .

ETA : Will put her mattress in for her instead of the newspaper and blanket .

foreign_correspondent

Yup, agree with the other two posters here - don't ever encourage a dog to pee where it sleeps - it goes against its natural instincts to keep its sleeping area clean, and you will teach it to toilet in its bed, not in the garden!

Get the dog outside every 30 minutes, on the lead, go armed with treats (something good, a tiny sliver of meat or cheese perhaps - not too much you dont want to upset her tummy), do not play, just stand around, pretty much ignore her, give it a few minutes if she does not pee - however, if she does pee, praise and treat her straight away! Make a good fuss of her, so she knows she has done the right thing.

You also need to get up in the night and repeat this - not every 30 minutes, but two or three times...

Do not make a big fuss about any messes in the crate, do not react or tell her off, just keep the area clean by washing with bio washing powder and warm water, this removes toilet smels which indicate to the dog it is a toiletting place! However, if you spot her about to 'go', you can take her outside, wait for her to go, then praise and treat her when she does go outside.

Take the paper out of her crate, but do make sure she has comfy bedding in there - the last thing she needs on her first night in a new home is to be cold and uncomfortable.

As she was for sale the breeder didn't train her , only to go on paper , not outside .

Everything you do with a dog is training, whether you mean it to be or not - I.E. if you put paper down, you train the pup to toilet in the house and on the floor - shout at it when it poops on the floor, and it learns to poop when and where you cannot see it.. IE behind the settee, not in the garden whilst you are watching...!

ETA - this older thread may have some useful ideas for you http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1864479&highlight=housetraining

natalie1974

[Take the paper out of her crate, but do make sure she has comfy bedding in there - the last thing she needs on her first night in a new home is to be cold and uncomfortable.]

Have put the mattress pad in for her and a couple of toys . I would never tell her off if she went on the floor , it would be my fault for not getting her outside in time . She has been outside 2 times in the last 30 mins but not done anything .
Am gonna go to bed now but will come down in an hour or so to see how she getting on . Bet ya bottom dollar she starts crying in the night and will end up in bed with me :rotfl:

foreign_correspondent

Good luck - some people find popping a warm hot water bottle in with the pup - (wrapped up sell in a pillowcase and a towel) helps the pup settle, as it is comforting and feels like sleeping with it's mum/littermates.. some even pop a ticking clock in there too, to emulate mum's heartbeat!

greatsite_2

We have been very lucky, have a six month old lab, had him since he was eight weeks old, only had one wet crate in the first week we had him, he is put in at night,

Good luck hope it all sorts it self out

sarabe

natalie1974 wrote: »

Have put the mattress pad in for her and a couple of toys . I would never tell her off if she went on the floor , it would be my fault for not getting her outside in time . She has been outside 2 times in the last 30 mins but not done anything .
Am gonna go to bed now but will come down in an hour or so to see how she getting on . Bet ya bottom dollar she starts crying in the night and will end up in bed with me :rotfl:

Take her crate to the bedroom and then you'll hear her when she wakes up and you will avoid her getting distressed at being alone for the first time in her life.

natalie1974

sarabe wrote: »

Take her crate to the bedroom and then you'll hear her when she wakes up and you will avoid her getting distressed at being alone for the first time in her life.

Yeah we took her crate into my daughters bedroom , she was a bit whiny at 1st but daughter stuck her hand through the crate for Daisy to chew on her fingers ! She was good overnight ( well 5 hours as baby started crying and woke puppy up ) , took her straight downstairs to garden and she done a wee and poo :j
And she never messed/wet her mattress pad either so will keep onlike this and see how I go

beautiful-dreamer

Agree with all above. It is really hard work and tiring chasing puppy, but it's worth it in the end. I found it worse than having my children as newborns!!!

My JRT is now 20 weeks and has been in the crate at bedtime for about 8 weeks. He never messes in there and when he has been out for night time 'toilet' I just say 'on your bed' as we walk in and he trots in there for the night.

Good luck with your training