Help with dog going out timing please? (Plus pic) :)

zebidee1

Well we got our lab pup a couple of days ago and he's settled in really well. He got a free puppy health check from our local vet the same day he arrived home and she pronounced him fit, healthy and already well on his way to being well socialised as he was so good when she examined him.

The first night in his crate he yelped and howled for a while (quite a while!) as he did in the crate on the way home from picking him up. However the second night was much better and there wasn't a peep out of him. He's got a teddy now and he went off to sleep quite happily and that was him till morning with no 'accidents'.

He's really good at doing his business outside, but that's only because we're quite good with the timing, lol. If it was left up to him, the carpet is as good a place as any and he's proved that a good few times too! :rolleyes:

Anyway, point of this thread is to ask advice about when the pup should be taken out of his crate and let into the garden. The problem is, my OH leaves for work at 4.30am so he's in the kitchen from about 4am. My son leaves for work at 6.45am and I get up around 7am/7.30am.

I think 4am is far too early to let the pup out, I'm worried he'll get too used to being out at that time and when OH's shift changes and he's away all night, then the pup will still expect to get out then. On the other hand, the pup's crate is at the end of the kitchen (and there is no other place to put it) so he will hear and see OH at that time which will obviously disturb him.

Best thing to do?

Btw...here he is.....after 2 days of indecision, he finally has a name. Although I wanted to call him Murphy, I didn't think he looked like one and we wavered over Wilson for a while but eventually he got called Harley.

I'm not convinced he looks like a Harley either mind you. :rolleyes: How many times can you change a dog's name before it develops multiple personality syndrome?

Lara

He is absolutely gorgeous!!!!

I used a puppy crate during the night when we first had our dog five years ago simply because it was a closed environment and makes them feel safer. However we never did this with our first two dogs. We put a teddy in it and a ticking clock. She was put in there if I went out to the shops but I was never long and apart from that she was kept in the kitchen with me and like you I took her outside every so often.

I think for your son to take him out about 6.30am to go to the toilet is a good time. He will then go off to work about 6.45am and the puppy will be back in his crate until you get up. That way he will have relieved himself and be ready for his breakfast and play when you come downstairs. I don't think he will get used to that time especially as once your son goes out no-one else is around and he will very quickly realise that is the way it works! They sleep so much anyway when a puppy he'll probably settle down quite happily again once his bladder has emptied.

Ooooooooo what a gorgeous little fella! I think Harley suits him btw. Mind you I think Harvey suits him aswell! Have fun and lots of enjoyment with him........................:j

poppy_f1

awwww hes gorgoues

JennyW_2

Lara wrote: »

I think for your son to take him out about 6.30am to go to the toilet is a good time. He will then go off to work about 6.45am and the puppy will be back in his crate until you get up. That way he will have relieved himself and be ready for his breakfast and play when you come downstairs. I don't think he will get used to that time especially as once your son goes out no-one else is around and he will very quickly realise that is the way it works! They sleep so much anyway when a puppy he'll probably settle down quite happily again once his bladder has emptied.

this is what I would say too. There is no need for your pup to go out at 4-4.30am in the morning. In time your pup will ignore your husband and will know that his first wee time is 6.30am.

My dogs have their first walk at 6.30am, so regardless of how much earlier I am up, my dogs pretty much ignore me because they know it’s not their time

Well done with your toilet training too, sounds as if it's working. I find that with any new dog, I just take them out constantly, say every 20 or 30 minutes regardless of whether they want to go outside, so that when they do go, then I can give them tons of praise - they soon cotton on that going to the toilet outside is a good thing. Treats are a good idea too in the early stages to help them get the idea.

Just one thing, but i'm sure you already know this but your pups crate will be his "safe place" and shouldn't be used as a punishment place to be sent if he does something wrong. No offence meant

PS: He looks like a HARVEY to me

tankgirl1

PS: He looks like a HARVEY to me

mee too

hes gorgeous!! :T

flybynight

my time for leaving the house varies..... so its not unusual for me to get up....... let the dog have a pee and wande while i get me kit on, and then go bakc to bed till my missis gets up having had a lie in. i jsut accompany it with the words....... back on your bed have a lie in....... and she does.

hard_working_mum_3

He looks like a monster to me He is lovley. We have a similar problem in that my hubby gets up at all sorts of times during the night to start work. I just said that if hubby gets up before 6am then don't let dogs out but after that is fine (I ususally get up about 6.30). This works fine for us, although I had accidents in the early days they soon learnt and now I can lay in till late on holidays with no pressies in the morning. You are right I would be concerned about them getting into a routine of going out in the night. I would rather clean up a pooh in the morning for a while than have to get up at 4am forever to let the pooch out!!

By the way our boy was called Jasper, Jazz, Rooney and Ronnie before we settled on Tyson

niceshoes_2

My OH gets up to work at 05.50/06.00. When we first got Toby at 9 weeks- OH used to let Toby out for the toilet when he first got up as he needed to go. However, as Toby has got older (he's only 5months now) he can hold for longer and doesn't need to go out at that time any more. We now let Toby upstairs to have an hours sleep with me in the mornings, (without a toilet stop being nescessary) before I get up and start getting ready for work at 7am. This works for us and I love snuggling up with the dog for the last hour in bed!!