Dog Crates (merged)

zebidee1

Well that's almost a week now that Harley has been left out of his crate and he seems fine with it. No damage to anything, no accidents, nothing untoward at all so I think we can assume he's safe to be left uncrated.

smiley.....I think I would always leave him with his crate if we had more space but I would eventually like to get rid of it as it is so big. We have a curtain over the top of it to a) make it more den like for him and b) to try to disguise it, but it still just looks like a big crate with a curtain over the top and is very intrusive.:D

Harley seems to be pretty relaxed all over the place in here anyway and it wont be the first time we've had to climb over a a zonked dog with his legs in the air. We should really have called him Martini (anytime, anywhere :rolleyes: ).

Thanks again for all the replies.

moneysavingallday

When I've had dogs previously I have house trained them using a puppy playpen/crate.

I just got two 7 week pups. Their breeder said they were paper-trained but I've not seen much evidence of this so far in my home! I've put down puppy pads and they are !!!!ing on those 70% of the time but pooing all over the place. Previous dogs I've owned have !!!!ed and pooed actually on the puppy pads if needed (although obviously I prefer them to eliminate outside eventually).

Dog-owners reading this - have you found crate training useful? Any other suggestions? I live in a flat and the puppies can't go outside yet as waiting for their boosters

UKTigerlily

moneysavingallday wrote: »

When I've had dogs previously I have house trained them using a puppy playpen/crate.

I just got two 7 week pups. Their breeder said they were paper-trained but I've not seen much evidence of this so far in my home! I've put down puppy pads and they are !!!!ing on those 70% of the time but pooing all over the place. Previous dogs I've owned have !!!!ed and pooed actually on the puppy pads if needed (although obviously I prefer them to eliminate outside eventually).

Dog-owners reading this - have you found crate training useful? Any other suggestions? I live in a flat and the puppies can't go outside yet as waiting for their boosters

I did read somewhere on here that the puppy pads only tell them it's ok to go in the house when really it's not? I assume you have a garden? I think you have to take them outside every half hr & build up slow & lots of praise when they go. And clear it up when they can't see you doing it?

Milford_Cubicle

I'm not a fan of puppy pads at all, I'm all for taking them outside from night 1 (which yes, means several trips outside in the small hours in fluffy dressing gown and boots!). Pads tend to encourage them that 'going' in the house is ok and I assume this is an idea you want them to get out of their little puppy brains ASAP? From what I've found, those who use crates have a clean and dry puppy at the very least overnight much quicker than those who don't. Plus you know they're safe when you're not there and they can't destroy anything!

My pup came to me aged 6.5 weeks and I crate trained her. By 8 weeks old she was going from 11pm to 6am, now she goes 11pm to 7am (ish). I devoted the time to taking her out almost religiously once per hour. She's now 13 weeks and I've relaxed a little, she'll usually tell me when she wants out but I will prompt her if it's been 2 hours and she's not asked.
She is only crated overnight and for an hour or two if we pop out during the day. I didn't use the crate for daytime toilet training though, I know some people do but it means the pup spends more time in the crate than they do out of it, which is an idea I don't like.

I think it also depends what pups you have, smaller breeds of course have smaller bladders and will need more frequent trips to begin with. My pup is a large breed so it's been slightly easier. She hasn't ever messed her crate and has been 'clean' in the house for at least the past five weeks. She does still have the occasional pee accident though but it's usually my fault for not picking up the signs quickly enough.

Edited to say
Not wishing to be funny at all, but I've just re-read your post and you say you live in a flat, and the puppies can't go outside yet because they haven't had jabs? Why buy two dogs if you don't have a garden? I see your point about the jabs, of course, but don't you have your own outside space at all??

Di

i seriously hope they are not from the same litter (i suspect they are) and they can (and should) go out to toilet. choose a place that is not used by other dogs. using paper or pads does teach them its ok to go inside, you then have to teach them that its not ok.

getting two puppies while living in a flat with no access to the outside is at best foolish at worst selfish.

7 weeks is young to be leaving their mother, what breed are they?

UKTigerlily

See i'm in a flat with no private, just a communal garden & so am taking on a (Hopefully!) toilet trained, 6yr old vaccinated rescue who is beautifullllllllllll. Much as Pups are cute I know here I couldn't have one. What breed are they?

rottertron

I started to crate train my puppy at my flat before I moved to my house. We got her at 8 weeks old and started to train her at the flat before I moved to my house when she was 5 months old.
We set up a crate with a pen, plastic sheeting with cardboard to protect the carpet. We used to take her outside often and when she done her thing outside we used to praise her loads and give her a treat. Also we used to take her outside as soon as she woke up. Also we didnt discipline her for going inside, just cleaned it up.
It all seemed to come together at about 4 months, as i think its then that they get bladder control. And she has been perfect since we moved.

foreign_correspondent

blooming heck, two pups, at the same time, in a flat with no garden will be a bit of a challenge,but not impossible if you ae dedicated and in and with them all the time!

Whether you crate train them or not they are still to young to go all throuh the night without a toilet break.

So what breeds are they and are you doing so far to toilet train them?

UKTigerlily

And more importantly, where're pics? lol

Paparika

I live in a flat with a pup, doesn't make me foolish or selfish.

Pup was crate trained, only goes in the crate when i go out the house, and sleeps on my bed, goes out at the crack of dawn and then ever 3-4 hours unless he wants to go again, not to mention the big run around the enclosed garden where he can run to his hearts content playing chase with his Frisbee.

I must admit 7 weeks are a little early to leave their mum.