Puppy Training 101 - Housebreaking

[kshrew]

This thread has been extremely helpful and from reading this information I have 2 questions.

1. I have the XXL crate and even with the divider, it will initially (if only for a couple of weeks) still be too wide for the puppy.

Has anyone else had this issue and how did you deal with it?

2. To let your pup out of crate to potty when crying or to ignore?

[SuzanneRM82]

This thread has been extremely helpful and from reading this information I have 2 questions.

1. I have the XXL crate and even with the divider, it will initially (if only for a couple of weeks) still be too wide for the puppy.

Has anyone else had this issue and how did you deal with it?

2. To let your pup out of crate to potty when crying or to ignore?

You can scoot the divider up far enough that it should be fine as far as size. And don't open the door if puppy is crying. You may have a very short window in which to get him out, but at least wait for a short break.

[hdpartsman0032]

I didn't use a divider for either of my girls and I have the biggest Midwest crate. I only had a few poop messes in it, and a month or so of wet blankets. But I have a habit of taking them outside to potty as soon as they'd stand up from their naps. So I really didn't get the whining and barking.

[drscholl14]

My wife and I both work nights but we aren't always working on the same nights (medical field). We are getting a puppy at the beginning of April and I'm wondering how feasible it is to keep a new puppy in a crate for an 8 hour period of time. Guess I'm just looking for the best tactics while at work.

[oshagcj914]

My wife and I both work nights but we aren't always working on the same nights (medical field). We are getting a puppy at the beginning of April and I'm wondering how feasible it is to keep a new puppy in a crate for an 8 hour period of time. Guess I'm just looking for the best tactics while at work.

I really don't think it's feasible. There's no way a puppy will be able to hold it for 8 hours right away. I personally wouldn't do it unless I had someone to come over to let the puppy out at least once. My breeder wouldn't even sell to someone who intended to keep an 8 week old puppy crated that long. Have you looked into having someone come over to let the puppy out? Or potentially into getting an older Dane?

[drscholl14]

I really don't think it's feasible. There's no way a puppy will be able to hold it for 8 hours right away. I personally wouldn't do it unless I had someone to come over to let the puppy out at least once. My breeder wouldn't even sell to someone who intended to keep an 8 week old puppy crated that long. Have you looked into having someone come over to let the puppy out? Or potentially into getting an older Dane?

I know it's isn't ideal but I would bet the majority of dog owners can't leave work during their shift to let their puppy out. i don't like it anymore than anyone else, but I can't imagine it's that uncommon. It will only be every once in a while.

[Hiraeth]

I know it's isn't ideal but I would bet the majority of dog owners can't leave work during their shift to let their puppy out. i don't like it anymore than anyone else, but I can't imagine it's that uncommon. It will only be every once in a while.

If you can't make it work on your own, hire a dog walker, or a relative, or someone else you trust in your house, to come let your puppy out. An 8 week old puppy left in a crate for 8 hours at a time is GOING to urinate. And then, when they're stuck in a small crate in their own urine, they're going to become conditioned to sleeping in urine.

Then, suddenly, you're going to have a puppy who will pee in their crate and on bedding and has urine scald issues because they're sleeping in urine, who is ten times harder to potty train than a puppy who is properly cared for.

It's really unfair to a puppy to expect it to hold it that long. If you absolutely insist on leaving your puppy for 8 hours without anyone else to let him out, you should x-pen him with a pee pad, not crate him. You want to go to great lengths to avoid teaching a puppy that peeing in a crate is okay. Pee pad training means that potty training will take longer, and that regression will most likely occur when you remove the pee pads, but it's better than a puppy who is okay with sleeping in urine.

ETA: And honestly, a majority of dog owners who plan ahead and consider what it takes to raise a puppy DO drive home on lunch, or find someone else who can take care of the puppy. I have a 35 minute one way commute and I make it twice a day to let my puppy out.

[oshagcj914]

I know it's isn't ideal but I would bet the majority of dog owners can't leave work during their shift to let their puppy out. i don't like it anymore than anyone else, but I can't imagine it's that uncommon. It will only be every once in a while.

I'm sure people do stuff like that all the time, but that doesn't mean it's ok, and leaving a puppy in a crate for 8 hours isn't going to be well-received here. You can do a search for alternatives to leaving a baby crated that long using the search bar at the top. This topic has come up multiple times.

[drscholl14]

Well guys we got our puppy yesterday and you'll be happy to know I switched to a regular day shift so I can be with the pup until she is older and better trained. She is doing pretty well so far. Cried quite a bit last night but most of the time would tire out after about a half hour and fall asleep and when she didn't I knew she needed to go out. We went 24 hrs without an accident until this morning right after I had been out with her. I think we are doing pretty well after the first day. The info on here has been very helpful.