Quote:
Originally Posted by hviola  I am using the crate as a potty training tool, but I want to train her to not whine in the crate while she is awake. This way, when I have to leave her at home to go get groceries or something, she will be more comfortable in the crate alone and not flipping out. Im not ready to give her the whole kitchen by herself until she is more potty trained. She is almost 10 weeks old. |
If you're using it for potty training purposes then she should be in and out of the crate all day long. The following would be the normal scenario for crate training.
In morning (furbaby sleeps in crate at night) let her out to go potty when you first get up, if she goes she gets lots of praise and gets to stay out of the crate and eat/play for a short while (not more then 1/2hr to 45 minutes while she's young and first learning) then back in the crate for about an hour or so then she comes out again to go potty, if she doesn't "go" she has to go right back in the crate again and try again every 15 minutes or so until she goes. Then when she "goes" lots of praise and again gets to stay out to play for 1/2hr to 45 minutes. This process is repeated throughout the whole day. It's very hard I know to keep putting her back in the crate because you want to snuggle and play with her all day but that will defeat the whole concept of crate training. If she whines and fusses while in the crate be sure it's in the same room as you. If she can see you it will be a lot easier on her and she will get used to it. The reason crate training works so well with puppies is the repetition. They pick up very quickly that going potty outside is a really good thing. If you look in the training forum on this site and search for crate training you'll find lots of information. And they really do get used to the crate. We've used this method with all of our dogs and it works so well. Bella was completely potty trained by 5 months (we got her at 3 months) and it would have been sooner except she was doing so well so quickly I let up on her too soon and she regressed and then I had to step it up again. I hope this helps
