YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - When training, do you prefer a playpen, exercise pen or gate?

Ladylavender · 10-10-2005, 06:43 AM

Whether you use an x-pen or a playpen, the process is the same. You are creating a "confined" area that you will keep your baby so that you have better control over the potty issue.

The crate really has nothing to do with it other than that you can keep the crate in the penned area if you are leaving the puppy alone during the day and will leave the crate door open to let puppy go in for sleeping.

You have to decide what the "confined area" is for. Is it simply the designated potty area, or is the "safe" area that you keep your puppy in when you can't keep an eye on your puppy?

If the confined area is just the potty area, then you really need to lay paper all over it, and there should be no toys, or anything in there. You would bring the puppy to this area when you want her/him to go to potty. (Just like you would do if you were taking them outside, only it's in the house). You place them in the confined area and tell them to go potty or other word you are using and only take them out when they have gone. You should repeat this process over and over and over again every 45 mins to an hour until they learn where to go. (if they won't go, then you place them in the crate, and take them out in about 10 minutes and put them back in the confined area and wait until they go potty). I think the area should be no bigger than a couple of peepads because you are establishing this as the "potty area" and you want them to get used to pottying in a confined area.

In the above method you will use the crate as the place you put your puppy when you cannot watch her/him or when you have to leave the house for errands or in between potty times.

If you are using the confined area as the place where your puppy is placed while you are away or to keep them in control while you cannot watch them, then you will have to place paper all over the area, place their bed and toys in there too and as they begin to pee is a specific area over and over again, you will start removing the papers furthest away and remove in small increments, until your puppy is left with only one small area of paper in the confined area to go potty in. After they are very good at going potty only in this small area, you can start moving the paper (little by litte, in very minute measures) to the area of the house you want them to go potty in.

Does that make sense? Basically the method you use depends on the your intent and what you want to accomplish, if you work or not, etc.

10-10-2005, 06:43 AM	#2
Ladylavender YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Soddy Daisy, TN Posts: 733	Whether you use an x-pen or a playpen, the process is the same. You are creating a "confined" area that you will keep your baby so that you have better control over the potty issue. The crate really has nothing to do with it other than that you can keep the crate in the penned area if you are leaving the puppy alone during the day and will leave the crate door open to let puppy go in for sleeping. You have to decide what the "confined area" is for. Is it simply the designated potty area, or is the "safe" area that you keep your puppy in when you can't keep an eye on your puppy? If the confined area is just the potty area, then you really need to lay paper all over it, and there should be no toys, or anything in there. You would bring the puppy to this area when you want her/him to go to potty. (Just like you would do if you were taking them outside, only it's in the house). You place them in the confined area and tell them to go potty or other word you are using and only take them out when they have gone. You should repeat this process over and over and over again every 45 mins to an hour until they learn where to go. (if they won't go, then you place them in the crate, and take them out in about 10 minutes and put them back in the confined area and wait until they go potty). I think the area should be no bigger than a couple of peepads because you are establishing this as the "potty area" and you want them to get used to pottying in a confined area. In the above method you will use the crate as the place you put your puppy when you cannot watch her/him or when you have to leave the house for errands or in between potty times. If you are using the confined area as the place where your puppy is placed while you are away or to keep them in control while you cannot watch them, then you will have to place paper all over the area, place their bed and toys in there too and as they begin to pee is a specific area over and over again, you will start removing the papers furthest away and remove in small increments, until your puppy is left with only one small area of paper in the confined area to go potty in. After they are very good at going potty only in this small area, you can start moving the paper (little by litte, in very minute measures) to the area of the house you want them to go potty in. Does that make sense? Basically the method you use depends on the your intent and what you want to accomplish, if you work or not, etc.