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04-27-2006, 05:58 AM | #1 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 76
| Crate Training for Scooter? I’m not sure what to do about house-training Scooter. He is only 13 weeks old and given my schedule and his age, I’m not sure crate training is appropriate, but I’m not sure what I’m doing is appropriate either. I work during the week, but I live close enough to come home during lunch. If I crate-trained Scooter, he would have to “hold it” for about four hours at a stretch. Currently, Scooter is confined to a small kitchen during the day with his bed, water, and pee pad. He consistently uses the pee pad while he is confined in the kitchen and will also go outside given the opportunity (every morning and sometimes in the evening if he hasn’t gone on the pee pad already). He stays in a small crate at night and has no problems holding it. I’m worried that the pee pad is teaching him that it is okay to use the bathroom on any textile in the apartment. He will go potty on the living room carpet without making any attempt at all to get to his pee pad. I have leashed him to me in the living room and taken him over to the pee pad periodically in the evening to help teach him how to get to it (it’s a tiny apartment, so it’s not far). I’ve even begun to recognize what behavior indicates he needs to go and walked him over to his pee pad when he’s acting “strange.” I repeat the phrase “go potty” over and over again when I catch him going in the correct spot – pee pad or outside – and then proceed to act like a fool by praising him to high heaven when he’s done. When he potties in the living room and I catch him in the act (which is every time since he’s never free without supervision), I immediately correct him by reprimanding him gently but firmly and walk him over to his pee pad – just like the book said I should. I then put him in “time out” for about five minutes while I clean up the mess. Unfortunately, I don’t think it is sinking in and I worry that I am confusing him. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect him to be perfect and I know he’s young. I just don’t want to screw him up. I am willing to stick to a schedule. I don’t scream or blame or generally trip out when he has an accident. I am patient. And, I’m not squeamish about doing what’s best for my puppy. I’m just confused as to what the right thing is right now given my situation and Scooter’s situation. Any input would be appreciated.
__________________ Scooter's Mommy |
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04-27-2006, 06:04 AM | #2 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: TX
Posts: 1,226
| A few questions of my own, if you don't mind me throwing them in! ...if the crate is only supposed to be big enough for them to turn around in....do you have to keep buying bigger crates as they grow? Does it confuse or bother them if you switch from one kind of crate situation to another? What general size should I look for? Can you move the crate from room to room, or is that confusing or disconcerting for them, too? When they're crated overnight....they don't need food or whatever overnight, when they're puppies? |
04-27-2006, 07:22 AM | #3 | |
I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA
Posts: 7,149
| Quote:
You do not have to keep buying new crates. What I did was put a cardboard box in the back of Hobbs' crate to make it basically half of the original size. It is only big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay down. As he grows, I put in smaller and smaller boxes in the back. If he doesn't ever get big enough to need to whole crate, then he will always have a box in there with him. How big is your puppy?? Look for the smallest crate possible. The smallest one I have been able to find is 12.5" x 19" x 10". You can order it from Petsmart. Here is a link: http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2035805&Ne=2 I would get this size unless your yorkies is expected to reach over 10 lbs. DEFINATELY move the crate from room to room. When we leave Hobbs in his crate, he likes to be up high instead of on the floor. So, we either put it in the middle of our bed or in a chair in the living room. But, make sure that it cannot fall off whatever you put it on. But, when we are at home, we leave the crate open on the floor either in the living room or bedroom. This way, the dog will be able to go in it without having the door shut. We often put treats in there and leave it open on the floor. The dog will learn to love his crate by going into the open crate and getting the treats. We also put a dark towel over the top of the crate to make it more "den-like." But be sure to leave the front of the crate uncovered so the dog can get air and see out. It is really up to you whether you want to give your puppy food and water during the night in their crate. If you decide to give them food & water at night, you need to be listening for them whining to go to the bathroom. Then you need to take them outside. If they eat & drink during the night, most likely they will have to go to the bathroom during the night. But, it is fine to not give them food & water during the night. Just give the puppy some Nutrical before bedtime. OK, now as for the first thread...these are just my opinions, but we have crate trained all of our yorkies so I have some experience. I would either teach your puppy to go inside on a pee pad or outside in the yard...not both...this would be very confusing. We ultimately decided to outside train because I did not want Hobbs thinking that it was okay to go potty in the house. We pee pad trained for about 1 week, but Hobbs thought it was okay to go potty anywhere in the house, not just on the pee pad. If your puppy can hold it through the night, I feel confident that he can hold it for 4 hours at a time during the day. that is the same thing we do with Hobbs....he's in his crate for 4 hours during the morning, then we come home for 1 hour for lunch, then he's in there for 4 hours in the afternoon until we come home from work. Then, in the evenings, while we were potty training him, we took him out every 2 hours. Eventually, he started running to the door when he had to go potty. It really only took about 2 weeks to potty train him. I have so much more info about crate training. I can share all my many many experiences, but it would take up the whole page!!!! Please feel free to PM me if you have more questions!!! I would love to help! | |
04-28-2006, 06:03 AM | #4 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: TX
Posts: 1,226
| Thank you for the helpful reply! I was able to find a crate that size. Thanks for the "box" tip too....I hadn't heard that one! |
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