I am in a panick . . . .I need help with houstraining

[Baileys_Momma]

Originally Posted by chachi

I am with everyone who thinks a dog shouldnt be crated for 10 hours. I would use an xpen or gate them in a room so they can move around a bit.

Who's to say that a crate is not big enough? Do you know what size crate they are using? What if it were a crate that would fit 2 labs....I think that would suffice for a yorkie, as it could be as big as an x-pen.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2035804&Ne=2

The crate I use is 42" D x 31" H x 28" W, MORE than enough room, and although I do not keep my furbabies in there for 10-hours at a time, it is still a crate and I know I am not a bad mom.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by Baileys_Momma

Who's to say that a crate is not big enough? Do you know what size crate they are using? What if it were a crate that would fit 2 labs....I think that would suffice for a yorkie, as it could be as big as an x-pen.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2035804&Ne=2

The crate I use is 42" D x 31" H x 28" W, MORE than enough room, and although I do not keep my furbabies in there for 10-hours at a time, it is still a crate and I know I am not a bad mom.

Oh I agree. I wasnt talking about that size of crate. I was talking about the kind you use for house training where they only have room to get up and move around a little bit. I also didnt say anyone was a bad Mom. Everyone does what they do. I just wouldnt keep my dogs in that small of a crate for 10 hours.

[DaisyMaesMom]

Originally Posted by Baileys_Momma

Who's to say that a crate is not big enough? Do you know what size crate they are using? What if it were a crate that would fit 2 labs....I think that would suffice for a yorkie, as it could be as big as an x-pen.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2035804&Ne=2

The crate I use is 42" D x 31" H x 28" W, MORE than enough room, and although I do not keep my furbabies in there for 10-hours at a time, it is still a crate and I know I am not a bad mom.

[Shadow]

I never said they were bad owners.This is JMO. It doesn't really matter to me how big the crate is,I just feel like it isn't in the dogs best interest leaving it alone everday for hours on end crated or not. Especially not a puppy.

[kitty]

Crates are great tools for housetraining. I don't think that crating a dog is a bad thing. I think sometimes it is necassary to crate a dog for longer periods of time and I think that it is okay. I leave my dogs in the crate if I go somewhere and sometimes it is for long periods of time. I don't feel I'm a bad mom for doing so.

You may want to rethink crating the one dog and leaving the other out. I think it is very possiable that the one crated will bark at the one out. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck!

[SnowWa]

So many of you who agree with crating are saying things like they are great for puppies - great for puppy training - need to use them sometimes - and having to leave your dog in one sometimes for a long time is okay - etc.

This is different than a dog spending most of its life being crated (10 hours a day).

I can agree with puppy training. Little puppies enjoy their crates and the security they feel in them - plus they are usually sleeping most of the time.

I can certainly agree with having to crate a dog occasionally - to keep it confined and safe - if you're traveling - have to be gone unexpectedly and can't leave it loose - visiting friends and relatives - visiting dog shows and many many other times. Crates are a safe way to confine our little dogs. I'm sure not against this. Often we need to do it for their own safety.

I know a lot of people crate their dogs -- a lot. I just can't understand why something better can be worked out. My pup is in a 10 x 12 foot kitchen with another room attached when I gone. He has a big bed, food, water, lots of toys and things to chew on. And, he has two birds only a few feet away and another dog (a good friend) on the other side of the gate. And, of course, they have a light on and a radio playing. He almost never goes to the bathroom when I'm gone. And, he has free run of the house (plus time outside) the minute I get home - and he sleeps with me.

I even feel sorry for him being left alone like this - but, I know he can run and play and stretch his legs - I see his toys all over when I get home, so I know he hasn't been idle. And, he has other animals near by. I just couldn't have him in a crate (regardless of the size)...all the while I'm gone....especially if I had to be gone 10 hours a day with a full time job. I can't even do it working 6 hours a day, four days a week. It just isn't my idea of the way a dog should live.

I don't think any of this issue has anything to do with parenting or the way we raise our children. Dogs are not children! We don't cage or confine our children all day every day so that we can leave the house and go to work.....
We don't put them in cages when we travel ..... I'm not even going on with this. Children and our responsibilities as parents and dogs and our responsibilities as owners aren't comparable at all.

I know a lot of people crate their dogs daily for long periods of time. All I really want to say is that I think it is cruel and I can't do it.

I will admit to some extent though that if being crated so much of the time is all your dog has ever known - it has probably resigned itself to living that way....and is used to it.

Carol Jean

[Erin]

Carol Jean - We live in an open-floorplan townhome. I cannot just gate off one portion of the kitchen - Unless you know where I can get a 12 foot gate. We couldn't even paint the living room and kitchen different colors because there is no division between the two. Anyway, Loki's crate is perfectly safe for him. I put him in there if I'm cleaning the floors or if my husband and I are both gone. Loki generally goes with us unless we are going to the grocery store - we don't even eat at restaurants any more - we get carry out. If Loki needs to spend 4+ hours in his crate I find a sitter for him or send him to doggie daycare.

However, I just want you to know what while my husband works from home during the day, and Loki is home with him, ALL Loki does is sleep. I feed him before I leave for work, play with him for a few minutes and walk him. He hops back in bed and my husband says he gets up around noon, stretches, goes outside and then goes back to sleep in his bed near my husband's desk until I get home from work. So, crate or not during the day - he sleeps 95% of the day anyway. SO they truly do just sleep in the crate all day. Nighttime for us is another story, however. If I crate Loki at night, which is sometimes necessary, he will be a hyper dog when I get home. I expect it so it's no big deal. However, the same thing would happen if I came home and ignored him and didn't play with him.

I'm just saying that crates, even for adult pups are good and safe. I do agree with you in that a dog should not be in crate ALL day. I would never make Loki go more than 4 hours without a potty break, and I don't think I could stick him back in there after 4 hours... So I'm with you on that. I understand we have a unique situation too, however when no one can be home I find other alternatives like daycare or grandma's house :-) Yes it's expensive, but it's the cost of having a dog, especially a high maintenance Yorkie!

[Magneticgal]

I use a playpen for Lexie. I bought it at Target.com
If you go to the site and do a search for "pet playpen" it is the PT900. This has worked out FANTASTIC for us! It is big enough for her to have a little room to roam around(but not too much). I also have her bed, a bowl of water, and her litter pan in it. It has been a Godsend for me, as I work full time. I do try to make it home for lunch everyday, but occasionally my schedule does not permit it.
Lexie has not ONCE had an accident in it- she has done great. Just another option for you!!

[typerk]

The people who aren't able to crate their dogs for long periods are the ones with 3 year old dogs that still go on the carpet. Crate train crate train crate train. I can't stress enough that way of doing things. You will be so happy with the results and you won't ever have to worry about it again in the dog's life. Imagine never ever having to worry about a mistake. That is a great deal of peace of mind. My dog is 13 months but has been fully potty trained at 8 months. I know you don't know me but trust me, not having to worry about that makes a lot of other things with the dog so much easer.

[Shadow]

I don't think anyone is saying anything agaisnt crate"training" .It is putting your dog into a kennel and leaving it for LONG periods in time.

[SnowWa]

Shadow - You're exactly right. It's not crate training or having our dogs in a crate for a while that bothers any of us. And, it's true that crates are often a necessary and safe place for our dogs to be.

What some of us can't do is leave our dogs in a crate every day all day - using a crate only to confine them for long periods of time.

I know everyone has a different floor plan and different working hours, etc. etc., and we all have to adjust to these things and do the best we can. And, I know that dogs often sleep most of their time away when they are crated (but - what else can they do - If I were in a crate all day, I'm sure I would sleep most of the time also.

****Even after hearing everyone's opinion....I would just choose not to have a dog - if I had to leave it in a create for 10 hours a day - five days a week.


Carol Jean

[CindyP]

I don't have a yorkie yet as I am still looking and wanting my Lacey to grow up a little bit.

Lacey is my 10 week old Maltese. We have a playpen and crate for her. The Crate is used mostly when I am driving her some place such as the Vets as she is a wild woman in the SUV. The Playpen is in my bedroom next to my bed and that is where she sleeps at night. I spend the days home with her and have a part time night job but my boyfriend is home with her by time I leave.My boyfriend is the supervisor for a concrete construction company so He has pretty long days.

I really like crate training and I think it keeps them out of danger when you can't be with them along with speeding up the potty training. With that said I am sorry but I agree a puppy has no business being in a crate for ten straight hours a day. I think a puppy is losing so much by doing this. Lacey like I said is 10 weeks old and she is at the age where her and I need to bond and she needs me right now to show her the world and socialize her to make her a good productive canine citizen. In those ten hours the puppy is learning nothing and making up it's own rules. Not to mention what if she had a hypoglucemia attack or something like that??

Lacey is not crated at all during the day unless she is in the SUV. She goes with me in the mornings to run errands and we stop by parks, friends homes, etc. for socialization with people and other animals. She naps from about noon til three in her pink bed in the living room in her x pen and I spend those couple hours cleaning the house. when she gets up we have our play time and our "learning time". I keep her with me at all time to watch for accidents so she can know that she needs to go on her potty pad or outside. Around six I bring her x pen to the kitchen while I cook dinner and she eats her dinner and plays with her toys in the xpen. She'll usually get another nap while waiting for us to finish up dinner and that's when I get ready for work. She then plays again from about 7:30 to 11 when I leave for work. Before I leave I put her in her playpen where she has a few toys, a bowl of food, a bed and a potty pad. My boyfriend leaves the TV on for her and a night light and she is right next to the bed. I get back home at 4 a.m. and I give her some canned food then. My boyfriend gets up at 5 and he'll play with her and feed her along with clean up any mess she might have made in her playpen and then puts her back down before he leaves at 6:30 and I get up for the day around 9. I only work 3 to 4 mights a week. I am not saying this is the only way to do but Lacey seems to be doing wonderful on this schedule and I couldn't leave her in a crate for ten hours.

If I would have to leave Lacey for 10 hours I would either take her to a daycare or hire a pet sitter to stop in at least twice a day to check on her and exercise her a bit. Would it be possible to hire a sitter?

[avidscrapbooker]

Originally Posted by Erin

A 12 week old puppy will need to pee at least every 30 mins. Do you have doggie daycare by you? Or a dog walker? Or even a retired neighbor who can help out?

Just wondering if you have any clue about how often to take out an adult Yorkie? I've had a 6yr old cockapoo that we rescued from the city pound about a year now. I can usually only get him to pee about every 4hrs...but the recently aquired 5yr old male yorkie we have was suposed to be housetrained and he seems to want or need to pee about every 30 minutes. Do you think this was a previous houstraining issue or a possible problem? Just wondering. Thanks