Crate Training
 

We are just starting the crate training on our 2yr old. We started yesterday with her coming home from a walk and finding it all set up with her blanket, toy and a treat. She went right in it, got the treat and has been coming and going in and out of it all day. She even sleeps in it during the day, with the door open, while I am in the room. I would love to hear any suggestions you may have about crating. How long do you leave your yorkie in there? How long can she hold it? Another question we have is Zoe sleeps with us at night, and this is when the accidents happen while the 3 of us are in bed. is it ok to crate train during the day when we are gone or are we defeating the purpose by leaving her in our bed? I'll let you know, if we are home and she is not in the same room with us, she will cry for hours. Again, any suggestion anyone has, what works, lessons learned, what didn't work, would be great THANKS everyone.

At 3 months old my scampers could hold it for 4 hours. Now at 5 months old he can hold it up to 8 hours at night. Now my other dogs that are full grown adults can hold it for a very long time.

As far as crating at night I always suggest it atleast until they are house trained, otherwise you will have them peeing on your bed. You have to be careful too that she does not try to jump off the bed or you accidentally roll over on her these both can cause serious damage. Many yorkies have broken a leg or worse from jumping from the bed. So I would crate her at night, put the crate right beside your bed, it will make them calmer knowing that you are there and can see you. The first few nights that you crate her at night she might whine and whimper because she was use to sleeping in the bed with you.

Since you have an older yorkie she should be able to hold it longer and you might not have to crate her as much. If you can not watch her 100 percent when she is out of the crate then you need to either put her back in the crate or tether her to your waist. It is in that minute that you leave the room or turn your back that they tend to have an accident.

How many times does she go to the bathroom a day? 3, 4 or more? Figuring out this can help you establish when you need to take her outside and how long you can leave her out of her crate. For example, trixie goes out every 8 hours, that is 3 times a day. She pees and poops both in the morning and at night. So I know that if she does not do both in the morning that I can not let her out her crate until she does both. Once she does, I let her out of her crate for several hours because I know as long as she goes outside every 8 hours she won't have an accident in the house if I take her when she is suppose to go out.

It will take several days of watching and observing to see how often she needs to go out. At her age I would say that she could atleast be able to hold it for 6 hours. However, since she was not house trained she was never taught to hold it but to go whenever and wherever she wants to.

You should crate her when you are not home, at bedtime, when you are not paying attention to her 100 percent to make sure she does not have an accident. Perhaps if you could figure out how often she goes I could help you with a schedule.:) :)

My Boys sleep in thier crates at night. I am a light sleeper and them just moving around would keep me up at night. They love thier crates and sleep well from 10pm till 6am every day.

I crate at night also.

New to the forum, but I just this week started trying (trying is the operative there!) to crate train Jackson. He's 5 months old, and he does pretty good with only using the bathroom in "his" room, but I am really ready to reclaim my guest bathroom!

On the first day, he was using the bathroom in his little kennel. This is no longer a problem, but he absolutely REFUSES to use the potty outside. I take him out once every hour to hour and a half, and he won't go. After 15 minutes or so of scouting the yard, he'll lay on the mat at the door and refuse to get up. When I bring him back inside, he immediately runs to his room and pees. This wasn't as big of a deal until he started hiking, but now not only are my floors a mess, so are my baseboards.

HELP! Any advice?

Hi and Welcome to YT! Do you have a crate for Jackson or are you just using the bathroom? If he's used to going potty in the bathroom, you should probably have a crate if you don't want him using the bathroom anymore.

If you do have a crate, and I'm not sure if I read your last paragraph correctly, but what I have read about crate training, is you take him out, give him a command word. We use "go potty" or "go poop", depending on what they have to do. If he doesn't go after 10 or 15 minutes outside, pick him up (so he doesn't have a chance to go inside) and put him in his crate. Then try again every 15 or so minutes, and repeat putting him back in his crate if he doesn't go. I wouldn't even give him the opportunity to run to his room, pick him up and put him in the crate. It's hard. I feel so guilty sometimes for my Yogi. My 9 week old goes potty all the time outside, so she doesn't spend too much time in her crate. But Yogi is another story. He can hold it and hold it and hold it when we are outside and then if I let him, he'll immediately squat anywhere!! So if he doesn't go outside, he's back in his crate. yesterday, he was in his crate for most of the day. I felt so bad. But my husband said, "Mel, it's a few weeks or months right now of being secluded, then he'll have the rest of his life to have freedom. If we don't do this now, he'll be secluded in the bathroom for the rest of his life and not have freedom". He's right.
Hope this helps!

Jackson's mom. You have two options. Stay outside longer and then praise him when he finally goes OR *carry* him inside and put him right in a crate. Then *carry* him back outside. Don't let his feet touch the ground or he'll pee!

to mommyof2, i noticed you said your 9 wk old goes outside to potty, i was told that you shouldnt take them out until there a few months old. perhaps if i had started taking him out at that age he would be using the bathroom outside freely. he is 13 wks