Crate Training
 

Crate Training
 

You are going to find many who love it, and I am one of them---then there are the ones that hate it. I will suggest that you read up a lot on crate training. It is a place where the animal loves. Not to be use for punishment. It is there little house. Maggie only uses her's at night. During the day, she is under constant supervision by either myself or my husband. We never put her in the crate during the day. If we need to go to the grocery store, then she has an exercise enclosure that she plays in, until we get back. She is now 4 months old and housebroken. She rings a bell on our back door when she needs to do her business. She is potty trained to the grass. When she was little it was outside every hour during the day, and every two hours during the night. It was pure hell, but we did it. It took two months of consistency, to potty train her. If you slack off, you might as well be prepared to start over. Now I'm glad we went the crate method. If you plan on crate training, then the crate doesn't train at all----it's will still be up to you. I hope this helped you some. In the end, it is still your decision. Whichever method you use, the key word in consistency.

When we first got Gidget i thought that crate training was crule (basicly it was from not ever having dont this with any other pets and lack of information) Because of this we have had lots of damage to our house while we were away (She is a angel when we are home or even at night on her own) anyhow after trying different things and being at my wits end (I had a thread last week) we decided that this was a last resort. let me tell you our house is so peaceful now and going away is not a awful thing anymore for both us and Gidget. I can tell a definate change in her (for the better) I guess she just wanted a place of her own where she felt safe and secure. We are still learning ut I have been reading everything and asking tons of questions (Thanks everyone) But my opinion has totally changed on crate training...I just wish they had better looking "more decortive crates...aside from the super pricy ones. And on a nother note with the crate training Gidget has been letting us know when she has to go outside to go potty too :) you go Gidget :)

i love the crate............ once upon a time i thought it was cruel too, but that was when the dogs i had were destroying my PARENTS house.... now i am renting and let me tell you, it has saved us soooooooo much money in repairs ect... because he doesnt have the opportunity to destroy anything... and it works out well for the dog too, because toby LOVES his crate, it is his home away from home (he will always be comfortable on trips when he has a crate to chill out in) and he goes in there when he is tired, grumpy.... it iis his own little spot..... it is much more hassel to have a big dog in a crate because of the larger space issue but little dog crates come in many styles (the wicker looking one........ but toby would probably chew through it) and they are smaller so they are easier to hide away some place where you wont trip over it............ In the end it comes down to your decision about what YOU want for your baby.... there are plenty of pros and cons

I am so happy that Gidget likes her personal new home. If more people would try it, without leaving the baby in there all the time, they would see how much better their babies are.

I know what you mean about pretty crates. I made a cover for Maggie's. Gives her some privacy and adds some color to the room. Her's is one of those wire crates with the movable grow wall and slide out bottom.

We have a long narrow hall way and use child safety gates in a similar way to crates. I wouldn''t personally leave them in one for more than 2 hours at a time and only if I have to go out.

Stitches it looks like we have the same exact crate if yours is made by Life Stages. I think crate training early is one of the best decisions you can make.

Crate Training
 

Thanks, I need to read about it some more. When I put Bert, my yorkie, in his crate, he cries. He's only 9 weeks old. I just want to take him out when he cries. I know thats not how to train him. Is it probably the best way, but its so hard. :animal-pa

When Bert is in a confined room with his crate, leave the door open. Entice him to enter the crate with a toy or treat. When he enters on his own, close the door. If you force him into the crate, they will not like their crate. Don't leave him in there very long. I only use the crate at night. If I can't watch Maggie during the day, she plays in her exercise pen. Have as much human contact with Bert as possible. I got Maggie use to her crate by allowing her to fall asleep on my lap. I would then take her to her crate. When she woke up, it was outside to PP and then playtime. When she got sleepy, it was back to the crate. Holler anytime. Been there, done that.

I am starting to crate train Bailey and so far i have put him in my bathroom at night. he was sleeping till about 6:30 every day until just the other day. he now wakes up at 3am or 4 and cries. he cries so loud that i think i will get evicted from my apartment because he keeps everyone up not just me.

if i get up to let him out to do his business i think that i have just failed the crate training process. then, once he is out he just wants to play. just this morning he stayed awake till 7am playing and crying if i left.

it seems he is sleeping less and less and takeing much shorter naps. what can i do before i get evicted from noise polution?

AJ12, Well I put Bert's crate in a chair beside my bed. When he cries, I put my fingers through the crate door and he stops, sometimes. He's so small he's not all that loud. Thanks stitches29 that helps. Bert likes to sleep on your lap or beside you. I try to put him in his crate while he's sleeping, but he wakes up and cries. He likes to sleep in the bed with me too. We just bought him some treats, so I will put some treats in his crate tonight.

I'm not sure how old Bailey is. Puppies can't hold it all night long, until they get just a little older. I don't know how to make a baby quit barking. For sure he wants your attention. Yorkies are known to be voiceful.

I did the same thing too. Now her crate is still on a stool, but about two feet away from me. Trying to break the apron strings. :rolleyes: I'm glad I could help you. Don't hesitate to holler at me again, anytime.

I tried the "official" crate training last night. before i was leaving him in an area blocked off so that he could walk out of his crate to do his business.

last night i had to run an errond and i put him in his crate and he still wanted to play. he sat right down, didnt say a word and went right to sleep!

after i got home, i played with him some more, made sure he went potty before i went to bed and put him back in his crate. he slept till 7:30!!! i couldnt believe it. it was the first night since i got him that i had a decent nights sleep.

i think what my problem was, was that the crate was too big for him. he is 9wks old and 2 lbs. i put a cloth box in the back so that it made the crate smaller and only alowed him to turn around and lay down.

i thought for sure i was going to get woken up to let him out to do his business but he slept all through the night.

i am sure this will not be a regular pattern for him. I just wanted to share my 1st time success story with the crate. tonight i think i will put him on a chair next to my bed so he can see me.

I had to put a pillow in Bert crate because it was too big. He likes to lay his head on it when he sleeps. Dogs won't pee or poop where they sleep. So its good for them to have a small place to sleep. putting him by the bed will help him, I think.

You are doing the CORRECT way of crate training. It probably isn't a pattern at this time, as far as his sleeping---unless you are one lucky mama. Their bladder muscles are not strong yet. If he cries in the middle of the night. Take him to PP, but no playing or talking. As soon as he PP's, then back to the crate. I took old throw cushions and made Maggie's crate a padded room. Before I put the cushions in the crate, I too thought she was sleeping all night, until one day I decided to wash her blankie. One corner was very wet. That is when I knew I had failed as a crate trainer. Broke out the book and started over. I put Maggie's crate next to me too, so she could see me. It works alot better, than putting them in a different room. Good Job. Keep It Up. :thumbup: P.S. It also helps to cover the crate, just like you would with a bird cage. Make is dark and cozy, just like a real den in the wild.

Litter box training
 

Does anyone know about litter box training for a Yorkie
I get my little furbaby Friday July 1st...I am going back and forth
I say maybe I should take him outside. But I live in Chicago. Very cold winters. My little one my not get to 4 pds. His dad is only 2 1/2 and mother 4 pds...then I say maybe the wee wee pad...I am really leaning towards LItter box training. any suggestions??

I think crate training is great. It keeps them safe, and they have a little place to go to. For the first few weeks I got up at 3:30 AM every night to take Chewy to pee and then he would wake up again at 7:30 AM. Now he sleeps all the way through the night and no accidents. I have found it to be very positive.

I have seen the litter that is being used for the boxes. It looks like newspaper cigarette butts. You will have to change it out a lot. I don't know how willing they will be to poo in it. Fasteddie has a box outside his door with wee wee pads in it. He said it's the best of both worlds. Outside training, but on wee wee pads. They live in an apartment, so access to grass is not so close. I lean more to outside training. It was easy, fast and no clean up. You might contact Fasteddie and ask the particulars of the outside wee wee box. Congratulations on your new baby.

I actually use the litter box along with the pee pads. I put the pad right at the entrance to the litter box and my dog uses both. I will try to train her just to use the litterbox soon. The litter will actually last you a few months per bag if only one dog uses it and especially if it's only one yorkie. If you are going to do it though I would start off like that and don't even use a pee pad ever.

Great idea
 

wow now that is one of the BEST things I have heard..the Wee pad with the litter box...Now with a puppy going to have to wee and poo soo often..how often do you take them out of the crate (if you do crate training) or do you leave him/her in an open area where they have access to wee or poo??
Or how do you do that..and how old is your baby

I have had Bailey for 3 weeks now and he is almost 9 weeks. I first started putting him in his crate with the door open with a wee wee pad right outside of it. he cried most of the night and did his business wherever he wanted to.

in my last post i said how great my nights sleep was with no accidents and a full night of sleeping in his crate. it was great since the night before i think i got about 2 hours of sleep.

sunday i bought the excercise pen from Petco. after putting him in his crate he slept till about 4:30 and then started wimpering. i brought him to the pen and tried to get him to go potty. my problem is when he wakes up he wants to play only and forgets all about his poor bladder. so i left him in his pen for the rest of the night. he cuddeled up to a pillow i left in there for him and went right to sleep after he did his business.

is this the wrong thing to do? leaving him in his pen or should i wait till he eventually pottys then put him back in his crate? i just figure that if he does what he needs to do and is quiet why do something different.

so far the crate and pen are a godsend

She is 10 weeks old today actually. And I crate train and take her out the crate every time she wakes up(because she sleeps a lot) and when she starts to sniff inside her crate I take her out. At night when we have her out she will actually go to her bathroom area by herself. It's really hit or miss which one she uses, but her having all that space gives us a chance to cut down on accidents. She actually will go inside her crate before she goes on the carpet these days. When she does go on the pad or litterbox I will let her hang out a while and play with her. We use a feeding schedule so it's a little easier to know when she will poo. We let her drink water all the time so she is always peeing.

We used to praise her profusely and give her a treat every time she went but we have cut down on the praise and eliminated the treat. We are trying to get her to do it on command by saying the word "potty" continuously while she is doing her business and stopping once she stops. Next week we will take her away from her bathroom area and say the word potty to see if she will go on her own to the area and handle her business. I got that from the job evans book.

Help!
 

:confused: I have a 9 month old baby girl. I have had her since she was only six weeks,I know that was too early but there were circumstances. Due to this fact I was very over protective of her and let her get away with sleeping in my bed under the covers of course she has been able to roam at night. I trained her on wee wee pads she does good sometimes. The other day my daughter said our house smelled like pee. I found that my little angel is going where ever her little heart desires. now my delima I want to crate train her just like I should have from the begining. I am on my second night she howls all night long non stop I had to put her in the other room. will this harm her in any way. She is never alone besides that, she even goes to work with me daily. Is it too late to teach her to go outside. I have read up on crate training. I have been getting up at 4:30 a.m. taking her out. I am so frustrated I am trying to be patient which is not one of my strong qualities. Can anyone tell me if there is light at the end of the tunnel. If I know she will eventually be happy at night and potty trained I know I can get through this

Thanks.
Chloe's mom

Crate Training
 

Maybe that's what I should do too. I bought a 24"crate because I am not sure how big he is going to get. The breeder said about 5-6lbs, but the vet said maybe even 7,8 or 9 lbs. Anyway, maybe if I put a blanket in the back half he'll feel more comfortable in it. I'll give it a shot!

Thanks for the idea. :)

how long until Toby began to like his crate and not dread it? Thanks for any info=

Make sure you can see and touch her. Put the crate on a table close enough for you to reach. Put something old that you have worn it there with her. If all that doesn't help try using a spray bottle with water and just spritz her when she yells. HTH

help w/the crate
 

Ok hi everyone!
My Yorkie is 7 mos old. She wasn't crate trained and was doing great, sleeping downstairs on the couch and not making a peep.
She wasn't peeing or pooping either.

This past weekend she has found things and destroyed them overnight.

So NOW we are putting her in the crate at night.
but she cries ALL NIGHT.

How do I do this now that she was free for 3 months?

I am also starting to think she is the biggest YORKIE ever. She is 9 pounds already!

PLEASE HELP ME>

I love the crate. My dog charlie goes in it at night and when Im not home. I think it makes him feel safe to go into his own space.

It is possible to train an adult dog, I've had many rescues over the years from puppmills who have had no training whatsoever. Because they've been rescues I don't crate train but I do take them out every half hour during the day and every two hours during the night. Praise, lots and lots of praise is what works best and consistency.

Crate training is fine but you cannot expect a tiny little pup to hold their bladder for 8 hours, it doesn't matter what you put them in they will pee if they have to and they have no other option.

I always take up the water bowl at 8 pm and take the dogs out at 11 before retiring for the night. My older dogs aren't interested in getting up in the middle of the night so it is just the pup and I if I'm training a pup. If the pup wants to play when we come back in I play for 10 minutes and then it's back to bed.

I never leave food down for the dogs. They are fed twice a day, morning and evening. It is much easier to establish a potty schedule that way.

I am home all day so the dogs have the run of the house, I do not use exercise pens. Confining a dog to a pen isn't going to train the dog to not destroy the house, it will give you peace of mind but you'll end up with an untrained dog. There is no real substitute for hands on training. Yes it takes a huge time committment but folks should think about that before getting a dog.