Suggestions

[DesiBear]

We live in a 1,000 sq. ft. apartment. When Desi first came home, he was 10 weeks old and we would keep him in a child's pack n play and put a few toys in there. Then after a month, he started pitching a fit when we would leave him in there while we were at work. So I bought a baby gate and blocked off the kitchen area for him. But he ended up squeezing out where the dishwasher is. There was a tiny hole that he was able to fit through.

So since then we let him stay out and have roam of the dinning area, kitchen and living room. But he has now started Peeing on our carpets and it is staining them. Since we are at work during the day, it sits on the carpet and soaks in. He knows where his pads are and he uses them while we're home.

My question is, how hard to you think it would be to try and crate train him now? He is 9 months old. Or do you think we should just get a belly band? When he does pee during the day its a very little bit, so he wouldn't soak a pad in the belly band.

Thanks in advance!

[xmasbaby75]

I have found out that once they are pee pad trained, they can't really tell the difference between their pee pads, and your rugs! So, I've since picked up all the area rugs, and have had no more "accidents". If this is a biggger rug, I would suggest blocking off that room. My little ones are crate trained too, but we started from day one with the crate, and I don't know how hard it would be to start that kind of training now.

[AVERYxo]

we used to put Avery in an xpen while we were pee pad training her, etc. it gave her enough room to move around, have her bed, a couple toys, food, water & pee pad! i would highly reccommend one of these!

[DesiBear]

We just don't have room for an xpen. We have enough room for a crate, or we can try gating him in the kitchen again. I wish I could find an 8ft pet gate that isn't over $100 and just keep him on the tile in the dinning/kitchen area. That would be ideal!

[Tabatha00]

I couldn't stand the thought of Mufasa being in a crate all day so I just invested in some belly bands. He wears them when nobody is home.

[RustysMom]

Logical me says build your own door any size you need. All they are to build is DIY or find a carpenter friend. Build a large frame out of wood, like a picture or mirror frame, and put a cross in it, then staple some chicken wire on it. You could even paint the wire to match your decor. Or put artificial flowers in it...Make the frame any size tall you wish. Instant x-pen. A room divider might work too!

Now that you have the door you can fasten it by simple hinges to any existing door frame to keep him in that room or part of the house. You could really get creative with this....Wow, wish I needed one!

Or you could buy a screen door and make it match your decor. Where there is a will, there is a way.

[AVERYxo]

Originally Posted by DesiBear

We just don't have room for an xpen. We have enough room for a crate, or we can try gating him in the kitchen again. I wish I could find an 8ft pet gate that isn't over $100 and just keep him on the tile in the dinning/kitchen area. That would be ideal!

oh really..
just so you know.. the xpens can open up completely & you can close them to the full size or smaller! you can keep the xpen open to close off the kitchen or just use it in the area that is needed.. you can make the gate bend at each section and they are only around $70 im pretty sure..
just a suggestion.. you may want to look into it. good luck!

[nikkinack]

What I do is hook an xpen to a kennel that way they can still have room to move.

[DesiBear]

The problem with building something is that
1. I don't have tools.
2. We don't really know anyone in the area (we keep to ourselves).
3. We have an 8ft. opening that we need to close off.

Here is a picture. We want to close off from the red stripe curtain all the way to where the wall is that the kitchen cabinets are on (which you can't see in the picture).



This is what I really need, but for a gate that expands to 8ft. is like $200!

[tlauw]

mm i dont think a dog is too old to be house trained;
i think if you want to crate train him you should be willing to commit to that choice and not stop half way and try something else!
there are lot of helpful advice on the training section in the forum. id say take off at least 2 weeks to be with your baby so you can keep hawk eyes on him =]

but personally i didnt do the crate method with wookie, but i did with my last two dogs who were much bigger. i use a dog litter pan with pee pee papers inside. and he can tell the difference between pee pee pads and everything else is the house. its really cute to see him stop in the middle of playing and trot to his dog litter pan and go. and when he comes out he rushes to me and goes on his back waiting for me to tickle him and say what a good boy he is.... =]

i was with him for about a month (watching him 24/7) and i can say hes trained and happy and im happy too.

but whatever works for you, this forum will give you all the help and support you need. dont give up!

[DesiBear]

I had taken off for 2 weeks when we first got him and I laid the puppy pads out. Had to have 2 because he wouldn't pee and poop on the same pad

He did amazing! I would give him a tiny bacon strip everytime he went on his pad and he would get so excited! I would make a HUGE deal about it and made sure I would say "Good Boy! You peepeed on your pad!" So he would know the work pad.

Just with in the past 3 weeks he's been HORRIBLE and he'll pee on the carpet! When I get him out of his playpen in the mornings I'll put him on his pad and say "Go peepee on your pad!" Then I'll walk to my room and start getting ready. He'll come and meet me like he used to, all excited and wanting me to follow him. So I look on his pad and there is nothing there! I look on the floor in front of the TV and there is a tiny spot! I tell him that's bad and he knows where his peepee pads are. And I make him get in his dog bed that's in the corner of the room. He stays there until I tell him he can get out.

But if we go to anyone's house for the day or something, he'll go right on his pad! I get so frustrated with him!! He knows if he goes on his pad he'll get a treat, but he won't get one if he goes on the floor! He knows the difference too, he's just being stubborn!

[DesiBear]

Originally Posted by Tabatha00

I couldn't stand the thought of Mufasa being in a crate all day so I just invested in some belly bands. He wears them when nobody is home.

Can he stay in a belly band from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 pm?

Those are the hours I'm at work. My girlfriend works weird hours so sometimes she leaves when I do and other times she works from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. or 12 p.m. - Close. So he just sleeps with her until she gets up and gets ready.

I don't go home for lunch, but she does. So I can see if she will take it off of him for the hour that she's home?