# How long can he hold it? Crate Training



## JessicaAleigha

When we first got biscuit he was magically pad training but lately he's been just going EVERYWHERE except his pad, of course. (Anyone have this happen or have any explanation?)

I'm regressing and starting crate training from scratch. I want to know how long he can hold it maximum and how often I should ideally take him to do his business.

Biscuit is 4 and a half months old and he weighs about 13 pounds. 

Also, if anyone can link me to a good thread or article about crate training I would appreciate it! 

Thank you for reading. For your willingness to help, I will show you a picture of Biscuit in his easter outfit. Awww! We found out he is quite the egg hunter this easter. At least when the eggs are full of treats!










Just added some additional information:

Thank you everyone for your input. I understand some people are not as okay with the idea of crate training as others but we are doing it and it is working very well. I can tell he's learning to hold it because his pees have gotten a little longer.  

A do have a new question, for those who had good experience with crate training. How did you wean off of it? How long did it take until you felt very certain that the dog would not go inside anymore? Do you still use the crate when you're away or do you let your dog(s) have free roam of the house. 

Thank you again, everyone had been very interesting and helpful.


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## jaimebpa1

Oh he is so cute! He does not look impressed with his outfit though! lol

Everything I've read and trainers I've asked have said they can generally hold it 1 hour per month of age plus an hour. So if he is 4 months then he could hold it for up to 5 hours. That's just a guideline though and every dog is going to be different. We crate trained Olive and she was able to stay clean in her crate over night right away. I started off leaving her in her crate for about 2 hours during the day and moved up from there. She has never had an accident in her crate and I now leave her for up to 5 hours. Not everyday, ,but probably 2 times a week. When I let her outside after 5 hours she doesn't even pee right away so I think she could go longer than 5 hours, but i feel comfortable with that amount of time.

I'm not sure about the regression with the pee pads because I nver used them, but Olive was pretty much house trained a month ago and she's been regressing a bit in our basement. I think that is normal. My kids both did the same thing!


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## mum2bobs

How could you be annoyed at that sweet face! He is adorable! 

I used puppy pads (the best invention know to man in my opinion lol) initially he had one in the living room, then I moved it to the kitchen, then conservatory and then outside. After that he just started weeing in the garden all the time.

Is he not using the pads at all now or is he using them now and again. trying and missing or what?

He is only a little baby still, and needs to be shown where you want him to wee so you need to start showing him and taking him out in the garden - I would say every three hours or so.

Do you have a word you use when you want him to wee? With Bobs I would say 'pee-pee' when he wee'd and then give loads of praise. even now, if I want him to have a wee I will use that word - it works 

Start taking him to the garden, using your word, giving treats and praise when he does something and I am sure he will soon get it right


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## Jon Buoy

JessicaAleigha said:


> Also, if anyone can link me to a good thread or article about crate training I would appreciate it!


I found this article a useful read and my 9 week old puppy seems to hold to all in from 10pm until 5:30am which is the time I get up in the morning.
www.cockapooclubgb.co.uk/crate-training.html


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## mum2bobs

Jon Buoy said:


> I found this article a useful read and my 9 week old puppy seems to hold to all in from 10pm until 5:30am which is the time I get up in the morning.
> www.cockapooclubgb.co.uk/crate-training.html


I think one of the 'problems' may be that people equate crate training with house training, when in reality (I think) they are two seperate issues.

You don't have to have a crate to have a housetrained dog, plenty of people never have a crate at all.

Your dogs crate should be his sanctuary, the place where he can go for a nap, to get away from the bustle of the house, to sleep comfortably in at night, and where you can put him when you go out and know he is safe 

It is his bit of the house and he needs to be taught to feel comfortably in there.

You don't want your dog using his crate as his toilet area.

As well as training him to feel at ease in his crate, you also need to teach him where you want him to go to the loo, and that takes time, continuity and patience. You may well need to get up in the night to let him out, sometimes pups will sleep through the night quickly, others take a bit longer.


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## ali-s.j.

I have to disagree with the above post, no-one is suggesting a puppy is encouraged to pee in it's bed, on the contrary, it can encourage a puppy to hold on!


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## jaimebpa1

We used a crate as a tool for house training. There are always going to be different ways of doing things and a lot of ways will get you to the same outcome, but for us using a crate was an easy, less stress way to get to house trained quickly. Now for some people using a crate may not be as easy as it was for us so they may use another method, but I do think crate training and house training are related. Now that she is pretty much house trained I use the crate less. While she was being trained I used the crate every time i couldn't watch her. If I had to shower she went in the crate for 10 minutes. We also use the crate to keep her safe while we are out and as a comfortable spot for her in our loud, crazy kid filled house. IMO crate training is the best thing in the world, but I understand that not everyone is going to share that view. It's not the only tool in house training your puppy, but I only commented on that aspect of it because the poster was asking about the crate. When Olive wasn't in her crate I'd take her outside every 30 minutes and then moved that up to every hour. It's a lot of work, but well worth it.


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## Pollypiglet

I look at it this way, if you were locked on a room and only let out when it suited someone else what would you do? Hattie was put out every hour during the day and when I woke during the night. She has been dry from 4 months and I only had one poo in the house from day one. It is very labour intensive and must be more difficult if there are several family members messing things up. Consistancy is the key. Decide on the rules and make sure everyone adheres to them. Good luck!


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## mum2bobs

ali-s.j. said:


> I have to disagree with the above post, no-one is suggesting a puppy is encouraged to pee in it's bed, on the contrary, it can encourage a puppy to hold on!


I think you may have misunderstood my post 

Of course no one is suggesting a puppy be encouraged to pee in it's bed, and you are right that being in a crate can encourage a pup to hold on a bit longer.

What I was suggesting is that crate training and housetraining do not always have to be conjoined. The crate is a brilliant thing to have for your dog, and does help them develop some control, but it does not mean that a pup won't pee in the wrong place when he is let out of the crate.

The OP seemed to be concerned that her pup had stopped using puppy pads and was peeing anywhere. I was suggesting that she both needs to encourage him to toilet outside in the garden to show him where he needs to go, take him out regularly, praise etc, as well as encouraging him to use his crate as a sanctuary and quiet area.

Just putting a dog in a crate is not going to encourage a dog to be housetrained (not suggesting you were going to do this Jessica), and a crate is not an essential part of housetraining either.

Hope that clarifies my post a bit


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## mum2bobs

jaimebpa1 said:


> We used a crate as a tool for house training. There are always going to be different ways of doing things and a lot of ways will get you to the same outcome, but for us using a crate was an easy, less stress way to get to house trained quickly. Now for some people using a crate may not be as easy as it was for us so they may use another method, but I do think crate training and house training are related. Now that she is pretty much house trained I use the crate less. While she was being trained I used the crate every time i couldn't watch her. If I had to shower she went in the crate for 10 minutes. We also use the crate to keep her safe while we are out and as a comfortable spot for her in our loud, crazy kid filled house. IMO crate training is the best thing in the world, but I understand that not everyone is going to share that view. It's not the only tool in house training your puppy, but I only commented on that aspect of it because the poster was asking about the crate. When Olive wasn't in her crate I'd take her outside every 30 minutes and then moved that up to every hour. It's a lot of work, but well worth it.


Totally agree.

A crate is a wonderful addition to dog care, and many come to look on their crate as the important area of the house. I know my own dog loves his and often takes himself off to it.

As you say, it is a way to keep them safe when you can't be there with them all the time, stops them from chewing through cables 

The crate can be an aid to housetraining because as mentioned they do not want to wee in their bed area, but as you say, taking them out regularly is vital.


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## JessicaAleigha

Thank you everyone for your input. I understand some people are not as okay with the idea of crate training as others but we are doing it and it is working very well. I can tell he's learning to hold it because his pees have gotten a little longer.  

A do have a new question, for those who had good experience with crate training. How did you wean off of it? How long did it take until you felt very certain that the dog would not go inside anymore? Do you still use the crate when you're away or do you let your dog(s) have free roam of the house. 

Thank you again, everyone had been very interesting and helpful.


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## tessybear

I only ever used a crate for house training. My two never peed or messed in their crates but once they were fully house trained they didn't need them. I never crate them when I go out they both have the run of the house and have never been destructive. They prefer to choose their own place to sleep at night.


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## jaimebpa1

I'm not really sure about that. As of right now I have no plans to stop crating her when I leave the house. I have however let her sleep in my room out of the crate and she didn't have any accidents. She slept the whole night with no issues. Except that she woke me up too early so she is back in the crate at night now! If i do decide to stop using the crate it won't be until she is at least a year old. She hasn't had an accident upstairs in a while, but when i let her downstairs she sometimes pees in the playroom. I don't trust her 100% yet.


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## emmelg

I have no intention of removing baileys crate, not for a long while anyway

I dont use the crate for training purposes although i know it can be of some help with toileting issues (due to bladder control) i bought the crate for these reasons. 

I have another dog and wanted to introduce them to each other slowly (really helped).

For saftey reasons when i'm not at home and for his own quite time as i have children (one of whom is 3 years old and can get a bit possesive with him picking him up too much)

And our meal times

He has slept in my room from day one and has never had an accident overnight, he sleeps from 10pm-approx 6.30am, in the early days around 5.30am but he has been known to sleep till 7.45 some mornings 

Regarding the toileting issues id start again from scratch, take him out every half hour and praise him, you need to be constant with this as i know from experience(he relapsed for a couple of days) 

He's now 4 1/2 months old and 9/10 he will let me know when he wants to go(he'll stand by the door/sometimes scratch it) when i know he hasn't been for a while i'l take him out and leave him for 5 mins if he doesn't go then i bring him back in and keep a watch on him.

Leanne x


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## Lins61

I have to say we have been blessed with luck over the crate. Pickle went in first night at 10pm and he woke us at 7.15 next morning when the heating went on. He seems to have a remarkable ability to hold it in. Most weekends we wake first around 8 ish and one Saturday we overslept til 9 and no noise from him whatsoever. He has never messed in the crate. I usually leave a small amount of water at night which is still there in the morning. So all in all the crate has been amazing. Not so the car crate however which he HATES so I need to get a harness to fit onto the seat belt as he's much happier when he is on the seat next to someone!


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