# Crate - First night



## Maxi (May 20, 2011)

Hi Everyone,
We collect our cockapoo Maxi on Monday. Very Excited.
On the first night should we put him in his crate and shut the door or should he get used to it first? Theres so much conflicting information!


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## Newbie (Feb 15, 2011)

Aaaw! He looks gorgeous! As do the other pups in the background! 

I'm not using a crate - so can't comment on this I'm afraid! But welcome to the forum and keep us updated with lots of pics. I've met a few cockapoos in St Albans!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

aww what a cutie. 

personaly i say crate door closed. and take him out for pees if he doesnt settle, then put him back. leave chews with him so he has something to do, or a kong with some stuff it it like cream chese or peanutbutter.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Hallo to you and Maxi. He looks adorable. I collect my pup in a week's time and I'm undecided about the crate too!


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## Maxi (May 20, 2011)

If he cries after going to toilet, do I leave him. I've heard horror stories of pups crying all night and ending up in bed. Really want to avoid that!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

they end up in bed because the owners cave and bring them in. 

babys dont like being left in their cot they want to be helled all the time but they need to learn. 

have a good play with max before bed, get him so he is sleepy and put him in his crate.


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## Newbie (Feb 15, 2011)

I'm not sure if I was just a big meanie, but I left Noodle in ber bed in the study throughout the whole night from day 1 and within a couple of days there wasn't even a whimper at bedtime or throughout the night and she didn't go to the loo in the night at all. However, I might have just lucked out! I know lots of people on this forum sleep with the puppies in their bedroom, which the book that I am reading also recommends for the first 2 days which are the most important during the bonding process. I, however, didn't want her to get used to sleeping in the bedroom and then have to go through the seperation and more whining when I moved her out of the bedroom.

I think you have to go with what you think and your gut instinct as everyone does different things!!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Newbie said:


> I'm not sure if I was just a big meanie, but I left Noodle in ber bed in the study throughout the whole night from day 1 and within a couple of days there wasn't even a whimper at bedtime or throughout the night and she didn't go to the loo in the night at all. However, I might have just lucked out! I know lots of people on this forum sleep with the puppies in their bedroom, which the book that I am reading also recommends for the first 2 days which are the most important during the bonding process. I, however, didn't want her to get used to sleeping in the bedroom and then have to go through the seperation and more whining when I moved her out of the bedroom.
> 
> I think you have to go with what you think and your gut instinct as everyone does different things!!


i know people who had pupsy sleep thrugh the night no bother from day one. all of hours have spent the for couple of weeks in our room in a cratethen moved into the big crate in the porch with the other. 

you only take them out if they cry, dont wake them for a midnight pee.


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## Mrs Stevo (May 2, 2011)

I know it wasn't my post originally but this has helped me a great deal. Crate it is with the door shut - all I need to do now is decide where to put the crate!!! still getting there one decision at a time, thank goodness I have time to make them


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## Maxi (May 20, 2011)

The breeder recommended a crate so he could escape from the children when he wants some peace! Wish I had that luxury!


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## Mrs Stevo (May 2, 2011)

So do I might google that later, never know i might be able to get one then I could let Holly sleep in the bed and all difficult decisions made.....


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Hello from St Albans! Cockapoos must be popular here.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Maxi said:


> The breeder recommended a crate so he could escape from the children when he wants some peace! Wish I had that luxury!


Does nt that sound like fun ... I can remember when mine were little the luxury of having a soak in the bath ... Anyway I cant imagine being without a crate, especially while they are young, but i suppose it depends if you have anywhere else at home that can be confined, safe and washable. I just found from a peace of mind point of view that at night time and if you go out you know where they are and that they are safe. Have some rough idea of what you want and dont want to do and then see how it goes. Make it small enough for a bed without space for a toileting area, make it snuggy, warm and welcoming so they are happy to be there. Mable did nt cry when going to bed but cried some nights in the middle of the night cos she wanted a wee... took her outside no fuss, no playing did nt even turn the light on, out for a wee then back to bed. You'll be fine its hard work, tiring at first but you come out the other side...... and end up getting another lol x


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## holicon (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi, I put Coco in the crate from day one and keep the door shut. After 2 nights unsettled I left my slippers outside his crate and I never heard from him.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Hi...... another apricot baby, can't believe it. He is adorable.

I'm a meanie too - Flo was in the utility room, door shut with an open crate and a puppy pad to wee on as there was no way I was going to get up in the night after training 3 kids and only just getting the last of them out of my bed. I just cleaned up each morning and after 2 weeks she was old enough to hold on until let out in the morning.


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Maxi said:


> Hi Everyone,
> We collect our cockapoo Maxi on Monday. Very Excited.
> On the first night should we put him in his crate and shut the door or should he get used to it first? Theres so much conflicting information!


How exciting for you to get your puppy on Monday. 
Below is a crate training extract from our 'idiots guide' leaflet that we give with every puppy that leaves here. If you would like me to e-mail you the whole thing just send a brief request to [email protected] and I'll send it by return. It's just information covering all the questions we've ever been asked by new puppy owners.

Hope you have great joy from your new puppy.

Julia


*Crate training*

A crate or cage with a door can be treated like a ‘bed’ with a door. We as people see a ‘cage’, where as a puppy will see a safe sanctuary, cave or den. Place it in a convenient place close to the hub of the house and fairly close to the outside door. Shut the puppy in the crate for short periods as and when you choose BUT NOT ONLY when you are going to leave the puppy on it’s own. Make closing the door part of your daily routine (just for the first couple of months of training) when you are there so the puppy doesn’t associate shutting the door with being abandoned. At night make sure the puppy has been fed, played with then taken outside for the toilet before shutting it in FOR THE NIGHT. Put bedding in the back half and newspaper in the front half. A bowl of water, preferably fixed to the bars of the cage. This is an important lesson in house-training as this is to become the puppy’s bed/den and will be the first place it will try to keep clean. (Although staying reliably clean overnight could be immediate or may take a couple of weeks.) If puppy cries, yelps or makes a fuss, DO NOT GO TO HIM/HER and do not make eye contact, just ignore the puppy and continue doing your normal behaviour. If it’s in the kitchen and puppy has gone to bed and you need to put the kettle on, go ahead and do it and do not make eye contact or make communication. The same goes for a puppy that wakes up and makes a noise in the early hours, DO NOT GOT TO IT. Remember - your puppy will be happier if it adjusts to your ‘pack’/routine. If you adjust to the puppy then it will not understand your routine and sleepless nights could become the norm. If you stick with this guide then noisy nights will be kept to a minimum.

First thing in the morning take the puppy outside and stay with it for as many minutes as you are able. If you are lucky then you will see puppy going to the toilet and when it does, PRAISE it with great enthusiasm.

We would advise everyone to complete this part of the puppy’s education starting at 8 weeks old as it is extremely difficult to crate train an older dog. Even if you intended, long term, for the dog to sleep on your bed, there may be occasions when you NEED it to be in a crate. As a crate trained dog is settled when traveling in a car; is happy to sleep in a crate when circumstances require (maybe when staying away); when wet/muddy fresh from a walk can dry off for 20 minutes before coming into the house; will go to bed whenever it’s under your feet OR indeed if you were to have visitor that was not OK with dogs.


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Jukee Doodles said:


> Put bedding in the back half and newspaper in the front half. A bowl of water, preferably fixed to the bars of the cage. This is an important lesson in house-training as this is to become the puppy’s bed/den and will be the first place it will try to keep clean. (Although staying reliably clean overnight could be immediate or may take a couple of weeks.) If puppy cries, yelps or makes a fuss, DO NOT GO TO HIM/HER and do not make eye contact, just ignore the puppy and continue doing your normal behaviour.


Stephen and Julia -we are definitely going to crate train our little pup. I know you're going to provide us with the info sheet you mentioned above, but can I ask you a question now? At night, others have suggested you partition the crate so there's only room for the bed to encourage the pup to stay clean throughout the night. Your suggestion of putting bedding in the back and newspaper in the front is opposite to this, so what are your reasons for this? Is it because then you really don't have any reason to go to it in the night because you know it can toilet, so if it's crying it's for company which is obviously something you should ignore? I have to admit this is a good thing as it was the one thing I was concerned about - how would I know whether it's crying for company or for a wee? But would this slow down the toilet training process if it knows it can toilet at any time?

Thanks for your advice!
Harri


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

My breeder has told me to put the bed in one side of the crate and newspaper the otherside for weeing on as that is what the puppies have been used to. Also I'm not someone who relishes getting up in the night!


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

sharplesfamily said:


> Stephen and Julia -we are definitely going to crate train our little pup. I know you're going to provide us with the info sheet you mentioned above, but can I ask you a question now? At night, others have suggested you partition the crate so there's only room for the bed to encourage the pup to stay clean throughout the night. Your suggestion of putting bedding in the back and newspaper in the front is opposite to this, so what are your reasons for this? Is it because then you really don't have any reason to go to it in the night because you know it can toilet, so if it's crying it's for company which is obviously something you should ignore? I have to admit this is a good thing as it was the one thing I was concerned about - how would I know whether it's crying for company or for a wee? But would this slow down the toilet training process if it knows it can toilet at any time?
> 
> Thanks for your advice!
> Harri


The reason we say put half as bed and half as newspaper is to give the puppy chance to start making it's own decisions. We believe that it doesn't matter whether the puppy cries for attention or to wee if you take it out in the night it will register that 'crying = attention'. BUT some little puppies can't hold their wee all night and if you don't give them the newspaper area they are then forced to wee in their bed. That I'm pretty sure is something very few people want to encourage. It doesn't slow down the toilet training at all as the crate (sanctury/den) is the first place it will proactively want to keep clean, hence staying all night in the crate encourages them to control their toileting.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Jukee Doodles said:


> some little puppies can't hold their wee all night and if you don't give them the newspaper area they are then forced to wee in their bed. That I'm pretty sure is something very few people want to encourage. It doesn't slow down the toilet training at all as the crate (sanctury/den) is the first place it will proactively want to keep clean, hence staying all night in the crate encourages them to control their toileting.


Pleased to hear this advice as I think it can be a bit mean putting a very young puppy in a small closed crate with no option to relieve itself other than messing in it's bed which instinctively they don't want to do. I suppose a closed crate with no where to toilet is fine if you are prepared to get up during the night, the puppy can let you know when it needs to go or is able to hold on but it must be quite distressing for them to be closed in a crate they have messed in. Having a bed with somewhere nearby to toilet will have been what they are used to when with the litter and mum so a similar setup that they are used to and understand will make the early days easiest for them.


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## Langston (May 15, 2011)

I think the bst place to put a crate is in the wash room or in a small room whre the door can be closed. Never in the kitchen or in the living room,because peopl are usually in there and that could make them sad or angry,and cockapoos tend to be very sensitive.My dog Langston's crate is in my daughters room,and no one is ever in there.So when he needs to or even when he wants to he can be alone, and i think that keps them stress free.


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