# Help - Crate ... to wee or not to wee?



## dogtastic (Jun 12, 2011)

I'm going to order a 36" crate for Biscuit online today. My question is when she is very little should the crate just be for sleeping in, or should we put newspaper in the front half for overnight? Very confused 

Biscuit is already used to going in a crate with the door closed at night at the breeders. She goes in at 10pm and is let outside first thing in the morning. She has free run of the patio and garden so copies the older dogs doing wees and poos outside, but surely she won't be able to hang on all night in her crate without an event or too to welcome us in the morning 

Please help - what does everyone else do at first. Best wishes, Karen x


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

a puppy should nvere be taught to pee in the crate. kf the puppy crys you get up take her out get her to pee thdn back in the crate. have a kong or something made up to belp them settle back to sleep. 

dont make a fuss when you have them out, they are out for the toilet and nothing more.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

I got a 36 inch ... you can get a divider to make it smaller, so she has a snuggy safe place to sleep, but I just put a large box in and covered it with a towel, which you can then remove as they get bigger. Both of mine squeeked in the night when they needed a wee and to start with they'd done it before I got there. But I would take them outside no fussinfg or playing change the bedding then put them back ... this did nt last long and not every night. Others are lucky enough to have pups able to hold it all night x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi Karen, I really sympathise - there is such a divide on this and I got quite stressed about what to do, especially being a first time dog owner. In the end I went with what stephen at jukes doodles recommended which was to have half the cage with a bed and half with newspaper. The dog will then try to hold it but has the facility to go if he can't wait. He made the point of saying that whether they are crying to go to the loo or crying for attention you are still attending to them which they may get used to. I just thought it was better to try this method first as not great at getting up in the night!! You can always change things if it isn't working I figured. Good luck
Colin


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## raywendy18 (Apr 26, 2011)

Ditto. I followed Stephen's advice too. I never went to her at night but she had the facilities inher crate to go if need be. The first few nights the crate was a real mess as she had jumped up & down in the poo so it was everywhere then afater a few days she just weeed in there, and today.....HOORAY  here i am (after having Pippa a week & a bit) feeling 'well chuffed' as Pippa had a dry pad this morning!!!! Whatever you chose to do, still with it as they'll get there in the end - now i've just got to crack the weeing & pooing in the kitchen/diner now!!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

I went with the Jukee Doodle advice on crate training and it worked a treat for us. Within three nights he was clean. I guess it's the fact that they really don't like soiling their bed area that gets them there a bit quicker. The mornings were on the early side ....approx 5.30 (I usually get up at 6am anyway) but they soon settle down and sleep longer. Just like a baby/toddler really!

I would have thought if Biscuit already has a crate routine set by the breeder then it would be worth continuing?

Karen and Rufus x


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Have you thought about buying a 30" crate first? We did that and then upgraded Lolly to a 36" one when she was 18 weeks old. Buying them both new from ebay cost less than one new one from a pet shop. Lolly only weed in her crate the first night and has gone through the night ever since (from around 11.30pm to 6.30am although she can hold it longer than that now)


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## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

I followed JD advice as I did not want to go down to Keltie during the night. We've had a few completely clean nights and a few where she's used the puppy pad, but I know as she gets older she'll have better control. I wouldn't like to stress her out by not leaving the puppy pad in the crate. The only possible problem is tonight she took herself into her crate about 8.30pm as she was worn out from playing and has moved from her basket to lie flat out on the puppy pad - perhaps I need to explain to her she's sleeping in the wrong half!!!!


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## dogtastic (Jun 12, 2011)

Thank you all so much for replying - there is a real divide of opinion!

We really don't want to get up in the night as we are sleep deprived anyway. We have to wait up until midnight to do a blood test on my son who has type 1 diabetes. If all is ok we can go to bed, if not we have to deal with problem, wait up and retest - alarm goes off at 6.45am on a school day. We usually only average 6 hours sleep if we're lucky so can't cope with any less 

So, I think we'll follow JD's advice of putting newspaper or pad in the front half of the crate and see how we get on. Biscuit will be shut in her crate at night as this is what she is used to plus our house is open plan downstairs so lots of space for wees and poos  Best wishes, Karen x


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## drsummer (Jul 13, 2011)

We always put our new cockapoo puppy in the crate at night and sometimes during the day. We would walk our cockapoo puppy before we went to bed, then would get up one time in the middle of the night to walk her. Very soon, she was able to make it through the night in her crate without having an accident. We put a sheet over the crate only at night so it was dark and quiet. 

During the day, the trick is to keep your puppy with you so that if she has an accident, you can catch her in the act of the accident, firmly tell her no in a deep voice, then run her outside. Don't scold her unless you catch her having the accident. If you don't catch her, clean it up, and spray the spot with Nature's Miracle. 

If we couldn't keep her with us and keep an eye on her because we were busy, then she went in the crate for a bit until we could keep an eye on her. 

Also, if she was taken outside for a walk, but didn't go to the bathroom outside, then came inside and had an accident right away, then we would put her in the crate for a bit, then walk her, and continue this until she went to the bathroom outside (so she didn't have a chance to have another accident in the house). 

Every time we left the house, she was also crated. Also, walk your dog a lot..so she has a good chance of going outside. 

Our dog gets frisky (bites at pants, gets mouthy, nibbles on your hands) when she has to poop. we often know before she does! 

good luck and be patient. It is a process. if you are diligent, it will pay off.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

dogtastic said:


> Thank you all so much for replying - there is a real divide of opinion!
> 
> We really don't want to get up in the night as we are sleep deprived anyway. We have to wait up until midnight to do a blood test on my son who has type 1 diabetes. If all is ok we can go to bed, if not we have to deal with problem, wait up and retest - alarm goes off at 6.45am on a school day. We usually only average 6 hours sleep if we're lucky so can't cope with any less
> 
> So, I think we'll follow JD's advice of putting newspaper or pad in the front half of the crate and see how we get on. Biscuit will be shut in her crate at night as this is what she is used to plus our house is open plan downstairs so lots of space for wees and poos  Best wishes, Karen x


Because your up till midnight anyway id take the pup out as late as possible to do her business hopefully that way she will be able to sleep longer without needing to go??


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

DONNA said:


> Because your up till midnight anyway id take the pup out as late as possible to do her business hopefully that way she will be able to sleep longer without needing to go??


I agree Donna - I'm sure if you take puppy out in the garden near midnight and then again as soon as you wake before 7 you will find puppy will soon last the whole night without needing to go. 
We made the decision not to get up to Lolly and she went through the night without needing a wee from night 2


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

We went to bed as late as possible when we first got Dexter -about midnight, so he did his last wee then. I'm not someone who could even entertain the idea of getting up in the night to my puppy after doing it with 3 children! I got up to him at 6 am to let him out of his crate for his morning wee and he always made it through the 6 hours from 8 weeks old ( I never took his water away as that seemed so cruel). Now of course he can go for much longer so the late nights and early starts didn't last too long.


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

tessybear said:


> We went to bed as late as possible when we first got Dexter -about midnight, so he did his last wee then. I'm not someone who could even entertain the idea of getting up in the night to my puppy after doing it with 3 children! I got up to him at 6 am to let him out of his crate for his morning wee and he always made it through the 6 hours from 8 weeks old ( I never took his water away as that seemed so cruel). Now of course he can go for much longer so the late nights and early starts didn't last too long.


Sounds like you did the same as us  Lolly has full access to water in her crate and we can now go to bed ealier if we want to  (although hubby is a bit of a night owl anyway!) When we first started to get up in the mornings we could only just get the back door open in time for her (My son would open the crate while I opened the back door!) You soon notice when they are more desperate to be fussed than to go to the toilet!


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