Crate Help

gar-dog · Post by **gar-dog** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:25 pm

OK, I am having a hard time differentiating between cries from the crate that mean "I want out" versus "I have to go to the bathroom." Our 7.5 week old pup has pooped twice in the crate tonight. I had ignored her cries as she had gone outside pretty soon before. We let her out again, cleaned up her and the crate, put her back in, and she did it again.

I anticipate a rough night - first night away from her 8 littermates.

We took food and water away around 8pm for the night.

We are talking softly some to her to soothe her. I am on the floor on the laptop now while she is in the crate next to me and she just drifted to sleep. Is it okay to keep them company a bit as they get comfortable in the crate? She is obviously udnergoing some separation anxiety.

Gosh what a doll though.... what a face!!!!

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:32 pm

Before putting in the crate at this age go outside to one area in the yard and hvae a potty spot
then once she has pottied then put her in the crate
then about 4 hours take her back out to potty during the night till she ages and gains control of her body
she does look a bit pudgy so she will have to get into a routine of feeding and potty
which when you take her out of the crate take her right to her potty spot out side and i mean carry her there

when you approach the kennel only move to it when she is quiet and not scratching and screaming

start this Now a whimper to go is one thing but getting your attenion cause she has to go to the bathroom but she can then be still in the kennel while you get her out

and no smoothingh her while she is crying as you will indirectly be rewarding the very behavior you want to stop

Don · Post by **Don** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:40 pm

I had someone on here tell me he put's the pup on the pillow next to him. I thought the guy was nut's. Then he told me the pup moving wakes him up to go out. Well I gritted my teeth and tried it with my new pup, works great. Being on the bed with you they are quite. Wakeing up and moving around get's them outside till they go. Only took me fourty years to learn that little trick!

gar-dog · Post by **gar-dog** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:40 pm

Thanks, so far this is what we have been doing, except for the soothing part just now. That's what was so surprising that she went in her crate so quickly, twice in a row, having gone outside before, and outside in between.
G

gar-dog · Post by **gar-dog** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:43 pm

Don, I am sure my wife would love to have the pup in bed with us. Funny, by 3-4am we have the cat in bed with us, and our 4 year-old has probably joined us by then! What a zoo...

Karen · Post by **Karen** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:51 pm

Gary, get her on a regular feeding schedule insted of free feeding. It will help you anticipate what she neds to do and will help get her on a bathroom schedule.

When I brought Chloe home at 8 weeks old there was no way she could last 4 hours. She absolutely had to go out every 2 hours around the clock for over a month, and for the first week or so I had to set my alarm or by the time she whined it was too late. It was a fun month.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:01 pm

Once you have a routine established 4 hours is not to long for a 7 week old pup provided they were allowed to potty out before being kenneled

We travel alot and I have yet to see it be a problem unless there was something medically wrong with the pup like irritable bowels or urinary infection or some other bladder problems

AT2 · Post by **AT2** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:02 pm

what is she being feed. We had our Cav on regular puppy chow for quite a while and she was like a poop factory. We put her on ProPlan for puppys when we brought home the Brittany and noticed a huge change in not only frequency but it was a much less runny poop. Also only a week after we got her on it I noticed her spots were darker and coat was getting longer and smoother. Just a thought. But like the others said she slept with my wife until I got home and then I took her out as required and she slept with me on the couch. Being crated for only 2 hrs between when I left for work and she got home from work. She also took to her crate longer and longer and at 4 mths can go 8 hrs easy. I know if we had crated her early on that she would have made a mistake in the crate. Which I heard could be hard to break if she started doing it. We took her on leash to the same spot like someone else said. That helped her with being comfortable on a leash as well.

Good luck and be patient.
Great looking pup BTW

bobman · Post by **bobman** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:55 am

Don wrote:I had someone on here tell me he put's the pup on the pillow next to him. I thought the guy was nut's. Then he told me the pup moving wakes him up to go out. Well I gritted my teeth and tried it with my new pup, works great. Being on the bed with you they are quite. Wakeing up and moving around get's them outside till they go. Only took me fourty years to learn that little trick!

I've been doing that for many years, way easier, you get some sleep the pup gets some sleep, and it really helps the bonding.

I know whats hes saying though about the 4 year old and the cat, my solution was to buy a california king size bed.

gar-dog · Post by **gar-dog** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:29 am

Well last night wasn't so bad. The dog stirred at 2:30 am and I took her out. Not a peep again. I woke her and took her out at 6:15am and the crate was dry.

She is on Pro Plan Puppy. We just got her at noon yesterday so no feeding schedule has really been established by us. I think we will leave the food out for an hour and then pick it up, three times a day, until she figures out eat or its gone.

Thanks all!
Gary

meegvaj · Post by **meegvaj** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:07 am

I just got my GSP puppy sunday and my breeder told me to fill a water bottle with warm water, wrap it in a towl, and place it into the crate. The warmth seems to give them comfort without their litter mates or sleeping in my bed. This worked well since the first night. The puppy slept from 10 pm until 5 am with no accident. The second night he got up at 3 am to potty and then went right back to sleep. The past two nights he slept until 7 am. He's had 2 pee accidents and no poop accidents in the crate.

I hope this helps.