Going in Crate

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Going in Crate

Posted : 12/13/2006 1:47:28 PM

Hi Everyone,
So I need some help. Here's what's going on. We just got a second dog, Toby, to join our 2 year old Lucy. Toby is 10 weeks old today and has been with us for 1 week. He's a mutt, vet's not even sure what he is. He does pretty good when we are home, as we take him out ALL the time and praise like heck. Mind you he still goes in the house, but it's our fault for not acting premptively. He does appear to go through the night without any accidents. However, when I went to work on Monday, the first time since he's been with us, he peed and pooped in his crate. It was much too long for him I suspect. So yesterday and today we moved him to my mother's where I can make it there on lunch to let him out. She is there, but only for the next 2 weeks, after which she and my Dad move to Florida for the winter. So I'm not having her let him out, I'd like to get him in a routine. Yesterday he did just fine. Cried, but such is the life of a puppy. Today however when I arrived for lunch he had pooped in his cage.
My mother is very kind and will be letting him out to potty at 10 and 2 when she can, but I hate to burden her and it's only for 2 weeks.
As I see it here are our options:
1) Lock him in our kitchen with Lucy and some puppy pads. It's got a wood floor, but that's the best I can do. I would not make it home for lunch.
2) Let him free in my mother's garage with some puppy pads and risk him making a mess at my mother's house. I would make it home at lunch.
3) Continue to crate him, have Mom let him out at 10 and 2 and hope that he has developed some additional control by the time they leave in 2 weeks.

If you can think of ANYTHING else, or have ANY thoughts or suggestions I'd SO appreciate it. Toby is a great puppy, aside from the fact that whenever I greet him he seems to need a bath.

Thanks in advance!

jones

Posted : 12/13/2006 9:14:13 PM

I think you're really pushing the boundaries of his bladder control, if indeed he is only 10 weeks old. That young of a puppy can only hold it for about 3 hours usually. Four, maybe, but... it doesn't appear that he can handle that yet. And I definitely don't think he will be able to hold it all day in 2 weeks - more like 4 hours then. The "rule" for puppies is when confined they can hold their bladders for a max of # of months old + 1 for the total hours. Solutions - I think option "1" is the best of the three with the exception that I would probably separate Lucy. I know the point of the second dog was to be a companion to Lucy, but IMO it's too soon and he's too young for that arrangement just now.

vega1star

Posted : 12/13/2006 10:13:44 PM

Thanks Jones. I agree we were definately pushing it. Lucy never once had any problems in the cage and she was the same age when we got her. That's why we thought it would be ok. And yes, part of the reason for getting Toby was as a companion for Lucy, but we realized that would be some time down the road. Lucy was over a year before we left her out of her crate during the day. We were not afraid of her pottying, it was more for her own comfort and so she didn't tear things up. Then we eventually stopped closing the door and then she eventually stopped going in to rest so we moved it out a few months ago. We are still hoping this for Toby, but he is a different dog so we will have to give it a go a different way.
For now we will keep him at my mom's during the day I think, where he can be taken out every hour or two. I can be there every four hours after they are gone so we'll see if that works in a few weeks.
If you have any more thoughts please feel free to share. I would have never gotten through Lucy without all you guys when we first got her and she is simply splendid [

].
-Carla