diane303
Posted : 5/16/2007 9:14:38 AM
Dogs, generally, will not potty in a crate unless they were forced to stay in a crate all the time, i.e., a pet shop or puppy mill situation. They are naturally clean and prefer to potty away from where they eat and sleep. This is the whole point of crate training. It really has to be small enough to be just a little den for her. She should be able to stand up, lay down and turn around and no room for anything else. You can buy a larger crate that will accommodate her when she is older and barracade it off with a box.
An X-pen is too big (can poop in one corner and sleep in the other) and too easy to escape from. It's not easy to move, if you want your pup to sleep in your room.
Even when we trusted Trudy to sleep out of the crate at night (about 8 months), she would go into her crate with the door open and sleep there. Now she sleeps in her bed next to the door and Grace sleeps in HER bed next to the window in our bedroom.
Instead of paper, you can put towels that can be easily washed (remember that she will probably not go to the potty in the crate). You can put kongs and chewy toys. No water, though. As she gets trustworthy, she can be trusted out of the crate at night. Yes she was wimpering because she is being confined. Start by putting her in her crate for short periods of time, while you are there, and make it really positive by treating her praising her. Then leave for a couple of minutes and treat and praise her when you return. Increase time until she equates the crate will good things. Also, if you take it in your room at night, she will be able to see you and realize that her crate is her special place. [
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Honestly, get a crate, it works so much better, and remember it will serve her well when she gets older. Remember that when she has to be groomed or boarded, she will have to be in a crate. [
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There are a lot of good books on puppy rearing. The puppie training section of this forum is a good source of information, too. [
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