New puppy advice needed

Hi

We are getting our first puppy in a few weeks, having not had a puppy before I just wanted some advice mainly to do with toilet training

Is it best to get puppy pads and leave them down or does this encourage them to go in the house? Or should you just put the puppy in the garden as soon as you see it going to the toilet, so it knows that's where it should go?

Regarding crate training, we are going to get a crate for the living room. Will the puppy need to be locked in the crate over night? If so what happens with it needing to go to the toilet as I believe it wont want to mess in the crate?

On the first night we have him, should be lock him in the crate when we go to bed or is it best for him to have a few days getting used to the crate before we lock him in?

Thanks in advance

Personally I wouldn't use pads. Take him out every hour or so, and always right after eating, playing or napping. Take him out whenever you see any signs of needing to go such as sniffing the floor or going round in circles.

Lots of praise for going outside of course. You can also include a command such as 'go wee wee' as he does it, then lots of praise. He should soon associate the two which is handy for getting him to go when you need him to such as before bed.

You need to watch him like a hawk all the time, if you can't be watching him for any significant period I'd pop him in his crate where he shouldn't go (obviously take him outside first and after). Your aim is to get him outside before he goes as much as you possibly can. If you catch him going, just say a firm no/ah-ah (never shout or get angry, this might just make puppy afraid to go with you around) and take him out. If you discover an accident, just clean it up and try your best to act normal. There is no point in doing anything about it after the fact. Clean it up properly with something like biological washing solution or some product designed to get rid of the smell.

We used the crate and shut the door right away when ours was a puppy, and put her out very late and got up very early to let her out again and that worked fine. You could always put the crate in your bedroom with you at first if you're worried (and gradually move it away later if you don't want him sleeping in your room forever).

Also I personally wouldn't leave the door open all the time, I think having to open the door each time you go out helps the dog separate outside from inside as well as helps teach them to ask to go out.

I've always found that taking them outside when they need the loo and they soon get the hang of it, I have never used puppy pads. I have also used crates and really you need to put pup in from day one, with the door locked over night or if you are out. Leave the door open at other times and pup should get used to knowing it is it's bedroom and take it's self off for a sleep in the basket. I always covered my crate over with a blanket when I was out and over night. Make sure the crate is big enough for a basket and bowl of water to go in. They soon get the hang of it and all being they are not left for hours & hours usually do not do any mess in them

thanks for your advice, I was just worried about leaving him all night if he needed to go to the toilet in the middle of the night & didn't know how long he could hold it

I don't mind him being with us in our bedroom but didn't know if he would settle that way. Eventually we would want him to sleep in our room anyway but thought maybe we should set some boundaries, what do you think?

You are right - pup might not be able to hold on all night. Of course much depends upon the time of the last outing and the time you get up in the morning. Most crates are not big enough to accommodate a separate section at the end where newspaper can be laid. It may be best to acquire a puppy pen which is large enough for a bed, a bowl of water and a piece of newspaper just in case. You will certainly get good use out of it, particularly when you need to leave him.

More often than not, as long as you get up early and take pup into the garden immediately he will be dry and clean very quickly. Don't waste time going to the loo yourself - he will hear you as soon as you stir and will not be able to hold on. Go straight to him and carry him outside. This has always worked for me.

Hi DaisyBoo, welcome to the wonderful world of puppy training, with regards to overnight wee-wees, you'll have to get up at least once during the night as pups have tiny bladders and will need to wee every couple of hours, here's a little bit of info from the Kennel Club, good luck, x

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog-or-puppy/general-advice-about-caring-for-your-new-puppy-or-dog/toilet-training-for-puppies/

Ok thanks everyone for the advice just getting different opinions from different people.

So should I..

leave him all night in the crate just a wee before bed & a wee early morning

Leave him in the crate but get up in the night

Leave him in the crate with a pen attached & put pads down

Thanks

It's your choice but I'd go for the first and last options. You will hopefully find that in a few weeks time puppy should start to get dry at night as long as the nights aren't too long.

We used to put a pad at one side of the cage and her blanket at the other. She would wee on the pad (most of the time!) if she needed to. What puppy are you getting? I have some puppy pads if you would like them?

We used to put a pad at one side of the cage and her blanket at the other. She would wee on the pad (most of the time!) if she needed to. What puppy are you getting? I have some puppy pads if you would like them?

we are getting a cavalier king Charles spaniel. I already have some pads from our old dog who used to wee in the house a lot due to the medication he was on but thank you very much for the offer

Hi Daisyboo,

We put i puppy in a crate thats big enough to have a small plastic bed in (with a blanket in it) and then newspaper/puppy pad. So in the night she gets out of the bed bit and does it on the paper/pad.

In the day we are training her to go outside.

We have done this with all our dogs and its worked. That way they dont wee/poo on their bed blanket in the night but you are training them to go out in the day. Its never caused any confusion with mine.

Like this top photo (ive not read the article, its just the photo which is how we set ours up)

http://www.britishcockapoosociety.com/crate-training.html

I never used puppy pads for my Cairn puppy. I just took her into the garden to spend a penny at frequent intervals, until she was used to going out. At night I put some newspaper down in case of "accidents", until she was properly toilet trained - it didn't take long for that not to be necessary. I must confess that I never used a crate. I took my puppy out to spend a penny last thing at night before I went to bed, usually around midnight (sometimes later) and then as soon as I got up in the morning - which would be at 6 am. She soon got used to that routine and it's one I kept up.

And yes, my dog slept in the bedroom, in her own bed, from puppyhood onwards.

By the way, good luck with leaving your puppy in the crate all night. You are aware that it will be crying for its mother aren't you. You will need to be tough to resist that pitiful little voice.