Advantage of crates for puppies?

[Patchworkpony]

Can you please tell me the advantage of crates to house train a puppy. Also what is the best way to use this method with regard to hours to leave puppy at night until morning? I’m not keen on crates but I can see the advantages.

 

[NinjaPony]

Someone else can help with the house training much more than me, but I can assure you that my little dog LOVES her crate. She only goes in at bed time, and will take herself off there and wait for the door to be closed. She’s always had a bedtime treat in there which probably helps. She’s been a great sleeper all her life and the crate is her safe place. We even have a pop up one for travelling, as she settles so well with it no matter where we go.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Because even in the litter box, a well reared/stable litter will sleep in one area and toilet somewhere else.
Transfers to crate/outside crate, then house/outside house or kennel/outside the kennel, depending on what way you keep them.

I have three dogs, all crate trained and all of which have been pretty much dry in the house and overnight since day one and never go in their kennel runs either.

It teaches them a differentiation between being awake and active and being asleep and calm and that it's ok to spend time alone.

Added bonuses are that protects them from eating household things which might harm them and sets them up well for travelling and staying away/in strange places overnight/having to be rested in case of injury/having to stay at vets.

I always put mine in and out throughout the day with a handful of kibble or a Kong or other toy to create a positive association and in the beginning let out overnight every couple of hours or whenever I hear a toilet squeak, and then extend that as the pup grows. Leave a covering of water overnight, not a full bowl.

My current pup is four months old and can now go eight hours overnight. Has also never toileted or been sick in car and comes to the office a couple of times a week.

 

[Carlosmum]

Our 3 are all crated, very useful when we have to leave the house for a while. The youngest ( she's 2 )is still crated during the day if we are going to be away for more than an hour because she is a thief, though this is now being reduced. Also useful if visitors arrive that aren't sure of dogs. We also shut them in their crates at night, kitchen is not secure and I don't want dogs in the bedroom. You don't have to use the crate but if the dogs are happy in there it is soooo useful. PS Ours are always given a treat when being popped in.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I can't put it any better than CC but can reiterate that ours who have been crate trained (2xRottweilers and 2 x Labradors) look on the crates as their safe place. The Labs also share a giant dog bed with the remaining Rott and love to cuddle up all together but the black Lab, especially likes to choose to sit in the crate by herself from time to time. They also know the routine and will put themselves 'to bed' at the appropriate times. They always get a food reward for going to bed in the crate.
We actually only stopped using the crate routinely with the Rott when we needed them for the Labs, she was aged 6.

 

[TGM]

I think of a crate for a puppy as being like a cot for a baby. Somewhere secure you can put them for a sleep, in the knowledge they can't get into mischief if they wake up without you noticing! It helps house training as well as has been pointed out above as they don't like to toilet in their own bed. They usually want to empty their bladder when they wake up, so if in a crate they are likely to hold on a little bit until they are taken out, or make a noise which will prompt the owner to take them outside. If they are not confined, then they will often wake up un-noticed and quietly toddle out of their bed and toilet on the house floor!

The night time routine we followed with both our pups in the first week was late night toilet trip at midnight, pop in the crate overnight, then husband would let out when he got up at 5.30am, then back in the crate til I got up about 6.30-7am. Once that was going well we were able to bring the night toilet trip forward to 10pm. And with the latest pup we very soon found that she didn't want to be woken up for the 5.30am trip either! Both pups were fully house trained by 10 weeks old.

 

[Patchworkpony]

Wow these are very positive replies - thank you. CC that is so good that your current pup can go 8 hours overnight, what breed is it. Can I ask do pups ever wee or poop in their crate? I had a friend with a pup that just used to wee all the time in its crate even though she got up in the night. Are some breeds easier than others?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The Labs were clean and dry overnight within the first couple of weeks but the Rotts took longer. We decided that the puppy pads were encouraging them to wee, so removed them and that solved that problem. We did use them for the Labs but they chewed them up instead of using them for their intended purpose, so we soon stopped using those!

 

[CorvusCorax]

We had a couple of silent widdles in the first ten days to a fortnight but dried up after that. She is a GSD so a bigger bladder than some others. Some breeds and types are definitely trickier, and as I said the formative weeks are super important, if they're just used to going wherever in early weeks, they'll do it in their new home as well.
I have a CCTV still at 5 weeks where ten pups are sleeping on the tiles and have pooed on the sawdust. They had it the wrong way around but got the idea.

 

[Goldenstar]

Note to self don’t buy puppy pads for new lab puppy .

I do use a crate .
I have a large one in the kitchen which I use if I go out during the day .
and smaller at night which I find makes the house training quicker.

If it’s done right a crate becomes a quiet warm safe place for a small puppy and they will go in themselves for down time .
I also think crates are important for the puppies if you have adult dogs in the house and have to leave the puppy .
I also need to have one until the pups are too big to get out the cat flap .

 

[TGM]

Can I ask do pups ever wee or poop in their crate?

My first pup did once when she had an upset tum and was very loose, but otherwise no. Both mine have been sighthounds - a lurcher and a whippet - and very easy to house-train.

 

[Sandstone1]

Crates are good if used correctly. What I do hate though is if they are used just to shut the pup away for hours on end.
They can help with house training etc but I have seen them used to just keep the dog out of the way etc. Thats fine for a short time but not for hours and hours. My dogs are part of the family and I like them with me. Yes there are times when they need time out etc but one of my pet hates is dogs shut in crates for ages.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I don't think any-one is advocating shutting pups in crates for hours on end. Ours are crated overnight (roughly 11 -7) and during the day if they are to be left without supervision. Considering the damage a Lab can do in the time it takes for the owner to walk across the room, I think is not just reasonable but wise.

We have certainly house-trained pups without crates but the last 2 pairs have definitely been easier.

 

[Sandstone1]

I don't think any-one is advocating shutting pups in crates for hours on end. Ours are crated overnight (roughly 11 -7) and during the day if they are to be left without supervision. Considering the damage a Lab can do in the time it takes for the owner to walk across the room, I think is not just reasonable but wise.

We have certainly house-trained pups without crates but the last 2 pairs have definitely been easier.

Yes as I said they have a place if used correctly. Im not against them when used in the proper way but I have seen them used incorrectly which is what I hate.

 

[SOS]

Advantages: your dog isn’t absolutely terrified when it goes to a vet and HAS to be locked up in a kennel at some point in its life for a routine op or an emergency/illness. Yes crate training doesn’t guarantee they won’t be scared but we can tell straight away those that have to those that haven’t. It’s an incredibly stressful experience for dogs that have never been confined.

Whilst at it please teach your dog to walk on a lead, meet lots of strangers and touch him everywhere - paws, mouth, lift the tail. Less stressed pets = better and more accurate physical exams = better diagnosis and treatment.

 

[windand rain]

It also makes vets stays easier on the dog if it crate trained vets crate dogs. If you have a sick dog that needs a stay at the vets and it has never been in a crate it adds to the stress. I crate train have never had a pup pee in its bed or for that matter in the house if you watch them well they learn quickly but I have always had gundogs or newfoundlands which would be a lot of pee Cross posted with SOS

 

[Goldenstar]

I laughing and remembering my one of parents dogs Topaz coming to my house and her whole face lighting up , she had correctly identified her crate except she was now six and we where using it for a new pup .
She proceeded to squeeze in where she ended up as a Labrador shaped cube .

 

[{97702}]

It would never occur to me to use a crate for house training purposes - for me, a crate is a safe space for the puppy to be put so I know he isn’t chewing something he shouldn’t be!

Colin was clean overnight from the start, he hasn’t been crated overnight since about day 3

 

[Goldenstar]

House training a pup using crating works well it speeds the process up some dogs learn slower than others and the restricted space works wonders .
Dram was a dream to house train I have had others that where much more difficult
Another advantage of crate training is that you can travel and stay away with a puppy much quicker and with less worry than if they don’t understand crates .
I started with crates when I was competing a lot the crate went in the truck and the pup went in the crate when we where busy .
inhave stayed in hotels and with friends when I would not have dreamed of taking a pup without a crate .
I have Labs and some Labs are epic chewers crates make the life a lot easier for the car ! .

 

[windand rain]

Actually GS my lab has never chewed anything but think that is because she had her own toys which she took into the crate, including the kids toys and food left on the coffee table. Went out for two hours to do the ponies the other day and the toddler had left his biscuit on the coffee table near the edge it was still there when we came back and Willow was asleep on the sofa

 

[On the Hoof]

I agree with CC and most above but would point out that the crate must not be too large for the pup or they will pee in one part and sleep in the dry bit - if you are getting a pup that will be large when grown you need to get a divider so that the sleeping space is just large enough for them not to want to wet it and keep moving the divider as pup grows to full size or when dry overnight.

 

[palo1]

Wow these are very positive replies - thank you. CC that is so good that your current pup can go 8 hours overnight, what breed is it. Can I ask do pups ever wee or poop in their crate? I had a friend with a pup that just used to wee all the time in its crate even though she got up in the night. Are some breeds easier than others?

I think crates make life so much easier if used properly - for house training and creating a calm, safe space. Red Irish Terrier decided at about 4 months I think that he was done with the crate for the house but he will happily travel or settle in one if he is asked to which is enormously reassuring for the future. Having had to crate a dog for 8 weeks after surgery previously I don't think I would ever want to not crate train a pup now! It also meant that I could be certain that my older dog was completely well adjusted to a puppy in the house without any worrying incidents and the pup in the crate gave her a break too!!

 

[Patchworkpony]

I agree with CC and most above but would point out that the crate must not be too large for the pup or they will pee in one part and sleep in the dry bit - if you are getting a pup that will be large when grown you need to get a divider so that the sleeping space is just large enough for them not to want to wet it and keep moving the divider as pup grows to full size or when dry overnight.

I didn’t realise that. My instinct would have been to go for as large a crate as possible.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Think of it as a back bedroom rather than a master, with en suite and home gym

 

[Patchworkpony]

Think of it as a back bedroom rather than a master, with en suite and home gym

Sounds sensible.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes you need a small crate for overnight for sure .
I have two the night crate ( which also fits in the car ) and the day crate much larger and also of course could be used for night as the pup grows .
you can pick up crates second hand easily one of mine I bought at the local sale room and the other I bought at the RSPCA charity shop .
I am excited I have a six day old little person growing up with Mum to come home in January .

 

[CorvusCorax]

Oh gawd, I have....

One XXL wire (folded in garage, for travelling)

One M wire (puppy using at the moment in hall)

Two XXL airline (in kitchen)

One XL airline (on back seat of van)

Double dog box in the rear of van.

Canvas carrier at work

And very small plastic carrier for when pup was a baby.

Plus the kennel runs outside and umpteen beds ?

I may need an intervention lol....you can get second hand airline crates from kennels which handle quarantine/travel.

 

[TGM]

Yes you need a small crate for overnight for sure .
I have two the night crate ( which also fits in the car ) and the day crate much larger and also of course could be used for night as the pup grows .

I did similar, had a cheap, portable plastic crate plus a full size metal one. The plastic one was great for travelling a small pup, and could be easily moved around the house to wherever it was needed, and when pup outgrew it she graduated to the metail one.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Yes as I said they have a place if used correctly. Im not against them when used in the proper way but I have seen them used incorrectly which is what I hate.

I know someone who rehomed a lovely Staffy bitch, who had spent about 23 hrs per day in a small crate for the first almost 2 yrs of her life. The poor thing had life-long physical problems because her muscles had not developed properly and she did not enjoy going for a walk. However she lived until she was 10 and although, when she first visited our house with a crate set up, she wouldn't go anywhere near it, in fact at first she was wary about entering the room, over time she got so that she would go in and explore and occasionally go and sit in there for short periods. She always preferred to sit on the settee though

 

[Goldenstar]

I travel a very small puppy in my largest cat carrier .