Crate Training!

Hello,

We got our newfie puppy yesterday, and I know it's early days but want to start as we mean to go on!

We bought a crate that was deemed to be suitable for a Newfie, so quite a big crate. We got the puppy home, familiarised her with the house, then the garden, she did her 'business', lots of praise etc from us. We then put her in the crate and she fell asleep, and everything seemed fine.

We took her outside again just before bed at about 11:30, and she went. Through the night she whined, barked, screeched etc and we did our best to ignore it. My wife gave in after about 2 hours, took her outside (no action), and gave her some fresh water. She continued to make noise after going back into the crate. We took her outside again a couple of times, but nothing happened.

We both got up this morning at about 7:00 and she had messed in her crate. We have a blanket on one side and newspaper on the other. She had done it on the newspaper, and trodden in into her bed. We cleaned it up, and took her outside.

She has since been twice outside, and twice in her crate. My question is, how do we stop her going in her crate, or at least make her more concious about her crate being her 'home/bed'. Some people have said our crate is too big, and the puppy should be in a small crate so she will not want to go to the toilet in her bed. Would we be better getting a smaller crate and removing the newspaper from it?

But then if she has a small crate, wont she either use it as her toilet or bark and screech all night as she needs to go? Seems like we can't win!

Hello,

Hi Andy welcome to Dogsey . How old is your puppy, I am assuming it is around 8 weeks old? I will try to answer you, please don't take my reply as criticism none intended

We got our newfie puppy yesterday, and I know it's early days but want to start as we mean to go on!
Not sure what this means but often when people say 'starting as you mean to go on' it can mean a lack of flexibility and appreciation of a puppies needs.

We bought a crate that was deemed to be suitable for a Newfie, so quite a big crate. We got the puppy home, familiarised her with the house, then the garden, she did her 'business', lots of praise etc from us. We then put her in the crate and she fell asleep, and everything seemed fine.
How often are you taking your puppy out, she needs to go out after sleep/play/food/excitement/ first thing in the morning/last thing at night and about an hour after she last went out.

We took her outside again just before bed at about 11:30, and she went. Through the night she whined, barked, screeched etc and we did our best to ignore it. My wife gave in after about 2 hours, took her outside (no action), and gave her some fresh water. She continued to make noise after going back into the crate. We took her outside again a couple of times, but nothing happened.

If your puppy is just a few weeks old she will have left her dam and litter mates for the first time and will be scared and lonely, she is also 'unprotected' and will naturally cry to call her dam. Would you take a new baby home, stick it in a room on its own and expect it to be quiet all night ?

We both got up this morning at about 7:00 and she had messed in her crate. We have a blanket on one side and newspaper on the other. She had done it on the newspaper, and trodden in into her bed. We cleaned it up, and took her outside.
A small puppy can't be expected to go through the night without wanting to relieve itself, some do some don't if you aren't there to take it out it will soil in the crate.

She has since been twice outside, and twice in her crate. My question is, how do we stop her going in her crate, or at least make her more concious about her crate being her 'home/bed'. Some people have said our crate is too big, and the puppy should be in a small crate so she will not want to go to the toilet in her bed. Would we be better getting a smaller crate and removing the newspaper from it?
A puppy will naturally avoid soiling in its sleeping/eating area if at all possible and if you aren't going to get up and take it out in the night and it needs to relieve itself it needs two separate areas or it will be forced to soil its bed .

But then if she has a small crate, wont she either use it as her toilet or bark and screech all night as she needs to go? Seems like we can't win!
Yes but remember this is the equivalent of a human baby so this is to be expected.

when i was crate training jake, i found it both very hard and very easy. it was hard because i knew had to just leave him when he whined and cried, like mini said think of the pup as a baby. if you pick up a baby everytime they cry, they cannot learn to settle themselves. i hated leaving him to whine, and it broke my heart! but i had to. and it was easy because he got very used to his crate, very quickly.

you cant expect a young pup to hold her bladder all night, or expect her to let you know when she wants out. i got up every few hours with jake during the night, and let him out for his business. he was house trained by 11 weeks, and would only whine and bark during the night when he needed out (although he started that after about a week of being in the crate, but i think thats coz they hate to do their business in their bed). in time, she will get it but please dont expect too much from her. she is still young and in a new strange place.

I hardly ever have the problem of a puppy whining and crying. I always take a new puppy upstairs at night and have it next to my bed in a box. It goes to sleep quite quickly in the dark and the sound of a human breathing is very comforting for a vulnerable puppy which has just left the security and protection of its mother and littermates. The puppy will then wake and cry if it needs to go out and can be quickly taken out and returned to the box to sleep so no messy kitchens or prolonged crying.

Having the puppy with me also helps with the bonding process and gives the puppy chance to gain a little confidence before being left alone for a long period like all night. I find puppies which are not forced to be alone straight after leaving the dam don't have problems with separation, this is probably because they haven't had the chance to become fearful of being left alone.

I then gradually get the puppy used to being left alone for short periods during the day usually after a meal and a play when it is ready to sleep.

We have had a new puppy ever year since 1991, mostly Labs. Earlier we started them in a 36'' crate, but now a smaller one and blocked off to where the puppy doesn't have excess space, about 11 inches x 15 inches. That is plenty of room for the puppy to be comfortable, but limits activity. The more active the puppy, the sooner it needs to relieve itself. Depending on how old your puppy is, it may need a middle of the night trip outside for a few weeks. If you are not planning another puppy soon, find something to block off most of the crate. Even a cardboard box may do. Older puppies would chew one up. Get rid of the newspaper.

For at least the last dozen puppies we haven't had to endure the crying. At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate.

Much of what you are doing sounds like what has worked for us with many puppies except letting her out. Block off most of the crate, and lie down next to it when you put her in it. You may want to walk her around good on the last trip outside. That both stimulates her body to empty the bowels and bladder and tires her out so she sleeps.

I got a new puppy 9 weeks ago . For the first two weeks I took her into bed beside me she had after all just left her Mum and siblings and was in a new unfamiliar place so understandably frightened . She slept quite well and I could take her out when she needed to go . After two weeks I thought she was settled enough to move into her crate . I put her crate beside my bed and I expected a bit of whining to start with . I was amazed and surprised when she settled and slept all night . She has done this ever since . If she does whine I know it is for a reason and I take her out . I can honestly say I have found this method the most successful I have ever tried . Happy owner and happy puppy

Thank you for all the replies.

Minihaha: 'Start as we mean to go on' simply means that we want to ensure we do the best for the puppy from the start, not change things around after a few days/weeks etc which might confuse her.

She is 8 weeks old, and a big ball of fur at the moment (this won't last for long)!

We take her out almost every hour, and after feeding, drinking, playing and waking.

We did take her out through the night on the first night, but she didn't go. We didn't expect her to be quiet all night, we knew she would make a noise, but we are both so concerned that we do the right thing, and there is so much conflicting advice, especially regarding the crate. I guess there is no right or wrong, as long as the puppy is happy and kept safe.

Its finding the balance between going to see her to check she hasn't messed, and her thinking that making a noise will get attention. Last night was quite good. She barked for a couple of hours, then went quiet and at about 2am started barking again. We went to see her and she had been to the toilet at the end of her crate. I took her outside and my wife cleaned up the crate. She walked back into the crate and I wrapped my t-shirt over her that I had been wearing. She was quiet from then on.

We woke this morning at 6:45 and she was sat there looking all pleased with herself. We took her out and she went to the toilet and again, walked straight back towards the kitchen.

I think we had also been feeding her too much, and the breeder had 2 litters so constantly had food available. So the change to a structured feeding routine was also something for her to get used to.

We bought a kong to stuff treats in, but she doesn't seem to pay any attention to it. She would rather have my old clothes!

I just want to confirm that we don't expect anything from her, but we want to ensure we do everything right for her.

Be very careful with the old clothing and anything else she could shred later on. They can choke on the shreds or have intestinal blockages. Some dogs are fine, and some will shred anything you give them.

Hi Andy as I said in my earlier post no criticism intended, you would be amazed how for many people 'start as you mean to go on' frequently means stick the puppy in a crate and expect it to be be both clean and quiet all night.

At eight weeks I would have your puppy on 4 meals a day.
having a puppy with you to begin with at night cuts out all the uncertainty about when it needs to go out because you hear it the moment it makes a sound. For the rest of the time it sleeps quietly in the security of knowing it is not alone.

Ahh thanks for that, will remember it.

I am guessing you are talking from experience from a Lab? Indeed my brothers lab would rip any clothing to shreds within seconds, and would be inside her within minutes!

Our Newfie seems to like the smell, and snuggles into it. If she starts to shred it, I will remove it. She likes to take a little bite of my hand, and we are letting that go for now, but not sure how best to deal with it. I know it would be best to stop the 'play' and remove myself from her, but she just follows me, and stares with those massive eyes!