I haven't even gotten our hav yet and I am trying to prepare the best I can. Question is should I put a blanked in the crate while I am trying to house train him? I have gotten mixed messages: blanket will make him more comfortable or a blanket might tempt him to use it to pee or poop in. What do you think?
crate training question
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·I always put a fleece pad or blanket in the crate and a plush toy so they have something to snuggle with. We use potty pads so I take the puppy to the pad right before they go to bed...after they potty I tuck them in for the night. Baby puppies will have accidents, but they learn quickly...at least that has been my experience. We usually put the water bowl up about one hour before bedtime.
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·My dogs are trained to go outside or use potty pads...which makes it nice when we travel. I keep the potty pad in a tray in the laundry room. We never have accidents because they always have access to the pads.
One more suggestion...have you purchased an ex-pen? I have found that ex-pens really help with housebreaking. An ex-pen is like a baby's playpen. It keeps the puppy safe and in a controlled area. You can set up the pen with a crate or doggie bed, some toys, a water bowl and a potty pad. The puppy learns to use the pad for their business and the crate or doggie bed for comfort
. After they use the pad, praise them BIG TIME and offer a treat if you want to and then let them out to explore and play. The ex-pen provides them with a little structure, but gives them more room to stretch and play than a crate.
One more suggestion...have you purchased an ex-pen? I have found that ex-pens really help with housebreaking. An ex-pen is like a baby's playpen. It keeps the puppy safe and in a controlled area. You can set up the pen with a crate or doggie bed, some toys, a water bowl and a potty pad. The puppy learns to use the pad for their business and the crate or doggie bed for comfort
. After they use the pad, praise them BIG TIME and offer a treat if you want to and then let them out to explore and play. The ex-pen provides them with a little structure, but gives them more room to stretch and play than a crate.
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I used and Xpen for both my pups and it worked wonderfully. I opened it up and clasped the sides to each side of the open crate, so the pup could just walk into the crate to sleep yet had the pads at the other end of the pen, away from the sleeping area. We purchase a piece of linolium - not too expensive - at Home depot and put it underneath on the kitchen floor. Since my floor is wood, it protects it while they are training. It is a great place to put them when they need a nap, or you cant keep a close eye on them. Once we started to see nothing on the pads at night, then I would put the pup in the closed crate for short periods, and eventually the pads were gone & they went outside exclusively. The xpen & crates are great training tools - I think.
I haven't purchased an xpen, but my laundry room is right off the kitchen and I am planning on putting a gate at the door with his crate etc. while I am not at home or when I can't keep an eye on him. That should work the same I think and I can put the puppy pads down in there. thanks.
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We ALWAYS use expens. The amount of free space they have, and in addition the potty area, is most important for potty training. The laundry room will probably be too big to start with. To us, no accidents on the floor is the right number. With a single 10 week old puppy we will even fold the expen in to a 2x4 foot size with a litter box in one end. They naturally don't want to soil their sleeping area but will go a few feet away. We use this instinct to start training pups as soon as they start toddling around. They don't stay in the expen all the time. Just when they can't be watched all the time, to sleep, to eat, and to potty. The best incentive of all for them learning to "go potty" on command is to go over beside the box or pad end and say "go potty" stoically and with no other postive reinforcement until they do. Then pick the pup up and make much over it and let him/her out to play for a while. These are very smart dogs and they learn quick that going potty on command brings happy results. No baby talk before going potty. Of course it works best when you know they have to go-like right after they wake up. I can have a 10 week old pup squatting on command, even if it doesn't have to, in 2 or 3 evenings. Potty training comes before house training. To me leaving one loose in a room, even a small one, is asking for house training before you have acheived potty training. JB Pets has the best price on expens. We use the 2' ones for puppies which are easy for people to step over if needed.
Oh, I didn't understand potty training vs. house training until you just explained it that way. Okay, I got it now, that makes sense. I got a "manual" on the internet written by Fiona Kelly that has been helpful to and I didn't understand the difference between potty training and house training. This is so helpful. Thanks.
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I would most def. put a blanket in the crate. You dont want them sleeping on a hard crate. My havs like to be cozy they always move the blankets around with their nose to get them just right.
But my two think a crate means they are going somewhere. I have both of mine in bed with me. They are spoiled.
But my two think a crate means they are going somewhere. I have both of mine in bed with me. They are spoiled.
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Carol,
In the photos, its hard to keep their hair out of the face. I use Hairspray some on Stogie,. With Goldies cut, she is ok now.
For every photo like my avatar, there is one with Stogies hair falling into his face. I just brush it back and spray it,, and they try and hurry to take the photo. They HATE their hair being down in their eyes.
When Goldie was longer she would pout if her hair was not up and Stogie cant see, he will run into things. All I have to say is "Lets put your hair up", they run and put their head on my lap, its so cute!
My guys started sleeping in the bed from day one. We put Goldie in her crate and she made it for about 20 minutes and I got weak. Im lucky they are both great bed dogs.
In the photos, its hard to keep their hair out of the face. I use Hairspray some on Stogie,. With Goldies cut, she is ok now.
For every photo like my avatar, there is one with Stogies hair falling into his face. I just brush it back and spray it,, and they try and hurry to take the photo. They HATE their hair being down in their eyes.
When Goldie was longer she would pout if her hair was not up and Stogie cant see, he will run into things. All I have to say is "Lets put your hair up", they run and put their head on my lap, its so cute!
My guys started sleeping in the bed from day one. We put Goldie in her crate and she made it for about 20 minutes and I got weak. Im lucky they are both great bed dogs.
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Melissa can you use any kind of Hair spray ? Yoda hates Im mean HATES his hair up the second I let him down he runs all threw the house rubbing his head all over every thing he can fine to get the hair peice out.9 times out of 10 he gets most of his hair out of the band.Thats why his head is soooooo fuzzy its all his fault LOL I have been holding on to him for like 10 mins just for I can see what he looks like with his hair out of his face.I even correct him when he is doing it so he sneaks now he rubbs a little and looks at me like Im not doing it.What a stinker he is LOL I dont let him see me laughing cause he will do it more.Its so hard to keep a straight face at times . He will smile at me at times trying to get my attendtion waggs his tail like look at me you know you cant stay mad at me for long .And normally he is right but I dont let him know it.Any ideas on how I can get him not to rub his head? I know crates do not work with Yoda I have a 200 series and he hates it I think he was tramasied from when he flew to me the crate was so tiny . the cat crate I had was bigger than the one he came in. I am getting a wire crate soon I am hoping to get him train for it.maybe the open feeling might help him.Since I am going to try to show him he needs to learn that crates are good. Susan
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Sherman, I have mine sleeping in the bed also. From the first night I brought him home at 8 weeks old. I usually place him in bed at around 11:30pm to midnight after I take him outside and make sure he does his business and he lays down and goes right to sleep till about right at 7:00am when he will lick you are make a little whining noise to let you know he is ready to go do his business outside. Never once in over a week so far has he went potty in the bed or the house course I watch him in the house like a hawk, plus spend alot of time with him outside playing which he loves to do.
Before I put him outside. I always place him down by the door where the wife has hung some little round christmas bells on the door handle and grab his paw to ring the bells as i say "Outside". This morning for the first time, I placed him by the door and he nudged the bells with his nose. I had to give him alot of praise for that.
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Kodi was terrific the first few days. About 9pm, he would climb into his Sherpa bed and go to sleep untill 6am. But, then he started to cry and my husband put him into bed with us. He curled up between the pillows and went to sleep, and this is how it has been ever since. We really don't mind because he sleeps all night. He wakes me up in the morning by licking my eyes. He's the greatest!
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We started that with ours , and they did great for a while until Lexi decided that readjusting herself in the middle of the night meant also giving Mommy a kiss, and then Lily decided that she wanted to get up and play at 5am each day. So they sleep with me till around 11:30 - when husband comes to bed, they go into their crates in our room & everyone sleeps till 6am. Not sure what I am going to do with the new pup yet - - leave him in the xpen at night, or crate him in our room too>!!??!
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I have a question? We have 2 13 month old havanese and they were housetrained to a litter box. We have moved since and they are not adjusting to the litter box. They go by it but, not in it always. We were wondering what you would suggest and we were wondering how hard it would be to start them by going outside? Any suggestions would help us.
With my havanese, she came to us in the spring so we trained her to use the outdoors. With my maltese, she was first litter trained as we were living in michigan and january was way too much snow for a 9 oz puppy and then my husband thought it was gross and decided to teach her outside in the summer. We had a battle of going back and forth... she decided outside it was!!! I think you have to be careful of using too many methods though. When we were at the inbetween stage is when she had accidents on the floor. Now we have the bells up on the door. When we travel, the bells come with us. This christmas we stayed at my in laws and showed the girls where the bells were and they knew right away.
Good luck,
Amanda
Good luck,
Amanda
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