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Crate training and going potty

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  LoveEcho 
#1 ·
I have had my boy for a few days now and he is really catching on quickly to crate training and potty training. He is consistently going outside when I take him out, which usually isn't based on a time but based on when he eats/wakes up from a nap. I have also been working on crate training him which is going well, but I have a question related to that.

The first few nights in his crate he was less than pleased with that situation. I have a full sized crate for him, and I have his blanket on one end and puppy pads on the other. After the first two nights of extremely howling, he is now ok with the crate and will stay in there without whining crying and will go in there to lay down when he so pleases. I have been leaving him in the crate all night, between 7-8 hours because I do not want to train him to go out in the middle of the night. As expected, he has been peeing once in the crate at night, and always on the puppy pads - never on his blanket. Today I caught him run into his crate and try to pee on the puppy pad (luckily I got there in time and got him outside), and it made me think that maybe I am training him that peeing inside is ok by not taking him out at night? Is it ok to leave him in the crate for the whole night? Or will this teach him bad habits?
 
#2 ·
Puppy pads are about as counter-productive as you get with potty training. The general school of thought with crate training is to use the fact that they generally won't go where they sleep to your advantage. By using a crate that is only big enough for them to stand and lay down in, you teach them to hold it until they go outside. They sell dividers for big crates that are really useful for this :)
 
#3 ·
So combination of the divider and taking him out in the middle of the night? Or do I use the divider and keep him in there throughout the night? I should also note that I work full time and he will need to be in there for about 4 hours at a time before I can get home to let him out.

My thought process was that as he grows and begins to fill the crate to the point where he won't want to pee in there anymore he will also be old enough to hold his pee throughout the night. Is this way off?
 
#4 ·
I am new to the board but not new to shepherds. I have a 10 week old puppy that we are also crate training. His crate is only big enough for him, if he messes in it, he messes in his bed. We have nights when we get up to take him out and nights when he is good all night. Limiting his water before we go to bed makes it easier. Also in just the 3 weeks we have had him we are down from 2 nightly trips to sometimes only1, sometimes 0. I would get a smaller crate and just resign yourself to some nightly trips for a few weeks. I think it will benefit you in the long run.
 
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