Hi guys, I've tried to read through all the threads and some of the posts pertain to me and my pup and some don't, so i'll give you guys my exacr problem and hope you can help me out!! My boyfriend and I just picked up our 8 week old silver factored chocolate lab on Saturday, we are very excited! However, this is our first puppy. I have had the flu since Saturday, So i've been home all day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Last night ( Monday night) was my first go at crating him for the night. I had done some work with him during the day, happy voice asking him to go in the crate, treats when he goes in, he gets fed in the crate. I also place him in there when hes sleeping. However, unlike some puppies, he won't go in there to sleep or very rarely on his own. Back to the story, I let him out to go pee before bed, which was around 1130, and he howled non stop, ( im pretty sure) until, I took him out for a pee around 3, then howled when i put him back in until about 6. I only let him out during his quiet moments. He gets fed 3 times a day, but his last meal was at 5 pm, so I'm thinking maybe he was hungry? But, am I doing this right? I don't want to screw this up! Crate is a part of his life, for his safety and my houses lol. Please give me any suggestions! Also, How long did it take everyone to house train there lab, yesterday I felt like a champ, only 3 messes and 2 of those i caught during and he finished them outside. Nothing else since 9 am, today however, different story. poops in the morning, and hes peed a few times on the floor, i try to take him out every half hour, but even though he pees outside, 15 min later he ll pee again in the house. Should I moniter his water intake? Im so eager, and want to do whats best for my Duke! Thanks so much for reading!
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Hello! Welcome to the forum from me and my boy Charlie. We love puppy pictures when you get chance to take some of your lovely puppy. You sound to be doing ok to me - but my boy settled quickly. I think some people move the crate into the bedroom for a little bit if the new baby pup is having trouble coping without mum and litter mates. Charlie stopped having regular mistakes by about 3 months, and got more and more reliable (but an accident time to time) until perfect from about 4.5 months - I think, anyway. Seems so long ago (he is 9 months now)! But it does vary, I think. I remember not bothering to put the mop bucket away for at least a month after we got him. ;D
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Hi from me and my 6 month golden lab Murphy! He is also our first dog that we got from 8 weeks old so i dont have loads of experience but can tell you what we did! First of all Murphy never and has never gone into his crate of his own accord, only when i ask so I wouldnt worry too much about that (well i didnt and it hasnt caused me any problems!). I started off in the day shutting Murphy in his crate, giving him a treat and walking out of his sight and back, and doing that a few times in the day. To start with for the first 2 weeks he whined so much in the night i had hardly any sleep! I started off letting him outside for a wee every couple of hours during the night which possibly some others may say is too often but i tried to time it so that i had to wake him up to put him out which stopped him being rewarded for whining. If you see what I mean? I just stretched out the times gradually. It didnt take too long and then he suddenly would just go through the night. Also just remembered that we had a night light for him which he still has now and left the radio on softly for him which i think definately helped him settle! When we got Murphy it was during that heatwave thing we had and so the back door was open a lot. But we used a word to associate with him going for a wee, (his is hurry up), and everytime he went for a wee we said it and then i used to take him outside literally every half an hour and say the word to get him to go, and then gave him loads of praise when he went. He still had the odd accident inside but that tended to be because i wasnt paying attention and keeping track of when he last went out. Yours is very young so you are going to have the odd accident for a while. Finally, Murphy was on 3 meals a day when he came from the breeder but we changed him to 4 meals a day on advice from the vet as many places i have read have said 4 meals a day to start with, as too much food in one go can upset their little tums. Thats up to you though of course, everyones different! When we got Murphy it really took me by surprise how hard it was going to be! Id read loads and thought i knew what to expect but it still shocked me! As i said I am a first timer as well 6 months in so i am just telling you my experience but there are many people on here with so much more experience and knowledge than me! Sorry this is a bit of an essay! Hope its sort of helpful! Good luck x
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Hi Guys! What I'm getting is that it will get better! Which makes me sigh and is promising. I take away his water a bit before bed and let him out a few times to pee before he goes to bed, and he lasted 3 hours, So I thought that was good. At this point I don't think hed go to the bathroom in his crate, obviously i don't want to test this, but I'm just concerned about the constant barking, I don't want to traumatize him! lol P.S his crate is in my room, and i usually have the tv going, so theres light and noise, he can also see my other dog sleeping on the floor from where he is. Im going to try a bit of the crating and then leaving the room and coming and going today, and see how that goes, Im usually right on the couch by the crate when i close the door for a few minutes. Thanks guys!! From Samm & Duke
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Hi samm and duke I'm new ish too- got a 9 and half week old black lab called Jax. Like you he's my first puppy so I've no experience at all, so can only tell you what i do which is working pretty well for us. Jax sleeps in our hallway in his own little room in a crate with no door. From day one he didn't cry or bark on a night, only when he was poorly with worms, he upset through the night but we both slept in the room so I could look after him. We do put a pad down near the front door for him to use through the night and the first week he had used the floor more than the pad but then he had 2 nights where he'd used only the pad- and the last 2 morning ive come down to a very clean hallway (fingers crossed- touching wood lol) I didn't want to use pads and did seek advice about fully crating Jax but it's not possible for me to get up in the night with him due to medication. So this seemed the most do-able way for us. Through the day Jax now goes to our room door and sits-whines to go out for a poo- he's done this for about a week now. He's not pooed in the house for well over a week. The weeing we've pretty much got sorted ish. I take him out first thing in the morning 7am, after his breakfast 7.30am, before we leave for school 8.30am, 9.30, 10.30,11.30, after his dinner at 12, then 1,2,3 after this dinner at 4.30 then every hour until I go to bed at 12. The last few nights he's slept from 7.30-9pm so as soon as he's woken I'll carry him downstairs (we live on 2nd floor) . But we've still had the odd accident and no doubt still will for a long time. I always say "go pee pee" "go poo poo" and generally he will do it, especially a pee pee. Jax last eats at 4.30pm and I take his water away at 10pm. Also a big one for Jax is that when he gets excited he pees, I brushed his teeth today and he pinched the tooth brush off me and tried to hide, 10 mins later I finally got it back but all the excitement caused him to pee a little. I had to leave Jax yesterday and today for 2 hrs each time so didn't know what to expect when I came back. As I opened the door I was careful not to step in anything but there was nothing there except a very happy Jax running to see me. I think he was glad of the break from me lol. All I would suggest to write it all down, just a little log of times he eats, sleeps, pees, poos etc then maybe you could get a view of his habits.
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Hi Sam and Duke, I have Harley who is just over 4 months old and is a red fox lab. Harley still rarely goes in her cage of her own accord at any time of the day. When we first got her I would lie next to her crate with the door open til she fell asleep. I slowly moved away a bit every day until I could put her in and she fell asleep alone. As soon as she woke up she would whine til I got up. After 3 weeks she slept through from 12pm --6am. Unfortunately when she was poorly with a chest infection I brought her soft bed upstairs into my room, and that is where she has stayed. I get her to go outside for a wee about 11pm, then we go to bed and she sleeps til at least 7.30am. I found by her sleeping on the floor next to my side of the bed, she settles so much better and sleeps through She isn't in her crate apart from when I go to work. Three meals a day might be too much food for him, could you possibly do 4 meals? I done 7.30am, 11.30am, 3.30pm then 7.30pm. This worked brilliant for us, might be worth a try? All puppies take different amounts of time to house train, keep persisting and you will get there Good luck
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Thanks! Its so reassuring to here that I will get there! We have no more then 3 or 4 messes in the house a day. Im busting my butt! lol! Im glad happy to hear everyones stories and what worked for them! Thank you! Im going to try and post a picture of the little man!
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/111352193@N04/11343034195/" title="_MG_4385 by SammKidd, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/11343034195_de913004e6.jpg" width="373" height="500" alt="_MG_4385"></a>
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! _MG_4385 by SammKidd, on Flickr
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Ours was house trained within 2 weeks, (after we removed the crate and chucked the thing in the loft). We started with a crate but he didn't take to it. Whole crate episode was a disaster, followed advice to the letter on crate training - don't understand the hype. We simply used puppy pads and newspaper on top of plastic sheeting, moved it closer towards the back door, then removed it. Only two accidents which didn't hit the paper in those two weeks. Model dog, without crate training.
Re: House training, crate training, am I doing this right?! Im really trying! Aww how cute. I wouldn't stress to much over it all. It will happen and that's all i focus on.
