So this week Winnie arrived and it's half term so we are both off. Next week we are back at work, Maddie goes to day care and Winnie will go with her (we're visiting this week). We have great day care, they will only have labs and no more than four. Knowing they are both well looked after is great the advice needed is for prior to pick up. We have to leave for work early just after 6am, the dogs will be picked up between 8am-9am. Having planned to crate Winnie for this time between leaving and pick up we've now ordered a pen for the dining room. In it we will place her crate but she will have a bit of space to wander. Do you think this is ok? The next question is at night we will crate her in her pen, Winnie is waking after around 6 hours for a toilet stop and we've been placing her back in her crate (she'd rather stay awake). We intend to keep her crated all night even though she'll be in the pen. Is this ok? Thank you in advance!
My boy was in a crate all night from day one and was fine - we have him sleep next to our bed. I am sure Winnie will be fine.
The problem with leaving a very small puppy in a crate when you are not there is that they have no choice but to wee in their crate if they are desperate. That damages their instinct to keep their den (their bed) clean. So, I'd rather not do this. I do use crates for house training, but to train a puppy to 'hold on' for a bit, so I want them never to wee in a crate. So for me, I won't leave a puppy in a crate for any longer than I am absolutely sure they can manage without a wee or a poo. Whether or not your puppy can do 2 to 3 hours in a crate, or overnight in a crate, depends on your puppy - some small pups will, lots wouldn't be able to.
I think it's best, Charlie was in a pen, and my new pup will be in a pen. I worked super hard on house training, but a pen means a) I never have to go to a crying puppy (obviously, plan A is not to have a crying puppy, but with the best will in the world.....) and b) I can leave a puppy longer than I think they can hold a wee for - when I got Charlie, that was about 20 minutes! I did have to go to the airport, and the supermarket etc... It had little or no impact on Charlie's toilet training, he seemed to get the idea as averagely well as any pup I hear about on the forum anyway.
Am no expert as Molly is my first pup and only 15 weeks but she's always been in a pen with a bed and pads at opposite ends, overnight. She's very good with toileting although we have phases of accidents. She rarely uses her pads at night now.
