Here is the play mat - out of stock, but there are lots very similar. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004W0CT5S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Many thanks, I would be worried with the children's play Matt, I presume these are the square mats that piece together. Would they not chew them? Thank you again
No, they are single big mats - I find that so long as the edges are unavailable to the puppy they don't tend to chew the floor. Although I don't leave puppies unsupervised on fabric anyway. I have used the gym mats that slot together, and a puppy did chew it yes.
I don't think a 42" crate is big enough to allow a puppy to toilet in it. A crate is where they sleep. It needs to be very distinct from their toilet area. I had a 42" crate with Willow, used with a divider to start off with, until she was clean in that bit, and then it was removed so she had the full area. Think about the future, when your pup is bigger. When you're still using the crate to protect her - and your house - when you go out. Do you want her to think she can go to the toilet in there when she's many months old? No, you have either a crate that she doesn't toilet in, or a pen - far larger than a 42" crate - that she can toilet in, far away from her bed, until she no longer has to. The pen I'm getting is a 2 square metre area; a 42" pen is generally .75 sqm. It's hard to find a crate this size because, in order to fold flat, they'd have to be really tall. The non-slip flooring I have is this: http://www.rubbermatting-direct.co.uk/productdetail/Coin-Pattern-Rubber-Flooring-on-Rolls-M
We had a crate for nighttime and for the first week got up throughout the night to let him go to the toilet (started off at 3 hours i think and then gradually increased it by 15 minutes). He had one accident in the crate which was completely our fault because we let him out and he only had a wee then came back in so a few hours later just before we got up he was barking as he had had a poo. We just made sure he stayed out until he had a poo and hes been fine since (now knows to have a poo before going to bed. In the daytime we have a slightly different set up which works well for us. We attach a dog pen to the crate using cable ties so that he has his crate to sleep in (which he does most of the day) and the pen to stretch his legs. We did put a puppy pad down but he saw it as a second bed/something to rip up so we just leave it now. We are also slightly sad in that we have a cctv camera in our kitchen so when we are out of the house it sends us notifications when theres movement and we can watch him live (my productivity at work has plummeted!). For the first few nights we did just let him whine which is the advice we received and it worked. The first night was really tough, but the second he whined for maybe an hour and by the third it was for about 20 minutes. We have had him just over a few weeks and he now just goes straight into the crate without us telling him and sleeps in there while we cook so we must have done something right. Different things will work for different puppies, i have no doubt weve been very lucky with Thor but it has worked.
By the way, we bought a large crate (i think) and fitted it with a divider so that we can gradually make it bigger for him as he grows. A word to the wise though, if you do this and use it when they first come it is possible for them to squeeze under the gap and trap themselves in the bit that doesnt have a door...and then when you lower the divider to stop them crawling under, it is possible for them to climb over the top and trap themselves again! Good luck trying to take the divider off with a puppy jumping against it!
Gosh ..... confused after reading this. We plan to crate train as we both work and she will be left in the mornings and afternoons I work close to home so I will be home at lunch time.
Hello all I'm so sorry for not checking in with Christmas and too young children I'm sure you are all aware. Well we are now on our second night with Holly and she has been amazing, taking in all your points of view. It's very early days but our first night was great with no accidents in the crate. We make sure she has toileted before bed and had play time...this is ONLY our second night. Can I ask today she has had a few accidents not going on the pads, so should we be taking her out more often in the garden? Second injection is due 3rd Feb so we can't take her out in public. How much time should we be putting her in her Crate during the day as our boys want to spend every minute with her? We would be very grateful for any advice and hope this reaches all of you that have helped with photos and advice. I appreciate it's a busy time of year and to take time out is really appreciated. I shall try and post photos, however this is a first on a forum so may take some time. Have a very Merry Xmas to you all xx
Hi and welcome. When we first got Bailey we seemed to be in and out of the house pretty much all the time (or that's what it felt like). Each pup is different, but if they are having accidents I would take her out more frequently and also make sure she is empty before coming back in. Also if you want to stretch out the time between bathroom breaks you can carry the pup around in your arms for a bit. We found after each nap, each playtime, feeds etc Bailey needed a wee. Remember they are only tiny babies when they first get to us so can't control their bladders for long yet. We tried puppy pads too - but Bailey just saw them as a toy rather than as something to use! If your pup is happy going into the crate, then for naps certainly and anytime you feel pup and children need a break from each other - this will be more frequent when the crocopup arrives! Baby gates are also a useful tool! We carried Bailey around outside so that he got used to traffic, different people and seeing other dogs. He also spent a lot of time at the rugby club where I worked and we just kept him off the grass until all his vaccinations were complete (there is a family of foxes that live around the grounds so we really didn't want our unvaccinated pup anywhere where the foxes could have been) - great socialisation for him. I know that some take their pups to sit outside supermarkets just to watch the world go by. Hope all is going well for you, your family and your pup
