Puppy Question-- ToCrate or not to Crate

[bamademo]

I'll be getting a new puppy soon. It's been over 10 years since I had a baby puppy. When my dearly depart Golden Scarlett, was 8 weeks old, we left her in the kitchen with a baby gate while we were at work. It was easy to clean if she had an accident and there wasn't really anything she could chew.

I have a large 2nd bathroom that I was going to put my puppy in during the day. Should he be in a crate within it or will it suffice as a crate. I'll put another baby gate in the doorway so the puppy can see out. Will the bathroom be a sufficient safe place for the puppy or will it feel more secure in a more confined area? I don't want to leave the poor puppy in a crate for 8 hours which is why I think letting it have the run of the bathroom is a better solution.

[flvegan]

1. The bathroom *should* be fine, BUT

make sure that:

1. The toilet lid stays down;

2. The toilet paper is taken off the hanger;

3. Any towels are out of reach, as well as the shower curtain, etc;

4. The braided plumbing to the return tank is off-limits.

Anything within reach WILL be chewed, so something to consider.

If it doesn't work, 8 hours in a crate isn't really that bad for a puppy. Just make sure there's lots of toys, a soft blanket and plenty of water.

[Raven]

2. CRATE! I just wrote a whole thing for you and lost it... but I can't

say enough... crate the puppy. The puppy will be happier as will you. I have raised 5 dogs with crates and it is the best way to do it.

[China_cat]

3. The crate is the best friend you or the pup will ever have.

Buy one that will fit him when he's grown, but block it so that he only has room to stand up, lie down and turn around. If you give him too much space, he'll find a corner to use as a toilet. Adjust the blocking as he grows. Make it a happy place. Feed him in the crate. Only give treats in the crate. Don't allow other animals to use the crate.

Use the crate when you can't directly supervise. It'll save your sanity, allow you to say yes to the dog more often than no and just make life a whole lot more pleasant.

[bamademo]

5. But for 8 hours?

That seems a little cruel for an 8 week old puppy who hasn't developed bowel and bladder control.

[China_cat]

6. At that age, so is leaving him alone in the bathroom.

Do you have a neighbor who can come take him out, talk to him, play with him a little? The time they can hold it is usually calculated at 1 hour for each month of age plus 1. So an 8 week old pup should go out at least once every 3 hours.

Pups at that age should be eating at least 3 (and preferably 4) times a day...and they don't do well with just a bowl of kibble set with them. (Tend to eat too much, barf all over the place, piss in the food, etc.)

[irish.lambchop]

4. Definitely crate.

It's security for them AND you. Put in an old t-shirt or something that has your scent on it along with puppy toys.

[Madrone]

7. I'm a crate fan.

Crate trained my 5 year old when he was a baby. He still goes in the crate when I go to work - which, as it happens, is a blessing right now. He's got a ruptured knee that requires he not move around much, AND I have an elderly cat that occasionally has seizures which puts the dogs in attack mode. Those 2 things I mentioned have me praising Jeebus that crating is NORMAL for my dog now. I'd hate to think about what would happen to the cat if he went into a seizure when I was gone and the dogs weren't crated.

He went in his and laid down a little while ago while I was on the computer just cuz ... and he got told to go in there for time out a bit later because he was rough-housing too much.

I think it also teaches dogs to control themselves - calm themselves if you will.

[Shakespeare]

8. I'll second that.

I used to have a border collie that I crate-trained from puppyhood. Whenever he couldn't cajole the cats into playing with him, he'd go drag his toys with him into the crate and have a good old time flinging them against the sides of the crate. :rofl: