Potty training & the crate

[aelizilly]

Well, I was wondering what method most of you have used with your dogs to potty train them.

My main issue w/Bailey (4 month old beagle) is during the day while I am at work. I go home and walk him during lunch each day, but he continues to have accidents on the tile where I have been keeping him. I have been walking him in the morning before I leave and making sure he goes but for some reason he continues to have accidents while I am away (about 4-5 hours).

I crate him at night and he does wonderful w/no accidents (except for last night...little bugger). So I was talking to a worker at petsmart last night and she told me I should be crating him and if he has accidents initially to not worry, wait it out about 2 weeks, and he should stop going in the crate. Do yall agree with this. (it is only tee tee accidents thankfully). I can certainly handle cleaning up his blankets each time I come home, but should I maybe leave them when I come home for lunch so he learns he will have to lay in it? I am at a loss here.

 

[puppyluv2004]

I think leaving the blankets may make him do it more, because he can smell his urine and will think it is ok to go there. He is very cute! Are his eyes really blue like that?!

 

[aelizilly]

Thanks...no, they're brown, it was the way the light hit them in the picture.

I am considering removing the towels all together from his crate, but I just really don't want him to be uncomfortable, and I am also worried I may be confusing him with the conflicting advice I continue to receive from everyone and the fact that I keep changing methods.

 

[Madaline]

Hi yes you should crate him when ever you are not with him, remove everything from the crate and thouroughly clean it to get any smells out, dont leave soiled blankets in his crate, its rare that a dog would releive himself in his sleeping quarters, make sure you always put him out to the bathroom before you put him in it, and he should be able to hold it for sometime. Make sure the crate is the right size for him also, is is really big, sometimes if it is way to big they can go in the back, you should have a crate to fit the dog. Dont give him a big drink or something to eat without taking him to the bathroom before you put him in the crate, puppies always have to go to the bathroom about 1/2 hour or so after a meal. Crating while you are not with him is the best thing for your dog, Dont give up, some dogs take a little time just have a little patience and he will be fine.

 

[Mindy Miller]

Yeah, I think you should take the towels out until he stops going in the crate. He'll be alright. It's more sad for you than it is for him, I promise. And definitely crate him whenever you're not with him. It will make housetraining so much easier!

 

[aelizilly]

Thanks for the info, and for easing my worries.

Just to let you know, the crate is the right size for him, and I will try and re-arrange my schedule to give him a larger window in the morning to completely empty his bladder before I leave. (currently he has about 15 to 20 minutes, but I can certainly make it longer.) It would be best to set him up for success rather than failure!

He is 4 months old, and is it accurate about the bladder control ability that you take their age and add 1 to get that he should be able to hold it for about 5 hours?

 

[Tugger's Mom]

Our Tugger is just 4 months on Thursday....and he's been doing very well in the crate (with a towel and a fuzzy floor mat). Both my husband and I work...so Tugger's up at 4AM to go out....then I bring him out again at 7:20AM.....and I leave for work at 7:50. I'm back home at noon to walk hiim---and then he's back in the crate from 12:30 until 3:30-4PM. We walk then, too......then, it seems, he's going out then more often....5PM, 6:30PM, 7:30PM.....then 10PM. He's down for the night then--and will stay until the 4AM wake up call (US!). He's finding the pee-pads when we can't move fast enough to the door....and I think now, though, he's grown more accustomed to outside (sure--we buy 100 pee-pads in bulk....and now we're down to using 2 every 2 or 3 days!). If you are calling what we call "dribbles" accidents....I wouldn't worry. They are still excited and their muscle to hold their urine isn't strong yet. We try not to talk to Tugger as he leaves the crate....we just haul him outside with praise. By not talking to him as I open the door and and not petting him....I just put on his leash and say "Let's Go!", I've noticed this has cut back on his dribbles.....

 

[rottiegirl]

Thanks for the info, and for easing my worries.

Just to let you know, the crate is the right size for him, and I will try and re-arrange my schedule to give him a larger window in the morning to completely empty his bladder before I leave. (currently he has about 15 to 20 minutes, but I can certainly make it longer.) It would be best to set him up for success rather than failure!

He is 4 months old, and is it accurate about the bladder control ability that you take their age and add 1 to get that he should be able to hold it for about 5 hours?

He probably has a hard time holding it for 5 hours. He should be taken out to potty every 4 hours atleast. Also, try not to give him water before you put him in his crate. Just my opinion.

 

[aelizilly]

Tugger...love your Beagle, he is adorable. Bailey doesn't have dribble accidents when he comes out of the crate, it is actual puddles he is leaving in the crate. So today, I put him in there with no towels, and gave him 2 toys and his kong w/peanut butter, and I have not been leaving water with him, nor does he get any for the 30-45 minutes before he goes in the crate. We'll see how things go for the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the info.