13 comments
We took the plunge an adopted 2 labs from the same litter who are 11 weeks old. My question has to do with crate training: should they be in 2 separate crates right now, they are so little! Should they be placed next to each other? Our schedule has been they sleep inside a large crate then go out back early morning. They are fed around 9 separately but inside then are go out back again to romp and potty. They come into a closed washroom area to nap and chill out, we live in the desert so this is necessary. They get another light feeding around 2 then back outside to romp and potty, then inside again to nap and chill. Late afternoon finds them outside playing; dinner around 7 back outside to play and potty then down for the night together in the same crate by 10. This schedule is pretty consistent, flexible but not rigid. Any advice suggestions would be helpful!
Hi Teresa,
I’m not going to say that keeping 2 dogs in a single crate cannot work, but it’s rare and not recommended. Often it can also be unsafe.
The whole idea of the crate is it’s a sanctuary to a dog, the one little place they can call their own and go to get away from things. Their space, and nobody elses. When they have to share this with another dog it loses that magic for them.
Also, they’re puppies now, and puppies love the company, play and frolic and sleep on one another and never want to be alone. But as they mature they will want their own spaces. Like human siblings sharing a bedroom as children…there comes a time they will want their own room.
The times when one dog is feeling ill, or overly tired, they will want a place to escape to. They may not want to share at these times.
Finally, I started by saying it can be unsafe. Dogs so closely confined can lead to fights. Fights over personal space, belongings, just for being too close too often for too long with another with no place to escape to. Just like we can get a bit short fused if with the same person 24/7 for weeks and months, dogs also do. They need a break.
So personally I wouldn’t take the risk, I would get them a crate each. This would be more beneficial for them, and takes away any risks of dogs being too closely confined. I wouldn’t discourage them sharing a crate if they happened to both head into one to chill out and sleep together during the day or night with the door open. But I would certainly get them one each and when closing the door, I would have them one to a crate.
And yes, the crates side by side would be a great idea. They have their own personal space, but a little buddy right there in plain sight and touching distance. They will love that.
Hope that helps :-)
I am getting a lab pup at 8 weeks old at the end of October and have read all the articles so far but just have a few questions. If I want to train my pup ‘outdoor training’ is it ok to let them do this as I thought that they couldn’t go outside until they had its 2nd set of jabs? also being realistic will the weather be off putting for training my dog to go outside? At what age would a dog flap be a good idea is it once he knows where to go the toilet?I am also aiming at crate training but a bit confused if the pup is left in crate overnight to prevent it peeing or pooping in its den will my pup be able to hold through the night and then take him outside straight away or will I just have to see how long he can last and find my dogs pattern as I have read if he does in his den it can set you back a lot. Also at 8 weeks I should take him where to do his business every 30mins?
Thank you
Hi Robbie,
Read all the articles? Must have taken a while… I hope you found them useful! It looks like you’re getting as prepared as possible, good on you :-)
You can have your puppy outside to train in your own yard, you just do not want them to be in contact with other dogs, or where other dogs have been until they’ve had their jabs. But your own, fenced off and I would guess ‘dog free’ yard will be fine. But you’re right, you shouldn’t take your puppy outside further than this, the risk of disease is too high.
Cold weather may be off putting at first as young puppies do feel the cold and don’t like it. But you should start the training anyway and persevere.
You can introduce a dog flap as soon as you like, just be sure there isn’t a large drop either side as it can be hard on growing joints. Place bricks, a sandbag or something for your puppy to step on so they have no need to jump through and land from a height.
For crate training overnight, you will have to get up half way through the night to take them to their toilet spot. Remove access to water at least 2 hours before bed time. Make sure you take them to eliminate last thing before bed and if you spend 7 hours asleep, set an alarm for 3.5hrs after bed time to take your puppy outside, whether they are making a fuss or not.
An eight week old puppy WILL NOT be able to last the whole night. But urine production does slow down so taking water away and allowing them to empty themselves right before bed will enable them to last 3 to 4 hours during the night.
Slowly lengthen the time you ask of your puppy to hold it through the night until they can last a full 7 hours. Set an alarm for 3.5hrs for a couple of days, then 3:45 for a couple of days, then 4 hours for a couple of days and so on. Some puppies can last 7 hours at 10 weeks, some not until they are 12 weeks, this depends on your puppies bladder, they are individuals and there’s no way to know. But it won’t be long until they can last the night.
I forgot to add: Make sure you take your puppy to their toilet spot as the very first thing you do when you wake in the morning too. Before coffee, breakfast, or anything you might want to do yourself.
Mark,
Thanks for the help I am sure I will have a few more questions in the coming weeks and be referring back to your articles. I will keep you posted on how we are getting on.
No Problem Robbie…and do keep us informed! I’ll be interested to hear how your pup progresses :-)
We will be bringing home an 8wk old Chocolate Lab the 1st of October. We have an adult Jack Russell who is very smart and well behaved. He jumps up looks at you, and waits at the back door when he has to go potty. My question is when we bring our puppy home does he need to have a different potty spot outside than out back where our other dog goes, say maybe out the front door and lawn ? Also do you think its OK for us to have another adult dog to be buddies and maybe mentor or new puppy ?
Hi Preston,
As long as your jack russel is vaccinated and has good, clean health, there is no need to separate them or keep their potty place separate. It’s a good thing to do, sure, to completely eliminate any risk of infection until your puppy has been vaccinated too, but the risks are vanishingly small and it’s not something I have ever done. I and my family have always used the same areas for adult and puppy dogs while house training the puppy and before their shots.
It may or not be good for another adult dog and a puppy to mix. The vast majority of the time it works well, but it depends on how territorial the adult dog is, how they tolerate or even enjoy the company of other dogs and puppys. Only you can know this. Usually it’s fine…and hey, there’s only one way to find out! :-)
Please google ‘introducing a puppy to an adult dog’ and read a good few of the results to help you along with making things go as smoothly as possible. There are right and wrong ways, and you can make things far easier for both the puppy and your current Jack Russel by planning in advance and introducing them correctly.
All the best,
Mark.
We are bringing our puppy (9 week old chocolate) home in early December. I am concerned about leaving him home while at work all day. He will not have free roam of the house, but I also understand he cannot stay in his crate all day. Suggestions? Possibly blocking off a large area in a room for him? We have stained concrete floors so clean up will be fairly easy.
Hi Ron,
First of all, you should try your hardest to get somebody to pop in during the day to provide a toilet break, some play and exercise. Labradors really do need some mental stimulation and play / exercise during the day. I realize this isn’t possible for all people, but if you can get a friend, family member, neighbor, paid dog walker or anybody to come and break the day up for him it will benefit him hugely.
Anyhow, yes, I would suggest blocking off an area for him, with a crate for sleeping in one ‘zone’ of the area and a ‘potty spot’ covered in paper or puppy pads in another ‘zone’ away from where he sleeps. Please follow this link where I discuss this and more: House training for full time workers.
All the best!
We have recently adopted a four-year-old wire haired terrior from the local shelter. I began house training her the same way I had done in the past, the way my parents did it. It involved harsh scolding with the dog’s nose in the mess and taking her outside. There was also great praise when the dog relieved herself in the correct spot. As you wrote in your guide, I must have experienced success in the past in spite of the punishments not because of them.
The dog has recently received an examination from a vet, and there are no medical problems. In fact, initial accidents in the house are not the issue. The first couple of weeks, she actually was doing well with house training. There were just some incidents of excitement urination. She received correction for those. Then I took her out once, and we walked for over 20 minutes around the bathroom spot. She seemed to enjoy herself. Thinking she did not have to go, I picked her up to take her in the house. She urinated all down my side. I was frustrated because it seemed she held her urine that day instead of relieving herself as in the past. I corrected her and we walked some more. I was hoping she would urinate again or deficate so I could praise her, but she didn’t. She just began slinking around.
Since then, I have had similar problems with her. I really messed up the house training process. In general, we have a good relationship. We play a lot, and she seems to love me. However, when it comes to potty time, I’m afraid I have scared and intimidated her. Initial in-home accidents are not really a problem. Although, excitement urination still occasionally happens. The big issue is the fact that she will not relieve herself outside now. We go out, and she happily enjoys the fresh air and opportunity to walk around some. However, she will not urinate or deficate. I don’t pick her up outside. We walk back in the house. But as soon as I reach down to take the leash off or clean her paws, she cowers and urinates on the floor. Sometimes, even a little poop comes out.
Even before reading your guide, I decided to stop correcting my dog harshly. I am now just trying to be positive. However, she still will not relieve herself outside. She holds everything in until she becomes a bomb ready to go off in my kitchen when she feels fear.
I know this situation is my fault and it will take time and patience. But do you have any advice for me? Thanks.
When we were raising our rescue puppy Linus we inadvertently taught him to only potty on the grass. When he was around a year old we decided to take him camping. At our camp site there was only dirt and no grass. He did not potty for over 24 hours and we were so worried we thought about driving him down the mountain to find some grass. Fortunately he eventually did the longest pee on the dirt (think Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own). The reason I mention this is because maybe you could try waiting out your dog when you take her to her potty spot. Of course not 24 hours, but maybe twice as long as normal and when you know it’s time for her to potty like after she wakes up in the morning. Anyhow, I know it will take a lot of patience to get her to house trained, but it sounds like you are definitely moving in the right direction.
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