At What Age Can I Crate my Pup While at Work

[NancyR 1]

Roxy is now 11 weeks old. Since I got her at 7 weeks I've made her 'home' in the kitchen on the tile floor. I have her crate (which she loves) inside an enclosure so she has the crate to sleep/play in and about a 4x4 area of tile to use her potty pad, water, food, etc. She is doing great with using the pad in her pen when she's in there. I also take her outside a lot, which she loves, and she automatically pees. She basically seem to poop around the same times each day so I know to really watch her or make her stay outside until she goes.

My ultimate goal is to eliminate the pee pads and have her only use the outside for potty purposes. We go out at 5am, 6:30am and about 7:30am and then I leave for work. At that time she is in her pen until I come home at 3pm. At what age do you all think I can simply crate her during the day so I can start to eliminate the pee pads (not use the enclosure any longer)? There are usually 2 small urine stains on the pee pad when I get home from work and then we continue with going outside to relieve herself about every hour or so. My vet said I should wait until she is 5 or 6 months old but I think that is too old! My other tzu was totally housebroken by 6 months with free run of the house (the differrence was that she was a summer puppy so my kids spent their summer on potty patrol taking her out all day long). She was the easiest dog I ever trained LOL.

I should add that Roxy has a seperate crate in my bedroom for night time. She has no problem holding her urine all night (from about 9pm until 5am). I actually wake her up at 5am to go outside!

I'm not sure if size would matter in your response, but she was 3.4lbs at 10 weeks (now she's 11 weeks).

I don't want to rush her if you guys think she's too young but also don't want to prolong the pee pads in the house if don't have to. We've been lucky with such a mild winter for New Jersey that I'd really like to get the 'outside' thing as her only choice.

Thanks in advance!

Nancy

[JasperandAkira'smom 4]

The only thing I can say is try it and see how she does. Jasper can go all day without peeing but Akira has to go atleast once while we are at work.

[I Love Sam 1]

The "rule of thumb" I read was one hour for every month in age up to seven or eight hours. In reality, Sam (1 1/2) can wait ten hours or so, but I still have someone come at lunch time because I don't feel right leaving him completely alone for ten hours every day.

He was nearly six months old when I got him. At first, I crated him while I as at work all day with a lunch time potty and exercise break courtesy of "Grandma Sally". After a month, we started letting him out of the crate in the afternoon after his lunch time potty break but he was confined to my office where his crate is. I put his toys, food and water in there. After another month, I stopped locking the crate and I'd leave him confined to the office all day. Then progressed to using a baby gate and giving him access to a little more of the house each month. He now has free reign with no issues but I still have Grandma Sally come at lunch time to break up his long day alone.

Sam is VERY rarely alone for more than five or six hours w/o a break. It only happens on the the rare occasion "Grandma Sally" can't make it to let him out and my Dad is also unavailable.

ETA - since Sam was six months old when I got him and he'd never used a potty pad, I never could get him to use one. He thought they were for eating :head_hurts_kr:

Edited March 3, 2012 by I Love Sam

[JasperandAkira'smom 4]

My two used potty pads when they were young with no problems but when they got older they started tearing them up...LOL

[Mishkas2Dads 0]

Mishka uses pee pads to go #2 (haha) and is pretty good with that but we're really trying hard to get him potty trained to go outside. Right now there are only 3 days when no one is there to watch him at which point I go home after 4 hours to take him for a walk on my lunch break. He still sneaks and goes potty in places!

I want to crate, but Gabriel refuses as he can't stand Mishka cryin (such a mommy's boy). He has his own room.... which now needs to be professionally cleaned *sigh*

Next steps I'm going to try (and hoping Gabriel won't steer away from my plan): Clicking, restricting room access to watch him 24/7 to catch him in the act, CRATE if i can get Gabriel in on it, better treats for going potty, and the bell to ring when he needs to go cause he doesn't tell me and I just take him out all the time.

[JasperandAkira'smom 4]

That sounds like a great plan Brian, but I know how hard it is if not both parents are on the same page. Good luck!!