Best house training method - crate or playpen or can i do both?

[Julie 7 3]

Hi

We are hopefully soon to have an 8 week old female shih Tzu puppy.  We already have a 3 year old labradoodle who was exceptionally easy to house train.  However this time around our situation is slightly different, I will be working 4 mornings a week.  For the first 4 weeks I will be at home as I only work term time and we will be getting her at the beginning of August. 

My plan when I am at home is to take her outside often and use a crate at night.  For the first few weeks I am planning on getting up in the night to take her out as I did with our other dog.  So I wont be putting any paer/pads in the crate, just her bed.  In the day I will take her out often and then play with her for a while. If I cant watch her ie if I go upstairs to tidy up, should I crate her or use a playpen? Was unsure about crating her as I want her to be around our other dog as much as possible?? But I did use a crate when I couldn't watch our other dog for quite a few months??

Also When I go to work she will be 12 weeks old and I am only working 4 x 4 hours mornings.  Obviously I don't want to leave her in a crate for that time as I am assuming she will still need to go to the toilet more often than that.  So I have thought about buying a playpen and putting the crate in there with the crate door open and having puppy pads on the floor of the playpen so she has somewhere to go when I am at work.  Silly question but how will she know to go on the puppy pads and not the floor in the playpen If I am not using puppy pads when I am at home?????

Hope this makes sense?

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

[Missysmom 24,975]

Welcome Julie and congratulations on getting your new baby soon! I'm so glad you've joined us here, there are wonderful people with lots of great advice. I have no experience with play pens but am sure someone will be by soon that can help. I just wanted to welcome you! 

[Summerangel 18,997]

Hello Julie and welcome to chatter. 

I also work term time and bought my babies home the beginning of August last year. Fantastic idea and I bet you won't want to go back to work in September... I know I didn't. Lol 

I also don't have experience with using crates. Although I did buy two as I had two puppies from the same litter. But in the end I decided not to use them and they slept in the kitchen. Which is also where they stay when I'm at work. 

But I think someone on here did what you have suggested in putting your crate in the playpen so the paw may come and go as it pleases. ?

Edited June 16, 2015 by Summerangel

[Marlen 5,860]

Welcome to Chatter!   Can't wait to "meet" your new baby once she arrives home  

I personally like crate training for starters and then you can move to the park  I'll explain why. 

1) Crates are fantastic in case you need them for transportation, or something has happened in the house (broken glass on the floor) and you need to have your dog somewhere safe. She needs to learn the crate from a young age  

2)At first, when you puppy doesn't know where to eliminate, you need her to stay in a smaller place, where she won't eliminate, that way whenever you take her out, you'll guide her to a pee-pad or take her out to eliminate. 

As soon as you think she's learned the crate and that it's served its purpose, move her to the park. In general the park has more space and she might eliminate in there, simply because she can move around and get away from her pee/poo. lol 

[Sophie's Haven 17,464]

I don't crate my crew but wanted to WELCOME you to Chatter.......looking forward to meeting your new baby when she arrives.

[Joanne13 2,288]

Just wanted to say Hi. Sorry no help here with the question sorry. I will use the kitchen, may gate a playpen though