So we got our puppy

And hes a very good dog. taking a nap next to my legs as I type. Only 1 accident so far and he's already learned that hes supposed to pee when we take him to a certain place outside.

I just have a few questions- he's only 3 months, what are the chances of getting him to sleep through the night? The 1 and 4 am potty trips are killing me.

Also, usually I can come home at lunch and take him out, but next week I have a meeting and no one can. Would it be best to take the divider out of the crate and put paper in the back so he can go back there? Or any other suggestions? he was paper trained when we got him, so this idea won't be so foreign to him. I just don't want to mess up all the work we've done getting him to go outside.

Thanks!

Re: So we got our puppy

we did the 1am and 4 am until Mav was 4 months old

Re: So we got our puppy

First-Congrats on the new puppy! Second-DO not take the divider out of the crate. You want just enough room for him to stand up lay down and turn around. If you take the divider out you are teaching him that it's okay to go to the bathroom in the crate. Our dogs were home from the beginning 8 or 9 hours a day during the week with no one to walk them. For 3 or 4 days Porter, my pit mix, peed and pooped in his cage. After that he didn't like having to sit in the cage like that all day and he never did it again. Even now, if we gewt stuck late at work he can hold it. He's held it for 11 hours before.

Re: So we got our puppy

maybe you could get a small pen (like people have for their kids? and have a sleep area and an area with wee wee pads? I don't think it is good for a puppy with such a tiny bladder to try to hold it in!

Re: So we got our puppy

I think you are going to have to do the 1 and 4 am thing for a little while longer. Puppies can't hold their bladder well enough to make it through the night.

Congrats on the new puppy!!!

Re: So we got our puppy

Congraulations and good luck!

We had wee-wee pads for awhile, until he was about 4-5 months old then maybe I got up once a night, but usually only when I went too! He still, at 3, does wake me up occassionally if he has to go int he middle of the night. I would rather that than cleaning up a mess.

Re: So we got our puppy

Maddie's a week from being 6 months old and we still sometimes get up once or twice, other nights not at all ... (we do get up by 5-5:30AM though during the week).

And what IrishLass said, I'd rather be getting up to go out, then getting up to clean!!