Crate time / Daily Schedule / and housebreaking.... 3 questions!

[Joeturbo26]

Hello my Frenchie Friends!

I am starting to feel like a total pain in the &** with my questions, so let me apologize—I'm sorry!

I have a couple of questions I need help with.

First, I am really trying everything in my power to get this dog housebroken ASAP. I am SO NOT about this wee wee pad life! So with that... A week after Rico came home—I am officially committing to a full on schedule.

I lacked sticking to a schedule because the vet suggested I free feed for the first week (he was concerned about Rico eating enough and felt like he was a little small for 8 weeks—he was 4.5lbs) after discovering Rico liked Fromm food more than his original Diamond Naturals, I aggressively made the switch and he's been really good. No upset stomach or diarrhea.

Last night I picked up his food bowl at 8pm and I watched him on his crate cam mosey over to the food area several times in the night, so I thought for sure he would be hungry when I woke up this morning. He also peed on the pad two times in the middle of the night. At 7am this morning I fed him 1/2 cup of food and watered the dog. He nibbled a little and left it (which I assumed was him thinking let me play now and eat later since he's used to the free feeding). I removed his food from the pen and I then took him out for a quick "potty walk" to a safe grass area... Nothing! No pee no poop!

I brought him back upstairs to the apartment put him in his play pen, with the pad... Went to go medicate my crazy cat... And I came back to a big old poop on the pad. Then he zonked out in his crate and has been sleeping since.

So here are my two questions and one request for you to share....

1. I feel guilty that he is going in and out of a locked crate. I work from home so I am fortunate to be supervising his crate time all day... But how much crate time is too much crate time cumulative in a day?

2. Am I doing the right thing by removing his food even if he hasn't eaten it during "meal time". I don't want to starve the poor guy but clearly I know it's about "food in—poop out" and this will definitely help with a schedule.

3. Can you share with me your own personal puppy schedule recommendations?

Thank you so much!
Joey

 

[Nicole G]

Believe me, I overwhelmed with questions (and still do sometimes!) when I first got my Frenchie! Everyone's very helpful here.

As far as a schedule goes, I used to take my girl out every two hours during the day, or sometimes more. Usually after they a) wake up from a nap, b) after playtime, and c) after meal time. I know it seems like a lot! And after about the first week, I got to know her pretty well and could tell what she acted like when she needed to go. I will say, thankfully she was really good as far as training goes - I think I had it easy. I am no fan of the pads either, by the way. Our breeder swore by them, but Ella used to rip them up. Sometimes, however, I would take one outside and put it down where I wanted her to go in the grass to help her get the point of "potty outside".

She did used to hate eating too - even free feeding - I finally gave in and started using the "toppers" from Stella and Chewys. I would mix them into the kibble with water and then drain the water - the kibble I guess tasted like them afterwards so she would eat. They were a godsend, and lots of companies make them now. They are freeze dried raw, but they didn't have any affect stomach-wise.

Hopefully that helps somewhat! Rico is just too cute.

 

[MunasG]

I'm the worst for potty training! So some of the other folks can give you more advice. My girl is still not potty trained and she is 15 weeks old now! I just can't seem to stick to crate training her. I have a fully fenced back yard and take her out very often when am home and before i leave for work and when i come home. But i use pee pads a lot. She has had a few accidents at home but that's all my fault. And without fail she pees and poos on the pads over night and sometimes during the day (but mostly pee then). I tried locking her in the crate once for 3 and half hours and she had peed by the time i returned. The again for two hours and she was fine then. I know here schedule somewhat but her playtime potties are pretty random. I have to really decide if i should go the crate training way cos she thinks she can go both inside and outside. Lord give me strength! LOL . i locked her in her crate once and in her excitement of wanting to get out and her teething phase, she tried biting one of the railings and got her face half stuck in between the rails and her tooth too. She yelled so loud and i half freaked out! I finally managed to push her face through backwards so she was free. It made me wonder what would have happened if i wasn't there. But enough of my frightening you! Good luck and keep us posted as i for sure would love to find an easier way to potty train her.

 

[Cbrugs]

I never free fed Jax, even when he was puppy. When he was a puppy he got fed 3 times a day and now 2 times a day. Jax has always been food motivated and LOVES to eat so I have never had any issues with him not eating.

I used pads maybe for a week or two when we first got him and he slept in the kitchen confined to an xpen. After the first few nights, the pads were always dry and he would just tear them up. I was fortunate enough to have someone home with him when he got him cause it was the summer months and my son and stepdaughter were home so he was able to be constantly taken out. As stated, they should be taken out after a nap, eating/drinking and after playing. Be sure to praise him and even give treats when he does go potty outside. If you see him sniffing around, grab him and take him out. By the time school had started again, Jax was potty trained and he continues to go to the gate at the top of the stairs (we live in a split level and have a baby gate at the top) whenever he needs to go out. Be consistent and eventually you will get there!

 

[jellyfish]

Hello my Frenchie Friends!

I am starting to feel like a total pain in the &** with my questions, so let me apologize—I'm sorry!

I have a couple of questions I need help with.

First, I am really trying everything in my power to get this dog housebroken ASAP. I am SO NOT about this wee wee pad life! So with that... A week after Rico came home—I am officially committing to a full on schedule.

I lacked sticking to a schedule because the vet suggested I free feed for the first week (he was concerned about Rico eating enough and felt like he was a little small for 8 weeks—he was 4.5lbs) after discovering Rico liked Fromm food more than his original Diamond Naturals, I aggressively made the switch and he's been really good. No upset stomach or diarrhea.

Last night I picked up his food bowl at 8pm and I watched him on his crate cam mosey over to the food area several times in the night, so I thought for sure he would be hungry when I woke up this morning. He also peed on the pad two times in the middle of the night. At 7am this morning I fed him 1/2 cup of food and watered the dog. He nibbled a little and left it (which I assumed was him thinking let me play now and eat later since he's used to the free feeding). I removed his food from the pen and I then took him out for a quick "potty walk" to a safe grass area... Nothing! No pee no poop!

I brought him back upstairs to the apartment put him in his play pen, with the pad... Went to go medicate my crazy cat... And I came back to a big old poop on the pad. Then he zonked out in his crate and has been sleeping since.

So here are my two questions and one request for you to share....

1. I feel guilty that he is going in and out of a locked crate. I work from home so I am fortunate to be supervising his crate time all day... But how much crate time is too much crate time cumulative in a day?

2. Am I doing the right thing by removing his food even if he hasn't eaten it during "meal time". I don't want to starve the poor guy but clearly I know it's about "food in—poop out" and this will definitely help with a schedule.

3. Can you share with me your own personal puppy schedule recommendations?

Thank you so much!
Joey

1. Do you have an xpen? If you have one or can get one, you could use that to give a small amount of freedom out of the crate. My pups (an english and a french bulldog) spend about 8.5 hours in their crate during the day during the week with a potty break. We work outside the home and I come home for lunch to feed and let them out for a little bit. They have a lot more time out of their crates on the weekend when we're home all day.They also sleep at night in their crates.

2. My guys get about 10 minutes or so to eat. If they don't eat or don't finish, meal time is over and they will wait until the next meal. They have gotten used to the routine and know when the bowls come out, it is time to eat and they are ready. We do not free feed.

3. Crate, outside(potty), eat, play, outside(potty), crate...and repeat. This rotation worked for us. At the beginning, the play time was small compared to the crate time but over time we've lengthened play time. We're around 2 hours of play time right now before they've had enough and are ready for a nap. (Play time includes walks, playing with each other, training, and other activities.) The eat portion is only during 3 rotations, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At some point, we'll switch to two meals a day but my english is only 4 months old so we have a while yet.

Another word of advice...I learned a great deal about potty training by watching Zak George's youtube videos about potty training. I highly recommend them. Their fairly short but I learned so much from them.

 

[Joeturbo26]

OMG HE DID HIS FIRST POOP OUTSIDE TODAY!!!!! I'm feeling slightly victorious.

 

[davidh]

He is still a baby, so it will take time and patience to potty train, so try not to get discouraged. Pups can only hold their pee for about an hour for every month of age. So if he is 3 months old, then 3 hours. I would not free feed, Feed three times a day until about 7 months old then go to twice a day. Pick up his food after 20 minutes if he has not eaten all of it. He will learn. We will put an X-pen around their crate and put puppy pads in there. They will eventually learn to go outside, as your boy did today. Plenty of praise when they go outside. Don't feel bad about asking questions, that's what we are here for.