Puppy training in crate or crate plus pen?

[beedoola]

Hello FBN members. I'm new here. My girlfriend and I are close to picking up our 8 week old male French Bulldog.

We have a crate as well as a pen ready to go for him but wanted to know whether when he goes in for the night: should we close the door on his crate or leave it open for him in case he needs to use the puppy pads during the night.

The owner/breeder says he currently sleeps through the night but in case he is in shock from the move, we wanted him to have the option to be able to use the pads instead of going in his create.

We could get him a larger crate with an area for a pad but don't want to encourage him evacuating in the crate.

Your thoughts and experiences are much appreciated.

 

[LouisDad]

Put him in the crate and close the door. If he wakes up in the middle of the night, and he will, take him outside. Then put him right back in it. He will probably whine a little, but this is a must do imo.

Be prepared to get less sleep for about a month.

When he naps during the day, put him in it so he'll get use to it.

The crate should be small, but with room for him to stretch out. Get a 30" crate that you can section off and make smaller.

 

[davidh]

I would put the crate in the pen and leave the crate open so he can come out and potty on pee pads during the night. We used to do that with our pups. They get used to sleeping in the crate, but are still restricted to what area they can go to. When the get potty trained, then you can close the door to their crate at night or when you are not home. Safest place for them to be.

 

[beedoola]

We have two incidents thus far where he has once urinated and once defected in the crate. We have been thus far taking him out of the crate at night but it might be good to try the method of leaving the crate in the pen at night with the door open. We've been bringing the crate into our bedroom at night.

Davidh: Was it more difficult to properly train your dog to be able to stay in the crate and not eliminate after allowing them access to the pee pee pads?

Did you also have the dog in a pen during the day with pee pads or removed the pee pads during the day and took them out at regular intervals?

 

[LouisDad]

I think using pee pads just encourages them to go inside.

It's pretty unusual for them to go in the crate unless they are just in there for too long. That's a problem that should fix itself.

 

[Cbrugs]

Here is what I did for all 3 of mine that has worked. They get a small area gated off with a bed and a couple pee pads at night because I did not wake up in the middle of the night to take any of them out. My 2 boys used the pee pad for maybe a week or so and then it was always dry. My female used it for a little bit longer. Once they start tearing it up, that is usually when they don't need it anymore. Then once they were able to hold it, they moved to a crate to sleep in for the night. Jax sleeps in the bed with us now and Louie (bulldog) used to but Ella (bulldog) decided she didn't want to sleep downstairs alone so Louie got kicked out of my room and they both sleep on the couch together.

 

[beedoola]

How old were the pups then?

Ziggy is almost 10 weeks now. He can’t walk down stairs yet - not big enough - so we are carrying him outside.

Currently still have him sleeping in the crate with the door open so he has access to the pee pads inside his pen ( crate is inside the pen).

He poops usually 3 times a night, probably the same for peeing.

 

[Cbrugs]

How old were the pups then?

Ziggy is almost 10 weeks now. He can’t walk down stairs yet - not big enough - so we are carrying him outside.

Currently still have him sleeping in the crate with the door open so he has access to the pee pads inside his pen ( crate is inside the pen).

He poops usually 3 times a night, probably the same for peeing.

Mine were between 8-9 weeks. What time is the last meal? I’ve always fed them dinner around 4 pm and still do. Pooping 3 times a night seems like a lot. Is the poop formed and normal? What brand are you currently?


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[beedoola]

We’re feeding him at 5pm.

7am, 12:30pm and 5pm are his meal times.

Poops are normal.

We were feeding him Orijin kibble and a little wet food. blue buffalo wet food was what the breeder had him on. We got him Nulo and now are transitioning to Dr. Harvey’s using ground beef as the protein. We’re transitioning him onto that so he is having a majority of the Orijin right now.