Should I crate train my 8 week old female Westie?

Question

I got my little Westie two days ago. She has already stained the carpet. I keep reading that crate training is the best way to get her potty trained, but I can't get past thinking that it's mean to leave her in the crate when I decide to do something other than directly play with her. I don't want to leave her in her crate when I watch a movie or go on the computer. She already cries when I put her in her crate when I leave the house. Help!

Answer 1

you just need to tell her no and put her out side when she pees inside and just watch for signs she has to go, its not that hard

Answer 2

Crates make dogs feel safe. It's true! She'll get used to it and you will save your carpet.  Once carpet is peed on you can't get the stain out!!!  You don't have to keep her in there, but take the recommendations of others who have crated and keep her in there when you can't be there to let her out to pee.  It's the best way she will learn to GO OUTSIDE!

Answer 3

My 13-week-old golden is crate trained. Its great - we can pop out for a short time knowing he will be safe and calm. He just goes to sleep happily.

If your dog cries or barks in the crate - and you know she doesn't need to go toilet then you must ignore her, never open the door to let her out until she is calm and quiet. You should introduce your dog to the crate slowly, leaving the door open.

We found that feeding our puppy in the crate and putting treats in there seemed to make him happily spend time in there.

Also - he's not once gone toilet in there - and its great overnight. He will bark or whimper quietly if he wakes up in the night and needs to go, so you just get up, no fuss, and take him out then straight back to bed. We've had very few 'accidents' inside.

Good luck to you!

Answer 4

If you want a reliably housebroken dog, crate training is the way to go.  Crate training is not mean or cruel.  

The crate should never ever be used as punishment.  She should go into the crate when you can not watch her.  You give her a Kong stuffed with p-nut butter or something to chew on while she's in the crate.  She will learn to entertain herself when you can't be with her.

Also, be realistic, she's an 8 week old puppy with a bladder the size of a pea.  She needs to get walked and frequently.  If you want her out of the crate, she needs to be attached to you with an leash, like an umbilical cord and when you see her nose go to the ground, pick her up and carry her outside.  If she has an accident in the house, it your fault for not watching her.

The other positive to crate training is if you ever need to travel with your dog.  You dog will be comfortable in her crate, whether in the car or in a hotel rom and you can be comfortable that your dog has not done any damage and is safe.

Answer 5

A crate is good when you are away, and maybe when you sleep, but when you are home, you should try to keep her out of it.  You should put her outside out every hour or two.  It may take some time, but she will learn that she is supposed to 'go' out side.  She will probably warm up to the create.  I have a puppy who just turned a year old.  She had a hard time with the crate at first, but now, whenever it looks like we are going to leave the house, she goes in lays down and just waits for us to close it and leave.  Try not to use the crate as a punishment.  The reason the crate works is because it's a confined space.  Dogs don't like to 'go' where they hang out.  Good luck!  And be patient.

Answer 6

Crate training is not mean.  You are actually doing something GOOD for the dog.  Dogs are a lot like small children - they whine and cry when they have to eat their veggies, and then they grow up to love them, don't they?

But her in her crate, and tell her she's a good girl and if you want to give her a treat, do so after she goes in and not while she is actively whining or crying (it reinforces the crying).  She will likely whine for 5 or 10 minutes, which will feel like a heartbreaking eternity to you the first few times, and then she'll settle down.  Eventually, she'll go in the crate with no fuss at all, and after that she will probably develop a bond with her crate and go in there to hang out occassionally on her own.  A crate is the dog's personal space, and it is small, cozy and comforting (dog's are den animals).  

I would take her outside before crating and immediately after crating.  What you might consider also is leashing her when you take her out after crate time, and after she goes outside she gets to play outside.  It helps reinforce the structure: nap time, potty time, play time.  Dogs learn very, very well from structure and repetition.

And if she's a little pup, don't leave her crated for more than 1 to 2 hours at a time, except at night.  And at night, make sure to listen for rustling.  If it's 2 am and she's woken up and is up in her cage, you'll need to take her out on her leash to go potty again, then re-crate her for the rest of the night.  As she gets older she'll eventually sleep through the night.

Good luck, and remember you are doing something that is not mean, and will help your dog and you live together harmoniously!

Answer 7

Crate training is a great thing.  Read this article

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/...