461. Crate & pee pan toilet training v. paper training

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

A FEEDBACK FROM A NEW PUPPY OWNER
RECEIVED IN JAN 10, 2009


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Your Blog: Crate + Pee Pan bought by the puppy owner. Not possible to paper-train this way...
Friday, January 9, 2009 3:15 PM
From:
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To:
judy@toapayohvets.com

Dear Judy,

I just wanted to say "THANK YOU":-D

I came across your blog via google.com, I was so confused about training. I just purchased a puppy last Saturday as well as a crate with pee/poop tray. Then I had a dog trainer to come the following Tuesday.

It was a disaster! I had been advised by the pet farm that the puppy must be confided to his crate most of the times, but the trainer said to choose an area, put down newspapers, and leave the crate door open. In the end, the puppy only shredded the paper and relieved himself near my washing machine or dryer!

I decided to place the puppy back into his crate and take him out only 3x a day for 5-10 min plays, like the pet farm advised.

I just couldn't take the soiled, back balcony floor anymore. However, he is just happy to be back inside the apartment, with the rest of us instead of the back balcony.

Thanks again.

Sincerely yours,
L


COMMENTS BY DR SING

1. Confinement in a small space (e.g. crate + pee pan) for the first 14 days is necessary to train the puppy.

2. The dog trainer advised a bigger space using newspapers and leaving the crate door open. This is not good advice as the puppy is not so easily "paper-trained" by this way.

The new puppy is does not know that he is supposed to pee on the newspapers. Probably there is no urine smell on the newspapers. The puppy shreds the newspapers (common complaint in paper training). He eliminates near the washer and dryer and probably dislikes going back to the crate as he associates it with imprisonment.

3. Seller (pet farm) has trained the puppy to pee and poop inside the crate and pee pan. The puppy associates the feel of the crate with elimination. Therefore, the Buyer is wise to adopt the recommendations of the Seller. Take the puppy out 3X/day for 5-10 minutes to play and confine him. This sounds cruel but is important in the first 7-14 days.

4. Playing with the puppy prevents him sleeping too much during the daytime and helps in making the puppy used to people and the surroundings.

5. After 7-28 days and a set routine, the puppy may be taken out in a bigger space (increase area of freedom by 100%) and closely supervised. If he goes back to the crate to pee and poop, then, he has been "crate" trained.

Increase the area to roam over the next 4 weeks and in the end, this puppy will use the crate as its toilet and sleeps outside the crate.

6. As to paper-training the puppy, it will be another method. Definitely the crate and pee pan housing is not meant for paper-training.

P.S Some owners put papers on top of the floor grate, thereby paper-training the puppy. In such cases, a playpen will be most appropriate.