[mom2furbabies]

We brought our new puppy Abby home this past Saturday. I have many reasons for wanting to crate train her, but the most important is to assist housebreaking. I've been researching crate training and found some conflicting opinions regarding how to approach it.

Basically, her crate is left open during the day for her to nap in whenever she wants. I'm a stay at home mom, so I have no reason to lock her in it except for a short period in the morning and afternoon when I bring/pick-up my daughter from school. I'm keeping a hawk's eye on her during the day, and she's only had one accident in the house so far. I've been bringing her out after each nap and after she eats and anytime she appears to need to go in between.

In the evening I feed her again around 6:00. I usually have everyone and everything settled in the house by 9:00, so I spend about a half hour playing with her to wind her down. I then take a few minutes to brush her, one more trip outside and then it's time to go to bed.

Here's where I'm at a loss. During the night, she wakes up about every 3 hours to go potty. She will cry, and I will get up take her outside to make and then put her immediately back to bed. There is no play time involved, just a bathroom break. I was fine with this routine, however my sister in law (who is a vet tech) told me there is no reason she should have to go out at night. She seems to believe that I'm going to install bad behavior in her by allowing these bathroom breaks during the night. She said it would take a few nights, but I should let her cry and only allow her out once we get up in the morning.

Ok, so maybe I'm humanizing my dear Abby, but I don't think anyone should have to hold it all night, especially when they are so young and their bladders are so tiny. I know there are nights when I wake up for a bathroom break, so why wouldn't I expect her to? Also, I want her to feel that her crate is a safe place for her to go. So, if I leave her crying in it all night, doesn't that suddenly make it a "bad" place to be?

I obviously don't want to start a pattern here, nor do I want to allow myself to be manipulated into "pretend" potty breaks in the future. Everyone knows that bassets are very smart, and I'm sure that it won't take long for her to realize that she can get out of the crate at night by crying. It seems that I may be dealing with a situation of "which is the lesser evil?"!

So, for all you crating experts out there, should I change the routine? Am I installing bad behavior in her by allowing these nighttime breaks, possibly leaving myself open for future issues?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jen

Edited to add a couple of pics of her napping in her crate

"Mom!!!! Leave me alone, I'm napping"

Ahhhhh......sweet dreams!

 

[murraysmom]

It sounds like you're doing a great job! Murray slept next to our bed in a crate when he was a baby and would cry to be let out in the middle of the night too. I would get up and take him out, and was happy that he was letting me know he had to go potty rather than peeing in his bed. When he got older he could hold it longer and he stopped asking. Now he sleeps downstairs- his choice- and I miss him! Sounds like your baby is pretty much housebroken if she's signaling to you when she has to go-

 

[mom2furbabies]

Thanks so much! I'm glad to know that you did the same thing and it worked out; it makes me feel better about the route we are taking

 

[trouble maker fred]

My little fred is 2 1/2 months and when I first got him he was waking up every 2 hours to go potty and I got up with him and put him right back in his crate afterwards. then he started waking up every 4 hours and now he sleeps the whole night until about 5 when my husband wakes up for work. He goes potty and sleeps until about 10. So I really don't see anything wrong with letting her go potty at night. I'm sure once she gets older she will sleep all night. She is really cute. The same colors as my puppy.

 

[Guest]

Boy! Lil Fred has one high dollar crate!! With Abby, now 10 years old, we did not crate her, but put her in a baby pen in our bedroom. Even though we had Alex (ATB) to keep her company, I still had to get up several times during the night to her whinning to go out or play. Now she takes up most of the king size bed, and every once in a while, gets me up at "oh dark thirty" to go out and maybe potty. We try to make sure she goes out (and hopefully potty) before we go to bed. It just takes time and patience.

Marie, Newton, KS

 

[copsmom]

I have two 4 month old girls and they were the same way at that age. They still need to get up sometimes at night most nights they sleep through. On the other hand my Copper is 15 months and he still get up about once a night. I think you are doing fine.

P.S. I forgot to tell you how adorable he is.

 

[Marcia]

You didn't say how old your baby is, but from the look of her she is too young to hold it all night. I think you are doing a great job! By the way, she is beyond cute.............

Edited to say I love her pad - I had carpet like that in the 70's :wink:

 

[trouble maker fred]

yes fred cant fit under there anymore because he's growing so fast. We just recently spent over $100 on a bigger crate and bedding to go with it. Dogs are expensive but worth it. We bought a crate big enough so that we wont ever have to buy a new one again.

 

[mom2furbabies]

Fred is absolutely precious. I love his markings, they are so well defined.

Thanks to everyone that responded. My "Inner Mommy" was telling me I was doing the right thing, but of course someone always comes along and plants a seed of doubt in your mind. I'm going to keep doing things as I was, and if some problem develops I'll address it at that time.

Jen

 

[jmm]

soo cute..and just a baby puppy...they need to go out often even during the night.....i rescued sadie at 4 months and crate trained. i had her out every 2 hours at 4 months and then by 7 months she slept through the night well at least to 6am....i read all of these books that said 4 hours at 4 months...well shee didnt read those books and that just didnt work.
your are doing a great job.....

 

[Mikey T]

Here's where I'm at a loss. During the night, she wakes up about every 3 hours to go potty. She will cry, and I will get up take her outside to make and then put her immediately back to bed. There is no play time involved, just a bathroom break. I was fine with this routine, however my sister in law (who is a vet tech) told me there is no reason she should have to go out at night. She seems to believe that I'm going to install bad behavior in her by allowing these bathroom breaks during the night. She said it would take a few nights, but I should let her cry and only allow her out once we get up in the morning

That a problem with none breed specific advice. There are quite a few breeds for younger pups but bassets are much slower to mature in this area and is one reason that they are more difficult to house train than other breeds

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