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Crate training


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Justmeandmyshadow

Well, here goes question #1!  (Just the beginning of an endless stream of Qs, to be sure! ?)

We have always crate trained our labs - using the crate at night for bed time and any other time the dogs needed to be safe and/or contained for short periods of time. 

So, what size crate do you all recommend?   I'm thinking a wire crate - for maximum airflow?  Furthermore, I see many use a pee pad in the crate at night.  Is this necessary for all pups? Or, case-by-case?  In the past (and, yes, I know Labs are a whole different ball game) I'd set an alarm for sometime in the middle of the night and get up to take the pups to potty. Eventually, everyone got onto my schedule.  I'd really rather not encourage pottying in the crate at night.  

I'm a teacher, and my husband works from home.  So, we've been really lucky to not have to crate our dogs for any extent of time - other than overnight! 

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Crinkly

Where will you have the crate?  I am a firm believer that Shih Tzu (even more than other breeds) should be with the pack at night.  

Mine have a pen in the corner of the bedroom, beside the bed, where they can smell and see and hear us.  We started with pee pads, water, toys and chews and of course the bed in the pen.  Then eventually took the pee pads out.  In an emergency both dogs wake us up (politely) to ask to go Outside.

Both learned to last all night astonishingly quickly, so I wouldn't worry about pee pads becoming a permanent and unwanted feature.  I think Tara hardly used hers at all, even at 3 months.

And I never got up in the night to take them outside.  I was all set to, but the Breeder put me off the idea.  She said 'Heavens no!  You want a good night's sleep.  Get them using the pads, and once they last the night, just remove the pads.  They will be fine!'  So that is exactly what we did.

In retrospect I am SO GLAD I didn't do months of 3am alarms and trips outside.

We do, of course, occasionally get woken by someone asking to go outside, but it is always a gyppie tummie, or a bursting bladder.  Maybe once a month.  The rest of the time we all quietly sleep through.  2 humans and 2 dogs gently snoring in perfect harmony. :roflmao:

Sometimes we get people on here asking about distressed puppies at night, crying and pooing and peeing everywhere, but they usually have the puppies alone in the kitchen all night - which is very distressing for them.  Such a deep seated instinct to cry for the pack if you are alone and isolated and frightened.  If they are with you, with the pack, there is no distress, and I think they sleep better and bond with you better.

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Justmeandmyshadow

Thank you, Jo!  

His crate will be in our bedroom - right next to Piper's bed (which she never uses because her preferred sleeping spot is on the bed, right smack in the middle of her mum and pop?). Oliver, too, will have bed privileges - just as soon as we can trust him at night time.  

I am so thrilled to hear your (and your breeder's) advice regarding the pee pads.  It's been so long since we've had a pup in the house! 

So, I must get a crate that is large enough to lay down a pee pad.  One with a divider, perhaps? 

Thanks again, for your thoughtful feedback and advice! 

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Pawz4me

I was going to give you the dimensions of Yogi's crate (which he rarely uses any more), but they're not stamped on it and there's a sleeping cat currently occupying it. :laugh:  I'll try to remember to measure it when it's vacated and let you know.

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Justmeandmyshadow
2 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

I was going to give you the dimensions of Yogi's crate (which he rarely uses any more), but they're not stamped on it and there's a sleeping cat currently occupying it. :laugh:  I'll try to remember to measure it when it's vacated and let you know.

Oh my goodness!  Do NOT disturb the cat! ??

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Pawz4me

Ok, finally caught a moment when the crate was cat-less (who says cats don't like crates???).

These are rough measurements but it'll at least give you some idea.  Yogi is 15 pounds, so on the larger end of normal for a Shih Tzu.  He has plenty of room in the crate.  It's a hard plastic Petmate.

Length -- 26"

Width -- 18"

Height -- 19"

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