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Indoor puppy enclosures
Figgy
Fighter of the night manChampion of the sunRegistered User regular
Fighter of the night manChampion of the sunRegistered User regular
We've been wanting to get a puppy for a long, long time. We decided about six or seven months ago it would be a Pug, and we recently just put down a deposit with a breeder. Our pup will be ready to adopt at the end of July.
Now, I'm getting conflicting reports as to the best way to "crate train" a pug. Some are saying the breed is exceedingly hyper as a pup, and they will have huge bursts of energy, so a small crate isn't ideal. I am not opposed to building (or buying) a small enclosure for the living room (maybe 3x5 feet). There is hardwood flooring there, and I would put down some sort of rubber/vinyl/something as a base underneath everything else in case of accidents and what not.
Others are saying that a crate is the best way to go: a crate only large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around, and comfortably sleep. This seems... cruel.
Since we'll be getting her in the summer, and my wife is a teacher, it's the perfect time of year where there will be very few times where no one is home. Leaving the dog alone for half the day will be a very few and far between scenario. Has anyone got anyone advice on which way to go? I'm leaning toward an enclosure, because it seems the dog would be much more comfortable/happy if it can run around and play, as opposed to literally stationary in a box. But I understand there are instances where there are things you do for the dog that are best for the dog and might come off as kind of cruel. Is this one of those times, where a tiny little crate is the proper way to crate train?
For the record, I've been reading this, and the author sides on the 'tiny crate' method.
Obligatory photo!
We haven't settled on a name quite yet. The current forerunner is Molly.
Now, I'm getting conflicting reports as to the best way to "crate train" a pug. Some are saying the breed is exceedingly hyper as a pup, and they will have huge bursts of energy, so a small crate isn't ideal. I am not opposed to building (or buying) a small enclosure for the living room (maybe 3x5 feet). There is hardwood flooring there, and I would put down some sort of rubber/vinyl/something as a base underneath everything else in case of accidents and what not.
Others are saying that a crate is the best way to go: a crate only large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around, and comfortably sleep. This seems... cruel.
Since we'll be getting her in the summer, and my wife is a teacher, it's the perfect time of year where there will be very few times where no one is home. Leaving the dog alone for half the day will be a very few and far between scenario. Has anyone got anyone advice on which way to go? I'm leaning toward an enclosure, because it seems the dog would be much more comfortable/happy if it can run around and play, as opposed to literally stationary in a box. But I understand there are instances where there are things you do for the dog that are best for the dog and might come off as kind of cruel. Is this one of those times, where a tiny little crate is the proper way to crate train?
For the record, I've been reading this, and the author sides on the 'tiny crate' method.
Obligatory photo!
We haven't settled on a name quite yet. The current forerunner is Molly.
Figgy on
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We quickly realized that this didn't matter to a small puppy who doesn't know any better and will piss and then lie down in it, realize they just got wet, and start crying.
So we moved to a new tactic of using the full size crate, and putting puppy pads in the back of it so the puppy knew that if it couldn't hold it, go in the back on the pad.
That worked until the puppy started eating the pad, so we moved to the new, new tactic of letting the puppy sleep in the bed with us where it belongs, and in the crate when we're gone.
Is $200ish a normal price for a crate like that?
That's it exactly though. We just ended up getting rid of the divider entirely so it's puppy pad and then dog.
Start small, with like 1 minute, then five, then ten, etc until the dog can go at least an hour in the crate without yipping. Nights are going to be hell. Put something that smells like you in there or a ticking clock, that helps. Also there's this glade plug-in thing you can get from petsmart that costs about $30 a month to refill that supposedly has some maternal pheremones in it or something. It sounds like garbage, but we did notice a difference when we used it with the lab mix.
Anyway, at first, we'd put Harvey in there at night and he'd wake up around 3:00 and have to pee, so I'd get up and take him out, at which point he wouldn't want to go back in the crate without whining, so I'd just sleep on the couch with him. 3:00 turned into 4:00 and then eventually 5:00 when I get up anyway.
Crate training wrong can be cruel but the proper way isn't cruel. Remember in the wild (expanding a bit) to what foxes or wolves have. They have burrows, small caves, root overhangs that are big enough to stand up, turn around and sleep in. They want to be tucked away safe.
The biggest problem like amateurhour is saying is the loneliness factor. Don't put him in there and walk away for 4 hours. Work up to it over time.
i personally think training them to use piddle pads is stupid since it is just training them to do something that you will need to break them of later on.
the other option is to gate it off in a small area that is puppy safe. our old kitchen was perfect since we could separate it off from the rest of the house, tile floor, and had a patio door that we put a dog door in.
This was my original idea, but it sounds like you want a enclosed, private area for the dog to feel safe and secure.
I think I'm going to go with one of the "puppy apartment" varieties from somewhere. The idea of the "potty pad" area is for when the puppy is home alone in the crate and has to go. Otherwise, it's just going to go in its bed and cry.
I agree with this. Another thing to consider is that you have to keep buying pads when you could instead teach your dog to go outside...for free! And you even said that your puppy being alone often won't be a problem over the next couple months, and that is plenty of time to lay a good housetraining foundation. I think your best option is to get a basic, small crate - as mentioned above, it should be big enough for the puppy to stand up, turn around completely, and lay down. A crate for a pug puppy shouldn't even run you more than 50 bucks, unless you get some crazy designer model. What WOULD be handy is one of the varieties with a removable tray in the bottom for easy cleaning after accidents.
But I strongly recommend against getting that puppy apartment thing. One other thing I noticed about that video is they talk about not having to worry about your puppy at night. Well, they didn't have to worry about the puppy having accidents in that scenario (apparently), but also consider that you're probably going to want to crate your puppy when you're asleep or away anyway or you might wake up to discover that the adorable little jerk has eaten one of your two couch pillows, and spread pillow stuffing all over your entire living room, or something equally disastrous.
Also, have you talked to the breeder yet for recommendations? Since obviously they know pugs you could ask them what they did for theirs.
a small area can be made anywhere, it just needs to be treated as a safe place, throw a bed inside a giant cardboard box, and there is an instant safe area. the jist of it is you want a place for it to go where it can calm down if its freaked out, it doesn't need to be a "crate" just make a house rule that if the dog is in its bed you give it its space.
the benefit of a crate is that you can close them in when you are gone and can help in potty training since most don't want to go in their bedroom if they can help it (they can't always help it)
don't put down pads for him in the appartment or wherever. he is just going to think he can go on any sort of towel or paper. if you want the area to be used for that, just leave it bare. or get him a litter box and teach him to use that.
this is strictly my opinion so take it for what its worth.
i didn't crate train our dog, she could never stand to be shut in and would bang her paw against the crate like you would see prisoners do with cups in the movies. i think as long as the dog is loved and cared for, they will associate the entire house with a safe place and as long as you give them their own space (bed in a corner somewhere) they will be fine. it could take longer, or it couldn't, you just need ot be consistent with training, which based on your presecene here in the forum, you will be fine
Thanks again!