Re: ....Questions.....

[Ilene Cook <asorosgd@ameritech.net>]

> Peggy & Kurt wrote:
   While the pup is young should I set an alarm
> to wake up in the night to take her out?  I keep reading that you
> shouldn't take the pup out when she's crying - it teaches her cry =
> out.  But how do you know if it's an I gotta pee cry or an I want out
 
While I use the newspaper in the crate, I am sure Judy or Gina might
have different methods. I do not worry about it. Really, I *KNOW* what
you are talking about, been there , done that, and did it again.  As
long as it is quiet in the house and the lights are off, the pup should
sleep. They might wake at 2 or 3 to peepee, but in my house they have
their newspaper. This is what I mean by setting your own rules. No book
will tell you to put a newspaper in the crate. I do! I would rather the
pup have somewhere to go if I am not there . You see, I work, and have
come home to soaking wet puppies! The newspaper in the crate has NEVER
hampered my crate training or housebreaking. In fact, all my people are
told to do this, and they still report a housebroken puppy in record
time! So, I have guilt after all. I do not want the puppy stressed
because it has to peepee and it is locked in a crate. I give the puppy
an out. I leave the newspaper in the crate until I see that when I come
home from work, or when I get up in the morning, the paper is dry. Well,
not the same piece of newspaper, of course, but I just keep it up. I do
not get up at night, ever! I will get up at 5 am, in fact it seems cruel
to make them wait longer than that, especially if they have stayed dry
all night!
 And, last piece of advice, lose the guilt over the crate. Peggy, your
puppy would be sleeping anyway. Dogs sleep alot. Puppies sleep more.
Believe me, it is not cruel. You have to get past that. It is a safe
environment for your puppy that mimics a den, the dogs natural
instinctive 
home. We really do understand your feelings, we are just trying to
reassure you that they are needless. I like the fact that you are
seeking out day care and the dog walker thing sound cool!!   One other
really important thing about a crate. Never leave a choke chain on a dog
in a crate. They can strangle themselves. It has happened. I do not
leave any collar on my dogs when they are crated.

                                  Ilene