Hiya,
We are hoping to get a cocker spaniel puppy early next year and have started to do our research now. Although we have had pups before (six years since my last one!) I have never used a crate to help with toilet training as I have always paper trained them.
So this time I am thinking of using a crate but have a couple of questions:
Do you crate your new pup overnight? Some people seem to but then I have read that they shouldn't be left for more than a couple of hours in it.
Does this mean that you would have to let it out every couple of hours during the night, and if so how long would you continue this for?
How long would you expect it to take to toilet train him? We both work and will each take two weeks off work when we get him (so a month will be spent with the puppy) and then it will be left for a maximum of two three hour periods a day, 4 days a week. I would hope that after this month that he should be able to hold it all in for the three hour period which we will be away!
When we return to work after the month I would probably leave him in the kitchen un-crated to be with my other two dogs (this would obviously depend on how they get on together).
No doubt I will think of more questions, but any advice will be gratefully received.
Thanks
Debbie, Tara & Bailey