housetaining help

[BADGER1]

Bella's been home a week today so shes almost 9wks old, just a baby i know  and genrally shes doing well with her toilet training. we've got a crate for her and a playpen and while shes confined to the crate for short periods through the day shes clean in there , the problems happening overnight. the last three nights I've noticed small wet patches on the vetbed when I've got up to let her out during the night (obviously hasn't been able to hold it!) Get up to let her out as soon as she whines during the night and I'm worried that by her weeing in the crate I'm setting myself up for toileting problems in the future (my older dog never weed in his crate and would whine to be let out overnight but would obviously be able to wait for me to get down stairs to do so!) I'm thinking that maybe i should leave the crate door open with a puppy pad right outside for her to use but my only concerns with this are that she wont settle down with the crate door open and alsos I'm not a fan of letting them think that its OK to toilet indoors ( though I'd rather she went on the puppy pad than in her crate ) Whats everyones thoughts on this little dilemma and anyone had a similar problem?

[Danni and Freya]

Ive had exactly the same with Harvey. Freya never once had an accident in the crate so I was very surprised when he has had a couple of each. I would say persevere. He hasnt had one for a couple of weeks now, so I think its just part of the settling in period while they are babies. Hes definately got better at letting me know when its time to get out for a wee. Is her crate within hearing range of your bed?

[BADGER1]

Well its in the kitchen but i'm quite tuned into listening out for her

[saffysmum]

The point of the cage is it is supposed to be her 'bed' as dogs won't toilet in their bed but my dogs know their bed is the comfy, padded thingy and not the cage.  So what I do is, I bought a really tiny, padded puppy bed which takes up half her cage and at the front/other half, I put newspaper down.  She peed the paper for a couple of weeks but is now (at 12 weeks) totally dry all night in her cage.  She has also outgrown her tiny bed  .  So I am going to replace the paper and puppy bed with a full-sized bed which takes up the whole cage.

[mooching]

Badger,

What size is the crate and what is in there?

[BADGER1]

Shes only got a really small area thats been sectioned off with a crate divider and the bit shes sleeping in is completely covered with snuggly vetbed, i might take out the divider and put a puppy pad down in the other part of the crare at bedtime and see if that makes any difference as other half not keen at all at having pup in its crate in our room which would have been my next idea!

[mooching]

Shes only got a really small area thats been sectioned off with a crate divider and the bit shes sleeping in is completely covered with snuggly vetbed, i might take out the divider and put a puppy pad down in the other part of the crare at bedtime and see if that makes any difference

I tried that just the once - Alfie shredded the puppy pad!    He was better with just his bed and no pad. It has worked for some though.