Leaving overnight

[Walshies]

You are welcome.

He is the cutest bundle of fluff - you must adore the little chap to bits.

We were lucky with Fudge and still are. We live on a quiet country lane and before bedtime one of us takes him for his toilet bimble at around 2230. I don't know why but he will not toilet either in the house or within the house boundary (garden etc). It just sort of clicked with him as he matured.

With regards to his bedtime routine this has always been the same. In from toilet break with the command Bo Bos and he sits and waits on his bed for his biscuit. Quick fuss and then he ignores us whilst he eats it. Door shut, lights out and not a peep out of him. It is true what people say - cockers love routine.

Enjoy your chap - he is gorgeous.

[bambino chicino]

Thank you all for saying how cute he is, I was starting to think we were a bit biased, although a passing car actually stopped whilst my hubby was walking him with his Mum the other day and the Mother and Son got out to make a fuss of him! Its like that scene in Sex and The City where Anthony says "That frickin' dog is getting cruised more than me!"

We tried crating him last night but he wasnt that keen so we'll have to try again. We will persist but I was just wondering if we close the door all night? x x

[Walshies]

Thank you all for saying how cute he is, I was starting to think we were a bit biased, although a passing car actually stopped whilst my hubby was walking him with his Mum the other day and the Mother and Son got out to make a fuss of him! Its like that scene in Sex and The City where Anthony says "That frickin' dog is getting cruised more than me!"

We tried crating him last night but he wasnt that keen so we'll have to try again. We will persist but I was just wondering if we close the door all night? x x

We do - he is then able to rest instead of wandering around causing mischief.  He is not a destructive dog but we wanted to make sure he didn't have the initial opportunity!  As long as his collar is removed when crating him at night he should be fine - he should have water in there too.  He will get used to it - we wanted to ensure Fudge saw his den as a happy place - ie every time he went in it he was rewarded. His toys are in there too.

Hope it goes well.

[twiceover2]

We used crates with our two up to 12 months and always shut the doors overnight.  They were fine.  The crates were big enough for them to stand up, turn round and get a drink from their water bowls, but they actually moved very little.  Once they were in there with a gravy bone, they settled down and slept all night.

We still have the crates and use them when we camp in the summer or go to hotels as the dogs settle better in them and ignore noise from other holidaymakers.

[HBP]

Do they hold poos and wees in all night in the crate with the door shut? Hudson has never been clean at night :-(

[Archie bean]

Do they hold poos and wees in all night in the crate with the door shut? Hudson has never been clean at night :-(

I've always thought that's the point of crate training? They can't hold on all night but they don't want to soil their bed so they cry. You then get up to let them out, or set your alarm to get you up before they cry so they don't get distressed. I've never used a crate. I have always just let my pups do what they need to overnight and cleaned up in the morning.  I have always been worried that they would get used to my company at all hours and try to get me up to give it to them! My first two cockers slept in the kitchen but Archie is in my room with me. He was pretty much clean and dry from 11pm until about 6 very early on. I put paper down on the floor in case of accidents. This gradually got later and now he can lie in and snuggle very late.  (He doesn't sleep all night mind you, never has. He just doesn't need to go outside.  )

[HBP]

We've not crate trained but I kind of wish we had now. He sleeps in a pen with puppy pads and is quiet all night so we have to muck him out every morning! He's inevitabley covered in it... In the day he'll have the run of the kitchen and take himself to the pads but that seems to go totally out of the window at night- andhe won't settle out of the pen- so we have to put him in there. I worry we're raising a dirty dog!!

[dantheman]

Woody is crated over night.
He is 13 weeks old and dry overnight and has been since 10 weeks old.
He cries,  I fly downstairs, no fuss or love open utility door and say "out" he goes straight away, and back into his crate when he is done, no fussing/loving/praise or treat.
He is now at 10/11 pm to 5.30/6.00am .
He cried like mad when I went down at first but as time went on it went from say 10mins crying to 2 mins and now non at all, phew cos I was getting fed up and tired, not very good with broken sleep!!

[jaydee67]

We got Charlie at 10 weeks and she has been crated every night. We've been really lucky and never been up with her in the night (although she goes out before I go to bed about 11 and hubby is up for work before 5), nor has she ever messed in her crate. The crate is shut so she has her space but can't get out and get up to mischief.

During the day she has been crated while we are at work but we have been letting her stay out with the other dogs for the afternoon once hubby goes back to work after lunch and today she had her first whole day with the big dogs - and the living room is still in one piece!