Can I start crate training 10 week Yorkie right away?

vberkeley

All of the research that I've done has me confused. I bring my new 10 week old Yorkie home on Saturday and I want to make sure I start him off right.

Can I expect him to sleep in the crate with regular outings during the first night or am I setting myself up for accidents in his crate?

I will be spending the first week at home with him to understand his schedule but when I go back to work, is it ok to expect him to be in his crate for 3-4 hours without having an accident?

If he has an accident in his crate will that erase all of the progress that he has made?

And one last question, I travel and he will be staying at my boyfriend's house when I am gone. If we stick to the same schedule, will the change in location confuse him and elongate the process?

Thank you so much for your help!

Curbside Prophet

Yes, you can start with the crate on the first night. But expect your pup to object and whine. If (s)he's just eliminated before you place her in the crate and whines, you know what to do...ignore him/her. If she starts to whine a couple of hours later, she probably needs to go out again. It's better if you can take her out before she whines, but it's not always possible.

You should only expect him to sleep 2-3 hours without needing to go. He may or may not have an accident, but expect that he will. Be prepared with all the proper cleaners handy.

It's ok to expect that as long as you won't hold it against him if he does have an accident. I don't have personal experience with Yorkies, but I tend to read about how they need to go out more often than larger dogs because they have smaller bladders. This makes sense. So, maybe expecting him to hold it for 4 hours will initially be too much.

No, it will not erase progress, but it may prolong any advances. Puppy accidents aren't what you should be concerned with. Being sure to give him a chance to succeed is always more important. So, if he has an accident, o' well, take him outside and give him a chance to earn praise. He'll remember the praise more than the accident he just had.

Any time a dog is in a new environment, you have to expect a digression in learned behaviors. However, if you're patient and consistent, there's no more that you can do. It may prolong the learning, but how much depends on, again, how often you set him up for success. Some people are better than others in understanding this point. Just as some dogs take long to house train than others, even if you're doing everything right. So, be patient and I wish you the best of luck with your new pup.

nrhareiner

I have a 7 week old pup and a 9 week old pup and they are both very good in the crate and they both sleep all night with out a problem. They go out before bed and then go into the crate they sleep in at night and sleep until about 6:30 the next morning and have been doing this since the first night.

They eat their last meal at about 6 and no watter after about 8 and that really helps at night.

Each dog is differnt. However at 10 weeks they should start to do quite well as long as they stop eating early enough.

Heidi

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