[wbuendia]

Ok so I am getting a new puppy in about two weeks and he will be about 8 weeks at that time. I live in an apartment on the third floor and until he has all of his shots I don't feel comfortable taking him down where all the other dogs go to the bathroom. My apartment has a small confined patio (probably 4x7 feet and completely safe as it has short walls instead of fencing and has almost a waterproof carpeted floor) so I plan on keeping a pee pad out there and I am hoping he will get the idea that outside is where we go to the bathroom. My question is that while I am not home (I am self employed so I can stop back home every 2-3 hours) could I put his crate and water out on the patio for those few hours I am gone? That way he can still use the pee pad on his own and wont have to try to hold it in his crate for the couple hours I am gone. Will it get too hot for him even if he has the shade of his crate? Should I just confine him in his crate inside for the couple hours I am gone? I would appreciate any opinions!

 

[Shell]

I would NOT crate a dog outside. Besides the heat, if you leave the crate door open for him to get to the potty pads, then he isn't safely contained. A big part of potty training is rewarding them for going where you want them to go, which can't be done if you aren't home.

Crate inside, take him out as often as you can.

Also, just because the patio has solid walls instead of fencing doesn't mean it is completely safe. Puppies and dogs are agile and creative when bored. A dog could climb his crate and go over the wall, climb the wall itself depending on the material etc. And a bigger dog can easily jump a 4 ft fence/wall.

 

[wbuendia]

Thank you, you are right. Potty training would not work if he was only rewarded half the time. And I didn't think about the fact that he could climb on top of the crate. I will keep him inside. Thank you!