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Nov 2020
10:05am, 25 Nov 2020
5,831 posts
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Metro_Nome
We crate Chester overnight. He goes to bed between 9 and 9:30, we get him up about 1am for the toilet, and then he sleeps through til 5:30/6ish (sometimes 4... today was 6:30 which was glorious)
we still haven't gone out and left him alone yet but when we do we plan to crate him, as otherwise I just can't trust he'll hurt himself. everything I've read said no more than 4 hours in the crate during the day, though of course we will build up to that
when we first got him we were crating him a lot during the day- playtime/mealtime/training time, then down for a nap in his crate, because he just wouldn't settle out of it. then we got a pen, attached to the crate, and a super comfy bed that he loves. now he's mostly free to roam in his pen through the day and naps happily on his bed, and of course when we're free he's out and playing with us (or we are in the pen playing with him, because we want to keep that a happy place). if we see he's getting really over-tired and settling himself down, he does still sometimes go for an "enforced" nap in his crate. we do put him in the crate and shut the door which I know many people say not to do , but it's not in a punishment kind of way, and normally within one or two minutes he is out like a light! whereas if we left the door open he would just come out again and get more mental and over tired and that's when he gets really worked up and is likely to hurt himself (or us- those little needle teeth are surprisingly sharp!)
I'm on a few dachshund groups and there's a lot of crate shaming, but I can see for us it will be a life saver. i know he's happy in there (unless we misread things and put him in there when he's not tired- but we're pretty good at that now!) cos when he's relaxed he happily chills, and at night time when we take him out for the toilet he always jumps straight back in
sorry- ended up being a bit of an essay there!
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Nov 2020
10:07am, 25 Nov 2020
5,832 posts
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Metro_Nome
(trust he'll *not* hurt himself, obv)
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Nov 2020
10:23am, 25 Nov 2020
8,495 posts
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BaronessBL
That sounds like you've worked it perfectly for him M_N.
Wanda was a little older (around 8 or 9 months) when we got her and we didn't really know her background or any crating experience plus we got a crate that was so massive we couldn't really move around the kitchen when it was up so we haven't used it as much as we might although I did take it to our training classes so that she could be in her crate safely away from all the other dogs (which seemed to calm her down) in the early days and she's always had a positive response to it.
Our strategy with Wanda when we first had her was that for the first few weeks she had access only to the kitchen and utility room (we ended up spending a lot of time in the kitchen!) but every day we would have 'humans half hour' where we sat in the living room while she was in her bed in the kitchen. This certainly helped for night time as well. Gradually after the first few weeks she was allowed pretty much anywhere downstairs but we had a stairgate and she was not allowed upstairs at all. Unfortunately at some point the stairgate had to be taken out for a couple of days and once Wanda discovered upstairs and particularly how warm it was outside the airing cupboard the stairgate never went back in again! If BaronBR had his way Wanda would sleep upstairs every night. However - this rarely happens unless for some reason I have to stay away from home for a night  
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Nov 2020
10:34am, 25 Nov 2020
2,016 posts
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PenW
Always useful to hear other people’s experiences and what they do.
He doesn’t choose to nap in his crate yet. If I put him in when sleepy he’ll often stay there. He usually naps next to me and tolerates me leaving him a bit (but usually wakes). He doesn’t really like being confined in the crate or puppy pen.
He let me have a shower this morning though and has been asleep most of the morning so far. I was impressed he took himself into the crate last night for a portion of the night.
First trip to the vets in 30 mins. Probably just when he wakes and gets playful 🙄
The crate is quite heavy but I might try taking it upstairs again now that he is more used to it and I could then sleep in my own bed. And then gradually figure out the best location. The crate is in a corner in the lounge in the daytime.
He’ll happily leap in and out of the crate for the first phase of the training in SjohnA’s link.
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Nov 2020
11:12am, 25 Nov 2020
9,350 posts
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Mazlin
I bought Rory a crate, but then I never managed to do the crate training, so unsurprisingly he never went in it.
When I’m away and he stays with his trainer, he eats in a crate, sleeps overnight in a crate, and takes himself into a crate during the day when he wants a nap or some quiet time. Because she has crate trained him. He won’t do this for me at home, because he KNOWS I’m a pushover.
(I would NOT suggest following the Mazlin method of dog training, but however badly you think it’s going...you’re almost certainly doing better than I did!)
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Nov 2020
11:42am, 25 Nov 2020
33,266 posts
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halfpint
Ernie will happily go in the crate at night (only exceptions have been a night or 2 after he had been quite unwell in the crate and a night or 2 after QP went off to college). During the day he never goes in the crate. When he was a puppy he wanted to sleep on me all the time and I let him which created a situation where he wouldn't be parted from me. He used to always have to be in the same room as me but lately he will find a comfy spot somewhere in the house (usually my bed to be honest). If he hears me moving he'll come to check where I'm going.
I'm probably the next step down on the scale from Maz in terms of how badly trained. I'd do things differently if I ever had another puppy.
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Nov 2020
11:52am, 25 Nov 2020
6,426 posts
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Wobbling
Boots will be in the same room as us unless we have guests, then he takes himself off to the room furthest away. We were worried about separation anxiety because he doesn’t choose to be away from us, but a lickie mat, kong, his favourite squeaky toy and the Goldberg variations have kept him happy. We have a blink camera so check up on him during the few times we have left him alone.
At night he sleeps downstairs and wakes up just before the alarm. Except the other night he whimpered enough to wake MrW, who decided Boots was whimpering in his sleep so left him. When he went down at 6am there was a big poo in the hall. We’ve changed Boots’ food and it’s taken a few days to get portion size sorted.
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Nov 2020
12:30pm, 25 Nov 2020
206 posts
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SjohnA
To be honest - even with Luna now been an older 15 months - I have just had to shut her in her crate for an enforced sleep! She has had a 2 miles walk this morning at 6am, then she has 2 hours on the beach in the sea and running around. I get her home and she still wants to play lol. Shut her in her crate and she is asleep within 5 minutes.
Some dogs just need a hint
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Nov 2020
12:40pm, 25 Nov 2020
2,017 posts
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PenW
He’s fallen asleep on me so I’ve put him in the crate. We’re working on it!
Visit to the vet was a little traumatic but he loved the vet herself. And she gave him treats. He’s had first jab. Next one is in 4 weeks and so unfortunately he can’t go outside on walks until 30th December. A week or so later than I’d hoped but not much I can do. He’s had worming/flea etc treatment too and is healthy.
He cried in the car but settled a few minutes into the journey.
Got the usual warnings about being careful outside even in my garden but he’s got to go out so will just have to do my best. I’ve just got to get through the next 5 weeks until we can begin some short walks.
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Nov 2020
12:44pm, 25 Nov 2020
207 posts
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SjohnA
That's a shame about 4 weeks, some vets will do the second one in 2 weeks which is a lot more manageable. Luna was out by 10 weeks of age. Remember you can still take him out to see things if you carry him. That will help with some early socialisation.
Putting them in the crate when they have fallen asleep is a great strategy! They generally just nod back off. If you aren't already, that is a good time to quietly shut the crate door too.
You will get there. Stick with the crate overnight and follow a schedule and they will be potty trained in no time. I was lucky with Luna, got her at 8 weeks and from 9 weeks she never had any accidents in the house.
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