I have just got a maltese puppy who is only 9 weeks old. Could anyone give me some advice on toilet training? Which is better for the training, a play pen or a cage with roof? Thanks very much.

You can't rely on either of these inanimate objects to train your puppy.  The idea of using a crate or puppy play pen is to keep them safe when you are other wise occupied (or asleep ;))

In order to effectively toilet train a puppy, you should take it outside after it wakes, after it's eaten, after it's played, and after anything exciting (such as visitors) happens.  AND every half an hour inbetween when it's awake.  Allow the puppy to explore safely, and if you want to train the puppy to go on command use a phrase such as 'be quick' when the pup performs..........  You should also have with you some means of rewarding the puppy - food works well, such as a small piece of cooked chicken or liver.  To make cleaning up inside easier, it may be an idea to lay paper down near the back door - but do not encourage the pup to use it.  If you see the pup start to circle,sniff and/or squat, then clap your hands to distract it, and then whisk it straight outside to allow it to finish what it started.

HTH

Hi, thanks for your advice. I live in a flat and it is actually one of the main reasons that I bought a maltese. He is paper trained but sometimes accidents do happen at night. I just need to put him into a crate or a puppy pen at night, when I am asleep. I have no idea which one of the two is better. Will a crate be like a prison to him? A play pen seems more open but I suppose a crate can be used as a carrier as well.

my pup loves his crate. we dont touch him while he is in there and we never forced him in or out, (only encourage him). It is his safe place where he escapes, the children ar5e not allowed near it either. Our breeder used a crate so he was already used to it. i am not sure how you get them used to it, but i am sure someone here can help. I think it would need to be introduced slowly but i am not sure how.

At 9 weeks his bladder isn't mature enough to 'hold on' through the night - if you put him in a crate or 'play pen' and leave him there all night, he will simply learn he has no choice but to use this area for toileting as well - in the early days it's often necessary for the owner to set an alarm clock so they can get up and release the puppy from either a crate or a play pen to do whatever is necessary.  If you don't at this age, as I said, they simply learn that sometimes they just *have* to do it where ever they are, and that will make it doubly difficult to train them not to....

Back to your oringinal enquiry, now I have the full story, for this purpose it really doesn't matter - dogs do not perceive crates as 'prisons', but simply as somewhere warm and dry and safe, especially if it's covered with a blanket to make it draft free and enclosed.  Personally I prefer crates over play pens for this purpose.

Playpens should only be used for playing in safety, crates are just like a bed or kennel  your dogs "special place" to feel safe in. I have a 19 week old RR and she loves her crate. when you introduce it dont make a great big fuss, place beds toys and his things in the crate and let him investigate when he feels ready. You could try feeding him very close to it and then inside it, he will then see the crate is a good thing. Dont ever use it as a punishment, if you tell him off for a wrong behaviour dont lock him in the crate, he will associate it with bad things. You can however lock him in for short periods of quiet time, start by just pushing the door too and leaving a little gap and build it up keeping him locked up for short periods and praise him for doing so. He may surprise you. My Lexy sleeps all night in her crate now, i put her in around midnight and always make sure im up around 6 to let her out. My 3 yr old was never trained with a crate but even he gets in it for a bit of peace and quiet and a snooze and he did this on his own accord.
Good luck Jodi

Hi

The advice given is spot on for during the day but during the night it's a different kettle of fish.
My puppy has a crate(cage) as a bed during the day. The door is open and she can go in and out as she chooses for naps etc.
At night I pup a puppy training pad in half the crate and her blanket pushed over to one side just in case she needs to go. I then close the cage door to confine her overnight. Pups do not like to soil their bed.
The pad has never been used and this teaches her to be dry and clean all night then a huge fuss over her first thing when she goes outside.
I have used this method for 17 years and have found all pups are fully toilet trained in 5 -10 days in this way.

Hope this helps

Hi Annm172,  Could you please tell me what a puppy training pad is.  I'm planning to get a new puppy soon and haven't heard of these but maybe they have been invented since my nearly 13 year old was a puppy!  Also at what age did you stop confining your puppies to their crate at night?

Hi Annie

Yes they are a new concept but really good. Bit like disposable nappy only a long flat pad with a waterproof backing and scented to attract a puppy to wee there.
You put one on floor where you want pup to go and gradually move towards door- same as newspaper only plastic backing means it doesn't seep through onto carpet and claim is that each sheet is 15 times moreabsorbent than a newspaper.
They are also fab to use for anything you spill on a carpet as they soak it straight up, so ideal for the odd accident or wine spill at a party!!
Most large pet shops sell them.
I have has one in my pups crate during night but she has never used it. I also have one at kitchen door.

Re crate- I find pup sees it as her bed and so goes in when she wants a snooze during the day etc as I leave the door open. It becomes her safe haven so  let her have it as long as she wants. I also close the door during the teething stage if I go out for an hour and leave her in there with her toys. Pups don't know what they are allowed to chew and what they are not.
The trick is to make it somewhere she wants to go- never lock her in for being naughty.

Gradually I find mine come out when they grow too big and gradually find themselves a favourite spot to lie in. Then I fold it away for next time.

Hope this has been some use.

PS I found her in there at teatime last night with two kittens in beside her- all curled up fast asleep.

Really useful info Annm172, thank you.  I've just added puppy training pads to my puppy requirements shopping list!!

Just a warning about the puppy pads - several people have posted on here saying that these pads mean that housetraining takes very much longer! :( The puppy is in effect being taught that messing indoors is good, which it then has to unlearn later.

Old-fashioned vigilance on the part of the owner is usually very much quicker.
:)

Thanks Jeangenie,  Don't worry - I intend to use the vigilance method too!

EVERYONE REFERS TO A "CRATE" CAN SOMEONE TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT IS/LOOKS LIKE...WHERE I CAN GET ONE...HOW MUCH THEY COST.....(UNSURE NEW PUPPY OWNER!!) I JUST SPENT £50 ON A NEW FANCY BED FOR HIM AND I THINK HE DOESN'T LIKE IT...WE PUT HIM IN THE KITCHEN WITH HIS BED AT NIGHT AND ALSO LIE A PUPPY PAD DOWN FOR HIM...WHICH HE USES EVERYTIME HE GOES THRU THE NIGHT...WE DO HAVE OUR MISHAPS THROUGH THE DAY BUT HE IS CATCHING ON TO THE CRYING WHEN HE NEEDS!! HE IS ONLY 15 WEEKS!

hi denise71 a crate basically looks like a cage with one or two doors (depending on size) a metal or plastic tray in the bottom. they are available on line or from petshops (ie pets at home) and from other animal feed places. the prices vary depending on size quality etc.. anything upto around £150 ( for a very large one ) be warned there are cheap quality ones out there and if you have a strong dog they will not last long.
hope that helps :-)

Hi, im currently toilet training my 8wk old, im taking him out roughly every half hour, after playing/eating/sleeping etc.
And his doing really well, early in the morning when he wants to go, sometimes doesnt always make it to the back door and starts to squat but i quickly distract him and he finishes off outside!
Ive only had him home4 days and am proud, considering his still a tiny baby! :)

thanks jane.....i had horrible visions of a wooden crate that holds fruit or something lolololol!! gonna do some shopping now! kori is a shih tzu cross and the vet seems to think he is crossed with a dandie dinmont...but erm...she's not sure...so he's not gonna be too big anyways :-)

My friend has lent me her crate which she says is big enough for a GSD, at 6 months, but when I opened it, I thought that a small pup would be fine, but a Rottie pup in a couple of months time may find it a little cramped. I ordered a play pen as I don't want her runing around too much at the beginning and I thought I could join both of them together so when I am not at home, she can sleep in the crate but have access to her play pen.
Our staffie needs time out from the pup and I didn't want to leave her in a crate unless she wants to sleep. As she gets bigger i will corner off the kitchen.
With regards to toilet training, I went to see her last week and she was so excited to see me, that she pee'd on me - is this normal? She is 9 weeks old now.

Sarah, bless, thats so cute, bet you wernt to pleased tho! hope you didnt have your best clothes on :)

I didn't mind, I wasn't wearing my best clothes. But as long as she doesn't do that at home too often. I know that she is going to be a mummys girl. I have been going to see her every forntinght so I am not a complete stranger taking her home. My OH has been once.

I tell you the strange thing I have noticed in the park, is the amount of people that dress up to take their dogs for a walk. Me, I can look like I have just got out of bed (and usually do) when I go out. Now the sun is out and the days are longer, you have teenagers taking a bit of responsibility and doing the afternoon walk and they are really plastered in make up and wearing good clothes in the park. Its quite funny to see, maybe they think its a good chat up having a dog.