Hi everyone
I am getting my new dobe puppy in a month, and am trying to get organised before he arrives. I have a few options as to where he will sleep, but am a bit unsure as to which would be the best.
We have a utility area which is warm, has a floor that is easy to clean and has easy access to the garden, I would like the pup to sleep in there if possible. Should I just give him a bed in there, or would he be better off in a crate to start with? (I already have a dobe sized crate!) Another alternative is to have the crate in the bedroom for a while so he has got the reassurance of us being around. The downside with this is that it is then quite a distance to get to the garden for toileting.
Any ideas from people here?
Thanks
Rach

I would go for the utility area, it sounds ideal.  Definately a crate from day one.  If it is possible I would move the crate to the bedroom for overnight for the first week or so.  Or could you borrow a small crate for overnight in the bedroom?

Good luck with your new puppy.

Sandra

I have always found that having a crate in the bedroom is the best option. As soon as you hear the pup moving about assume he needs to go to the toilet and take him outside. If he is in the utility room you are unlikely to hear him and he will probably mess inside. The last few puppies have had have all been brought up this way and have been clean during the night from day 1.

I would definitely advise not to start one way and then a week or so later try another. If you want him to sleep in the utility room start that way and stick to it (he will undoubtedly cry). It will be more reassuring for him to be with you (and you will get more sleep!).

With the crate, you say it is a Dobe size, just put a box or something in there so he hasn't got too much space, therefore minimising the likelihood of him messing in there. As he gets bigger it can be removed.

Good luck with your new addition.

With our puppy we put her in a crate in the study (it has a laminate floor easy to clean).  She was fine in there and we had no problems at all, the crate went after a few nights and she is quite happy sleeping in there in her basket.  The only slight issue is that the "study" has no become "Honey's bedroom" :).

I must admit I'm not convinced that allowing a puppy to sleep in a bedroom is a very good idea they need to be comfortable and happy when you are not around and if they spend all night as well as most of the day with you that could be a problem.

Steve

How about this.... If you want pup to sleep in utility room, but are concerned you wont hear them crying for pee etc. Why not pop them in a crate and use baby monitors. Place one on top of the crate ( covered to make it den like :-) ) and put the reciever at the side of your bed, volume turned up.. that way you will hear when they wake up. :D

Thanks for all your replies, I didn't expect any so quickly!
The baby monitor sounds a good idea, I will definitely get one of them. I was planning to get up in the night to let pup out anyway, and hubby is up at 4am for work so he can let the pup out then as well.
I'm sure I'll be asking for more advice over the next few weeks, it's been a long time since I had a puppy!
Rach

Not sure you'll need a baby monitor, our puppy can make more than enough noise to wake me and my wife up if she wants to :).

Good luck with the new puppy.

Steve

I offered the idea of baby monitor as it sounded like the utility room is quite a way away from their bedroom. :-)
I know in my home (bungalow with solid brick/stone walls) theres a hallway, lounge and kitchen between my bedroom and back room and if the doors are shut i cannot hear Kai howling... and believe me he can howl! he's a malamute  :D :D

i wouldnt get a babymonitor youle here him if he screams through the night lol. ide just set you alarm for through the night to let him out.
also ide get a crate for him,that way wen your there you know hes not eating your house or getting into harm :)
i keep my meg in a crate in the kitchen and shes fine,a utility room would be just as good.
is the puppy used to a crate? coz if not then ude be better taking you crate to the breeders so the pup can get used to it and with his own blanket to gather all well known smells.itl make things a little easyer on your self and your pup wen you bring him home.
goodluck with your new pup.
have you picked a name for him?

Hi Mini Meg
Thanks for your suggestions.
He is called Ace, and is a brown dobe.

ace is a lovely name,im sure youle have loads of fun with him :)
sarah x

I don't think you need a baby monitor you should be able to hear him just fine, the crate sounds a great idea no matter what room its in it will always be his room.

>>I don't think you need a baby monitor you should be able to hear him just fine

Thats what i thought when i fetched mine home .... The layout and build of my house is such that even now at 8mths old in full howling mode i still struggle to hear the darling if im in the bedroom and he's in the back room, at thats when i'm wide awake :D :D

God, you are so lucky!!

Bought our FCR pup home on Sunday and I feel like a walking Zombie at present. His crate is in the kitchen (directly below our bedroom) and I can hear every howl, yowl and whimper which seems to happen on an hourly basis at night at the moment! Fine for him, he sleeps during the day, I have to go to work!

He kept clean last night for two whole 3 hour periods (set my alarm) so really pleased but I would pay a LOT of good money for a good nights sleep at the minute. When will it end?!

Thanks for all your advice. I am definitely going to use the crate, and I think the baby monitor as well. If Ace is to sleep in the utility room I will need the monitor to hear him, as the utility room is quite a way from the bedroom and the walls are solid brick. Luckily I don't work, so it doesn't matter if I am like a zombie due to lack of sleep- hubby may have a different opinion on this!!
jls22- hope you are enjoying your new addition, whats he called?

Rach

>>Luckily I don't work, so it doesn't matter if I am like a zombie due to lack of sleep

LOL welcome to my world :D My kai (8mths old) insists that 5.30 am is a resonable time to get up even though breakfast isnt til at least 7am :rolleyes: :D

Yep, I am the "hubby" so my wife gets to stay at home. I still want to be a big part of his life though, hence getting up.

His name is Hobbs or "that little b*gger" at 3am in the morning! He also feels 6am is perfectly reasonable getting up time and 12.30am a perfect time to go to bed!

Our puppy tends to wake up at 5.30am and as I'm up at 6.00 anyway that's not a major problem except at weekends (is it possible to train a puppy to lie in at the weekend?).  Anyway to come to my point - this is what cable TV was invented for I have discovered a whole new world out there, 10 year old repeats of Timeteam, American Chopper, Dr Who omnibus (in the later ones the special effects were really awful) :D

I knew there was a good reason why we pay a fortune each month for Sky tv!!

LOL what would we do without sky and a pc :D