I'm confused, how long should can a puppy be crated overnight?

Question

We have had a 3 month old puppy (Sheltie/Bichon mix) for about 2-3 weeks now. According to some of the other questions I asked concerning crate training, we've been approaching it incorrectly.

We are crate training in order to get puppy to understand to go outside, but we don't know how long she can hold it. During the week, we crate her for a few hours at a time (coming home for lunch to let her out, do her business, then crating her for another 3 hours until we return, and repeating). Seems to work well.

We were at first hesitant to crate her at night, since we didn't think she can hold it through the night. But, then I got seriously reprimanded by people here for that. I didn't want to crate her at night because we were concerned that we won't get up if she needs to go. Others have told me she can hold it through the night, others (and our experiences wihtout the crate) says she can't. Can she? What do I do? I'm very concerned and confused.

Serious responses please.

I would also add that she is fairly well paper-trained (from before we got her), but while we don't want her to go in the house, we have concerns about her going out at night because of all the mosquitos and other bugs. She has been scratching/itching certain spots fairly regularly, we don't know if it's normal or if it's a bug bite.

It's also hard to get her out of the house super quickly since our exits are not close to where she usually stays (glass sliding door in kitchen but leads to second story porch, door to garage doors in the den where she usually plays, and door in the middle of our stairs that leads to front yard but not close to bedrooms).

How will we know she's awake if we are sleeping ourselves? That's our dilemma. Will she make a big enough effort (crying, whining) to get me awake?

She is only 3 months. What we've been told is she can only hold her bladder/bowels for 4 hours max. Is that still true at night or can she hold it a few hours longer? I've also heard twice as many hours as her age in months at night, but I don't know if I should believe it.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Thank you for all the great answers, especially to those who answered toward the end (but not exclusively). I feel much more confident in crating her overnight. I will move the crate to my room tonight, time her feedings, play with her until she drops dead beforehand, take her out before bed, and then crate her and see how it goes.

Answer 1

Ok, she should be able to hold it through the night if she is in good health. Try to play with her, and expend some of her energy so that she will sleep through the night. She should be just fine in the crate, make sure though, that if she were to whine and cry that she is located where you will hear her. It sounds like you are a first time dog owner, and good for you on the crate training, it is the only way to go! If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me privately.

Answer 2

We just got a seven week old puppy. From what I was told and have been doing, is whenever the dog comes out of the crate it is to immediately go outside pee and or poop. I get up in the night and take him outside so he can relieve himself. Sometimes its once or even twice a night. Also, I don't give him water right before bed. I stop the water about an hour before bed, and then take him outside before crated.

An older, beyond the puppy stage, dog can last through the night, but not a puppy. That means getting up in the night and taking her outside. A little pain for you now by getting up, is paid off in the future with her being better trained.

One trip outside during the night will certainly make your dog more comfortable and also give you some peace of mind that your dog is not sitting in its crate with crossed legs!

Answer 3

A dog's crate is never to be used as a punishment p[lace. The ONLY way that you're goiong to get your dog to accept the crate is to make it feel like it's the dog's "safe" place. Dogs are den animals and have an instictive desire for a small, dark and warm place to go when they feel stressed.
Here's a copy of how to crate train your dog, extracted from a larger article on potty training.
A properly crate trained dog will have no issues about spending am 8 hour night in a crate.


Crate Training -
Crate training can be used on both a puppy and an adult Dog and is probably the most effective and efficient way to housetrain your pet. No Dog will want to eliminate in a place it considers to be its own and therefore, unless left in its crate for too long, it will not eliminate in its crate.
Once every hour, place your Dog on a leash and walk it in the area where you want it to go potty. If it has not gone in five minutes, return it to its crate for another hour. After another hour goes by, the dog that did not go last time will most likely go this time. When it does go, be sure and praise it profusely and return it to its crate. The excitement in your voice when you are praising it will help it better understand that THIS is the place you want it to go.
Once that is established, it will do its best to make you happy by eliminating in its designated area. Once you feel it understands where it is to go to potty, you may lessen its crate time, and begin opening up its area to more than just its crate. Be sure and open up its area a little at a time so it clearly establishes the larger area as "its area", increasing the desire to keep its area clean. Eventually, you will be able to open up your entire home, but this is only after a lot of time has been spent training and proof that it understands.

Answer 4

Well I just got a 3.5 month old shepherd mix, and she holds it from 11pm until 7am with no problems so far.

I think the average 3 month old pup can hold it over night. But if you're not sure, keep her crate in your bedroom for now so you can hear her cry at 3am if she needs to go.

OR, set your alarm for 3 am or whatever and let her out of the crate to pee so that she doesn't have to hold it all night. You shouldn't have to do this for very long, I'm sure she will be able to hold it all night very shortly, if not already.

Answer 5

I don't think and wouldn't expect a 3 month old puppy to hold it all night long. If she is having accidents in her crate this isn't good either. She will just get used to going in her crate at night.

Nobody tells a 3 year old child tough hold it cause one day you will have to be an adult and learn to hold it longer. Hell I can't even go all night without getting up to pee lol.

I agree about the newspaper, it's never good to get them used to going in the house.

Maybe at night you need to put the crate closer to you so you can hear her get up. Or somone will need to take her out for a late night pee. As she gets older start make the night time pee trip later and later so she gets used to holding it longer.

What ever you choose make sure it is something she can do so that all of this stays positive for her. Good Luck.

Answer 6

Most puppies, until they get use to the schedule, will have some problem with accidents at first. It is ok to crate a pup at night. It is also ok to keep the pup out of the crate if you don't mind waking up to a mess every morning. IE. chewed shoes, clothes, puppy puddles, puppy landmines, etc.
From the sounds of it you are doing everything right, with coming home and letting her out during lunch. You will be able to get to a point where you don't have to do that anymore, and she will be able to hold it until you get home from work.
I hope this has answered some of your concerns. Good luck.

Answer 7

Toy breeds have proportionally smaller bladders than larger dogs, so she will need to eliminate more frequently. Keep her crate nearby at night so that you can hear her if she fusses to go out. Or, set an alarm clock and take her out five or six hours after you go to bed.

She will be able to "hold it" for 8 hours overnight before she will be able to during the day. Like people, dog's metabolisms slow down at night so there is not as much need to eliminate.

Answer 8

you probably did no longer say the place your dogs got here from?maximum generally whilst this is going on there are some issues happening.One is the dogs got here from a place the place she replaced into saved in tight quarters and have been given use to messing in her section.maximum canines that have a call will circulate potty faraway from the place they sleep or consume. 2d If this puppy is in her crate by utilising 8 how long has it been because she had water or nutrition?i could feed her at 5 if conceivable then after 20 minutes take her out side walk together with her play together with her to get her little physique moving and which will help velocity issues up then at 6:30 back out side yet you will desire to circulate together with her to make helpful she is going potty.then at 7:30 i could take her back out side .do no longer provide her to any extent further nutrition or water pass 6.shop this up until eventually her little bladder is empty and there is not greater poop.If she is empty she can not soil her crate.If she cries even a sprint leap up take her out.make helpful each and every time she does soil out side you compliment her to the intense heavens so she gets very happy together with her self.Its an excellent sort of artwork in the commencing up even nevertheless it works. Over evening is not any enormous deal because she would be able to easily be sound asleep any how.yet make helpful the crate is physically powerful next to you so if she whines leap up and carry her outsideWhen my puppy replaced into 5 weeks old it replaced into snowing out side so we had to circulate stand contained in the snow and it took 3 days yet he not at all has had an twist of destiny because then.Tilks mom

Answer 9

Till she is completely housetrained. Believe me, if she wakes up & needs to go, she will whine &/or bark to get you up! Night is really no different than day (other than, like us, she will usually sleep & not need to go as often), the point is to get her housetrained. Using the crate method CONSISTENTLY is what makes it work. Using it part time will only make it harder to achieve sucess, confusing the dog & upsetting you. Kudos for using the crate, by the way! When I worked at a vet's office, too many people refused, and then were frustrated when their pup went potty in the house for months & also chewed their dining room table and shoes (sometimes requiring surgery), etc. Too many people anthropomorphize their pets & refuse to believe dogs like being crated (because of their wolf ancestry & the denning instinct). If more people accepted their dogs are not little people in fur suits, there would be less young dogs turned into shelters for behavior problems & housetraining issues. Thanks for educating yourself & raising your pup correctly! Keep up the good work.

Answer 10

Puppy's don't have the bladder control of adult dogs but what worked for us is to take her out just before putting her in and leave her 6 hours for the first week then work up to 8 hours. I know this sounds cruel but dogs do not like to sit in their own urine or feces so after a couple of times they get the idea. Some take longer than others but it works rather well.