Alternatives to dog crate for housebreaking?

[Michelle T]

We are going to be getting a puppy. A pembroke welsh corgi, which we will be picking up next weekend. The puppy will be 13 weeks old, and is already in the process of crate training/housebreaking.

 

I've been looking at the price of dog crates online. Yowsa! They are expensive! And ugly, to boot. None available in my area through Craigslist either.

 

So, is there anything else that can be used in a similar manner during the housebreaking period? Could I use some other sort of box? Or just keep the puppy on a leash while it's in the house?

 

I'd be glad to hear suggestions from those of you who have come up with an alternative to the standard dog crate.

Michelle T

[st_claire]

Why not build a crate out of wood?

[AnnetteB]

A smart 13 week old puppy will train in just a few days if you keep a close eye on her/him. We have always taken ours out frequently to the desired potty area and praised them for performing. Shutting a few doors around the house to limit their area is a good idea. Any accidents should be cleaned up and the spot deodorized so that pup won't continue to use it. Our plan has always been that the dog will be a close companion :)

[snickelfritz]

She has a kitchen that lent itself to this setup. She was able to gate off a small section and put those piddle pads down. The floor was linoleum, so no harm was done to it.

[Parrothead]

A playpen, a baby gate enclosure like the one that Tommy's parents used on the Rugrats, or if possible closed doors - keep the pup in one room.

[Pamela H in Texas]

My mom used a playpen with one dog. And used one of those puppy play yards for her current dog when she was young. A leash works really well too as you can observe puppy's behavior.

 

Unfortunately, puppy training isn't what I do best. I'm STILL working with my new baby. She does fine in her crate (nights and when we're gone) and she goes outside when we take her. She just goes whereever whenever also <sigh>

[Kris]

I haven't read all the responses, but I'd like to chime in that while they are expensive -- and they *are* expensive! -- they are a good investment. You need a crate for all kinds of things besides just the house training part. I am tight, tight, tight, but I always have crates for the doggie-kids. I can't think of an alternative that wouldn't be "chewable" and safe at the same time.

 

Our latest addition made her crate her home, putting herself to bed, and tucking herself in there when we, apparently, became too much for her. She's too big for it now, though! How come no one warned me about *that* I'm wondering?! She's huge -- and not even a year old yet! :lol:

[KJB]

You might put up a "crate wanted" sign at your vet or ask their office to help you locate a crate second hand.

 

We have a puppy that just turned one, and we would have been lost without her crate. We've had her since she was 8 weeks and the crate has been beyond helpful for all kinds of training and safety issues. For example, when our puppy hears our doorbell, she goes right to her crate!

 

We love love love her, but she needs her own space and, so do we sometimes!

[Carrie12345]

Play yards ala Rugrats can definitely work for a non-chewer, but I've never had a puppy that didn't chew.

 

You might want to try putting a request on Freecycle or asking around elsewhere. I never thought to list our out-grown crates, but I was happy to offer them to the people who asked.

 

Our close-companion dogs would be crushed if we were to take their crates away from them.

[Plucky]

Another vote for the crate. Our puppy does not see it as a punishment at all. Sometimes she has to go in there while we can't watch her and it's cold/rainy outside, but she loves it when she's tired. It's her sanctuary.

[CactusPair]

A crate is essential for any dog, especially one coming into a new home and facing an adjustment period. They are expensive, but you use it everyday, for many, many hours. I like the ones I've gotten at PetCo, but I noticed that they are significantly cheaper at Lowe's. I truly believe that a crate is worth every penny. I wouldn't get a dog without getting a crate first--that's how essential I think they are.

 

Crates are not just for housetraining, though for that they can't be beat. They function as a safe, secure, happy den for the dog. The dog or puppy needs to take breaks from the excitement of the world around. The crate protects the puppy from getting into trouble when you're not home or available to watch 24/7. Plus, a crate helps a puppy succeed and feel confident because the aren't constantly getting into mischief and being told No!.They are given chances to do right and succeed under supervision when out of crate. And the crate gives Mom and the family a much needed break from the puppy, too.

 

If the puppy is already in the process of crate training, I wouldn't want to interrupt the strides she's making. She's used to a den and will adjust better to your home and will like taking cozy naps in the crate. Nothing cuter than a happily sleeping puppy!:001_smile:

 

Congrats on your new family member!

Edited November 15, 2008 by CactusPair

[Just a Jen in Mississippi]

I agree that a crate is worth the investment! We have two Boxers. One that is 18 months and his younger brother that is 14 weeks. We have two crates because my older one still can't be fully trusted not to be a little destructive when we leave. It gives me complete peace of mind knowing they and our things are safe! I'm also amazed at how often they crawl in and go to sleep without being made too. I think they actually enjoy their space in there. It's also wonderful to be able to put the puppy up for a nap while we are doing school in the school room. He still needs pretty close supervision and I'm SO thankful for the crate! Puppies are so wonderful and fun, but exhausting at the same time!

 

I've often seen crates listed on Freecycle or Cheapcycle, so if you have that in your area, you may want to check there.

 

Enjoy that new pup!

[Mrs. Readsalot]

Puppy Kisses are good for the Soul. It is about the experiences of someone raising and training a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The book is wonderful. We are getting a Corgi next year and I can hardly wait. I will look forward to hearing your experiences with your new pup.

Training can be done without a crate. You will need to dedicate time to this task and be consistent. Take the pup out a lot and give lots of praise when he/she goes outside. Don't yell over accidents they will happen and you might as well get over it. Yelling will only scare the pup. Train the pup to only go outside, don't try to train them to go on paper inside and sometimes outside. This will only be confusing to the pup. Good Luck!!!

Karen

[Kathy in MD]

I've had many dogs without a crate, but our most recent puppy was crate trained when we got him. it's been so useful that when he outgrew it, we moved him to a larger one.

 

It's very handy. When tired, our dog hides out in it. When he's underfoot, it's where we send him. If he refuses to follow a command three times, he's sent there for punishment. When he's in big trouble, he heads there on his own. Of course it's always a comfortable spot for sleeping.

 

It is big and ugly, but we've found a corner in our bedroom where it fits.

[Soph the vet]

4 out of 5 veterinarians recommend crate training....actually I'm just making that up. It's probably 5 out of 5.

And cut the puppy some slack until 16 weeks when they have much better bladder control.

That's my professional opinion.

[Brigitte]

I saw a metal, collapsable crate at Ross (similar to TJ Maxx or Marshalls) for about $20. Another possibility would be to ask friends if they have one you could borrow. Since the puppy has been started with crate training, I would hesitate to make a change to something else when he first arrives at your place. Also, our dog loves his crate. He goes in there to lie down sometimes.

[Jann in TX]

We have LARGE German Shepherds. We crate trained our first shepherd and he had all sorts of hip problems--we FIRMLY believe that this was in part due to the crate. German shepherds NEED to fully stretch out while they sleep. Even the largest crates did not allow this.

 

We have blocked our last 2 puppies in a small bath room using a child gate. It worked like a charm--and they NEVER pottied in their space. Our 6mo old puppy will still go into the bath room on occasion if he has had too much play time with the other dog/puppy.

 

My parents have had small dogs. They have always used their laundry room as a 'safe room' for their dogs--again using a child gate.

 

I HATE to see dogs left in crates all night long and then again during 'work hours'. It is NOT natural--wild dogs DO NOT spend that much time in their dens!

[Rose in BC]

We did not use crate training for our first dogs . . . I regret that. It's an investment for sure to buy the crate but so worth it. It not only aids with the training it gives the owner peace of mind when leaving the pup unattended. I do not need to worry what damage the dog might do or what danger it might get into.

 

Highly recommend it.

[curtisandsheri]

I bought our crate from, believe it or not, Amazon. Half the price of the pet stores and free shipping. We needed a small one, so it was about $30.

[Mamagistra]

I agree that it's best to crate. Just be thankful it's a corgi, not a great dane! :tongue_smilie:

[SonshineLearner]

We have 3 crates. One for the car, one for our sweetie sleeping in our room, and one downstairs for when we go out during the day. It's the best investment we made, and I'd spend the money again! Of course, when my husband said no about the crate for the car, my dog made him sorry by chewing up the seatbelt. Over $150 later...we had a new seatbelt and then had to pay for the crate, too!

Also, our trainers recommended that you don't give a blanket to a dog until after 2 yrs. Their experience was that chewed up blankets and such can make you pay for surgery, when it ends up in the puppies tummy. That's really expensive! I also read a ton about getting our dog, and one of the things I agreed with most is that you need to crate or keep your puppy with you all the time for the first bit. It's easiest to not let bad habits start, rather than to correct them afterwards. I like the Leerburg site on dog training....

[Rose in BC]

I agree that it's best to crate. Just be thankful it's a corgi, not a great dane! :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:

[RoughCollie]

If you are buying the puppy from a breeder, perhaps you can borrow a crate from him or her. That's what we did. We put him in the crate to sleep at night (next to our bed, door closed) and to nap (door open).

 

You could ask your vet if s/he has a crate you can borrow. If you have a Yahoo freecycle group in your area, you could post there. Or you could ask dog owners you know if any of them have a crate you can borrow.

 

We housebroke our dog in 2-3 days. It was time-consuming, but well worth the effort. I think it helped that he was a large dog and I chose a collie because they are very smart. I had to housebreak the world's dumbest beagle one *year* and I wasn't going to go through that again.

 

I hung sleigh bells on the back door. Every time I took him out, I batted the sleigh bells. He figured out that all he had to do was bat them and we'd let him out. I walked him immediately after he ate, immediately after he awakened from a nap, and every 45 minutes other than that. I took him to the same spot in the yard, on the leash, each time. I gave him a lot of encouragement. For those couple of days, he never had a chance to have an accident in the house. After that, he just batted at the sleigh bells with his snout if he had to go out. I made sure I continued to put him in the back yard (off leash) after he ate and when he awakened.

 

To this day, he goes out immediately after he eats and awakens, by his choice and by force of habit. He rings the sleigh bells in the winter to go out (when I don't leave the sliding glass door open) and the rest of the time when he wants to play.

 

When he outgrew his first crate, a friend gave us one that was so huge I had to take it apart to put it in my SUV. He loves it and it is in our foyer (door off) because I have nowhere else to put it.

Edited November 16, 2008 by RoughCollie