Hi

I have a 3 months Ridgeback puppy and I crate her at night and take her out only twice at interval of 3 - 3.5 hours during the night. When I am not at home (and I can't find somebody to go to my place to let her out) I put newspaper down in the Laundry where she is confined and because I leave her crate door open, she seems to relieve herself at whim because she find no needs to hold and will just come out of her crate and do it, that's the reason why when I get home, there is a big mess for me to clean in the laundry...

My deduction is that while she is being crated she seems to be able to hold it for at leat 3 - 4 hours (I have not tried taking the risk of leaving her in her crate longer) but when she is not being crated she seems to relieve herself so much (that's the reason for all the wees on the newspaper and poos on the newspaper).

I have not being bold enough to leave her in her crate long enough to see how long she could possibly hold..

Any idea of how long a 3 month old Ridgeback(fairly big dog and I am told that their bladder develop failrly fast and should be able to hold better than a smaller dog but for how long at 3 months?) can possibly hold before the need to go out?

Your advice and views are very much appreciated..

Thanks

Rob

4 or 5 hours.

Still not long enough for you to leave her crated during the day. Sorry, but this is part of puppyhood.

Your noticing that she CAN hold it longer is no different than you yourself going more frequently when you are at home than if you are someplace without a restroom. She might be able to do it, but it won't be comfortable.

My 15 weeks old Pomeranian can hold for 8 hrs., her dinner was a 5:00 PM and last water at 6:00 PM, I let her out and do her last business at 11:30PM and she will hold all night until 7:30 or so, so if you have to work during the day, maybe you could reverse the feeding schedule and make your last feeding at 3:00 AM or so, since you already getting up at night to let him out, that way he could hold during the day while you work, and when you come home from work, this meal become his breakfast :rolleyes: , and put divider in your crate so that he only have enough room to lie down.
Good luck.

Rule of Thumb I've found in most puppy raising books:
No more hours in the crate than the pup is old in months....plus one.
ie: a 3 month old pup should be crated no longer than 3 + 1 = 4 hours;
a 4 month old pup should be crated no longer than 4 + 1 = 5 hours.

What Khoi mentioned is different. Often when pups are sleeping solidly they will hold it longer. You can change the eating pattern, but again, during the day even if you are not at home, there will be more noise, light, and commotion around. Puppies need to go out when they wake up.

Since you have stated in every post that it is not possible for you to have someone come by, you will have to endure the piddle papers for a bit longer. I can almost guarantee you that if you start leaving the puppy crated all you will do is come home to a wet puppy and pissy crate. Once a dog has learned to use the crate as a bathroom, it takes TWICE as long to housebreak the dog.

You always make sense Deanna, I've never try to leave her in the crate during the day for that long, I worked at home so I'm lucky, he sounded desperated, I was just giving him a desperated answer, but I guess he will just have to be more patience, and cleaning up paper mess for a little longer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hi,

Thanks for all your advice and opinions.

Do you guys think that I will eventually be able to fully housebreak her since I am using newspaper during the day when I am not at home and taking he out when I am at home?

Some people says that I am confusing the puppy....

I wonder if she will eventually get the signal that she is mean to do it outside and not on the newspaper inside?

Thanks

Rob

Yes, eventually she will learn. Paper training does make housebreaking take a little longer, but I have seen multiple paper trained dogs who were fine as adults.

I know it seems like an eternity now, but in a few months you will look back and barely remember this. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I had to use pee pads with Auster because she had a bladder infection as a pup, and now she is obsessed with doing her business in her spot in the yard (in the leaves around the edge). I have to take leaves and pine bark to the kennel when I board her, so I don't think that using pads will have too much of an effect.

Hi, thank you all for all your advice and encouragement specially Deanna.

I will hang in there and continue to do what I am doing until she is fully housebroken..

Another question, do you guys always leave water available for the pup, I have heard conflicting opinions on this, some says leave water available all the time, some says give as much water as the pup wants during her feeding time and some says never leave water available all the time...

Thanks

Rob