Well Rusty was very easy to handle, and never chewed his leash. I am sure you are right about the risks. I guess I was lucky.

I didn't mean to pick on you at all, JMO as a lot of pups are more than willing to chew through a softer puppy lead or a single ply adult lead or tie out. I know first hand from attempting to just tether a pup when I wound up with more dogs than crates the kind of damage a pup can do in a short amount of time when left to its own devices. And I moved everything I thought the pup would target but I couldn't move the carpet or what he was tied to. I even set my alarm for every hour to make sure to take him out. I only had to do that for one night, I couldn't imagine not having a crate. No messes thank goodness but a patch of the carpet was bare and there were lots of puppy teeth marks on every inch of my dresser from floor to 18" up.

 Quote: Jennifer Marshal

I am glad it worked for you and your pup Polly but I would personally not recommend that method, especially with a dog already known for having housebreaking issues.

Just a quick update on the tethering. Today, I looped her leash onto something in the kitchen while I fixed me some lunch. I had no more than turned my back - and she was within 2 feet of me - when....... you guessed it. Right in the floor. I guess tethering really means tethering. Yesterday during a game of ball she suddently stopped and pooped. No warning, ie, sniffing, etc. Normal?

Just a quick ps.

These are the only two mistakes she has had in 5-6 days and I feel like they were my fault. She is going pee pee outside very good now, but the pooping still seem to be elusive. Is this normal, too? (Pe no poo?) outside

I didn't take it wrong, I think it all depends on the dog, and internet advice or personal histories are limited by the posters own experience. I think we used a thick nylon lead to tie Rusty. He slept by the bed, on the floor near my head, and I could hear him right away, so it worked. I never left him tied in a room away from me. At that time I did not have a crate for him. We took him directly from the breeder to my mother's house in the country, where it was very easy to housebreak, and I was on vacation. When we returned home a few weeks later, I bought a crate, but still tethered him to my bed for about 6 months at night.

With dogs that have no tails or very short tails it can be harder to tell but there is a noticeable tail kink/set most dogs get when they are ready to poop. Some dogs really don't require any time, they just have to go and squat and go. Other dogs have to find the perfect spot and circle and sniff and walk around first. With physical activity, like playing ball, they tend to give less warning as physical activity sort of gets their gears going anyways so there is little prep time. Sort of like.. oh ..wow! gotta no! squat, go.

And yes, tethering really means tethering. You want to really watch her or may want to get her diapers to discourage her from going and encourage the signs and signals she seems to not be giving very clearly. A lot of dogs, though not all, won't go with the diaper on intentionally as it feels strange having a garment on. Feeling uncomfortable squating with the diaper on may give you the signal you need to take her out. Just a though. I haven't used this method just noticed it is a side affect of wearing a diaper.

Thanks, again, Jennifer.

She has no tail.

These tidbits of information are really helpful. I don't know about the diapers. I think they may just make me feel like I'm not doing my job. I am self-employed work from home so I have the time at home with her. I should have put her in the crate today - problem solved. But like I said before, I feel so guilty putting her in a crate.

When I take her outside, it seems to take forever for her to decide where to go. We go to the same area, but still she takes what seems like forever sniffing around and finding just the right spot. So, I expected that she should show those same signs in the house, but not so far. The people who had her before kept her crated and when they came home, they put her on a tieout in the yard, but I take her out on a leash. Maybe she is still trying to get used to the difference. Plus, it was raining today and we didn't make as many trips out. However, on a typical day, we go out about 15 or more times and many of those times, nothing.

As Jennifer points out, exercise gets the peristaltic action going.

I'd find out from a simple log when her normal times are.

If you can have the dog on leash and walk around briskly during the trip(s) outside that you know to be her usual poop time, that should help matters. It may help to visit previously chosen spots, too.

Also, if you use a word when you mark and reward, that word will become associated with the action in the dog's mind.

This can work to such an extreme that I have one who will lope around the yard for a minute, choose a site, and then look at me inquiringly. I say "potty!" and he goes. I have no idea why one dog wants that final OK.... I have not seen it in any other dogs I've housetrained.

But anyway, it demonstrates how the word can become linked with the action (when the action is being praised and rewarded, especially).

The tethering is going good, too.

Thanks to all the responses.

If anyone else is new to crating and tethering, just persist, persist, persist.

Now she lies quietly (most of the time) when it is supposed to be quiet time. The chews worked whereas, the squeaky worked her up.

She went thru a period of crying in the crate (when I got her she didn't) for a few days, then she seemed to get with the program. I also think the toys I was putting in the crate for her were a problem. After reading the posts about rawhide, I got some knee bones, knuckles and pig ears. I hope these are better. I know she likes them better.

She didin't like the treats I gave her to crate, either. I had tried several and the Newman's own were the ones I used the most of. I had gotten her some of the regular commercial ones (snausages) and she loved them, but threw up.

I am now feeding raw and don't want to give her all the wheat flour, plus she doesn't like them.

Any ideas for treats just for regular things are appreciated.

I use high value (left over steak, etc.) for training so I don't want to use that for things like crate.

We have had a couple of threads recently devoted to good training treats. Here's one:

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/182720/page/0/fpart/1

May I add that Leerburg is my favorite source for training treats.... mainly because there are no bad ones offered on the LB site. Also, there are many that are the size I want: teensy.