First Night Home

[Michelle Rodriguez]

So our first night home went pretty well I guess. The good thing was that she didn't cry the whole night so we were all able to get some rest, the BAD thing was that since she didn't cry at all she ended up peeing in her crate throughout the night :( She flew to us from across the country so when we picked her up from the airport her create was filled with poop and pee, I'm guessing now she probably thinks its ok to use her create as a potty?? Her breeder had her used to going on pee pads and news papers instead of outdoors so this morning after her morning meal I took her out (in the pouring rain) and I stayed with her for almost 45 mins trying to get her to go but had no luck :( Any advice on how I can get her going outside and NOT in her create or in the house?

[Laura and Angus]

Good call on this! We use a blanket folded up on the floor of the crate and Angus is often laying on the plastic with the blanket pushed to the side when we get home at the end of the day. 

[Christy&Riley]

Oh my! Soooo cute!!!!

My husband set his alarm and got Riley up a few times every night to make sure she didn't have accidents. He gradually increased the time as we figured out how long she could hold it. The reason for the alarm was that we didn't want her to learn that we come running if she barked to go out. To this day she does not bark to go out. She paces by the door and in extreme circumstances she will whine quietly...oh and she will stare at you with really sad eyes if you don't notice her "polite" request.

Riley peed and puked in her crate on the 30 minute drive home. She also cried up a storm...Didn't know I should just hold her. :-(  She never had any crate accidents after that so we didn't even put the divider in the crate to keep it small. Eventually we bought one that was as big as a studio apartment...seriously! My husband could fit in it. LOL

Riley also chewed up several crate pads during the first 1.5 years. I finally stopped buying them. Eventually she let me use towels but even then she would sometimes push them aside to lay on the cool plastic.Now she has a dog bed as we cannot convince her to go back in the crate anymore.

Have fun with your new pup and take lots of pictures! 

[Paige and Leo]

So cute!!

[Laura and Angus]

Yup! Great advice all around. Consistency with taking outside frequently and treating/praising will help your baby learn the rules of the house. Good luck! The first few months with our puppy were challenging (mostly because we were pretty scared of doing things wrong and our puppy is a very hyper and mischievous boy haha), but training, consistency, and lots of socialization activities right from the start will really pay off in the end. And also being able to vent and get advice on DK has been a lifesaver :) Congratulations!!!

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Adorable pic!! Might be worth a try to remove the pink plush bed from the crate as pups are less inclined to pee where it spatters... She is so sweet!

[Tiffany Hubbard]

Out r obedience trainer says to only feed them in their crate when you are having this issue because they will not use the bathroom where they eat. Be worth a shot :)

[Sharon Vogel]

Btw, I don't know if your device thinks you're trying to spell "create", but it's c-r-a-t-e. Just so you know, haha. :)