I just brought home my new 9 week old Beagle pup (Daisy) on Thursday. Bought her at the pet store, she had just arrived that day. We kept her in our pantry with a gate across the door for the first four night, she barked and cried all night long, and peed and pooped. When she would start crying I
Would go take her out, but she wouldn't do anything but want to play. I would take her back in and she would cry some more. I had read in few puppy books that I shouldn't go to her all the time or I would be training her to cry to get my attention, so I try to ignore her but then come out to accidents. I am having a hard time telling if she just wants my attention or she needs to go out. We went out and bought a crate last night (said it holds dogs up to 25lbs.). I left a ticking near her (I read that the ticking is soothing) and gave her a hot water bottle, she slept from 9-10:30 and woke us up crying, took her out... nothing. After listening to her cry for about 45 minutes we brought the crate into the bedroom and whenshe would cry I put my hand by the crate, this seemed to help, she would stop crying and fall asleep. Then next time she woke me up she had already peed in her crate. Should I take her blanket out of the crate? Also, my husband and I decided that we really don't want her sleeping in our room for the rest of her life. Are we starting a problem by allowing her for a few days (until she sleeps better)? Any puppy crating advice I could get would be great... :eek:

At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate. It may be a few more weeks until she makes it over night. Each time you've to get up, follow the above pattern. Locate the crate where you want it permanently. My wife and I like the puppy downstairs, and us in our bed room by ourselves. Where the puppy sleeps is mostly a matter of personal taste. Don't give in now, or you will have the dog running the house for at least the next 15 years.

There is a lot of very poor advice on dog care around. I am not about to follow all the links posted here, but some of them lead to very poor websites. Very few of them have as good of information on housebreaking as I can provide through my extensive experience and training. I want to make sure you have good information available.


Much of housebreaking is not training the puppy, but making it easier for your
Puppy, you, and your carpet while its body to catches up to its instincts. At
Around 8 weeks when the puppy goes to its new home, the time from when it
Realizes it has to go, and when it can't wait any longer is a matter of
Seconds. Only time will fix that. You can hardly be expected to be attentive
Enough to avoid all accidents There is no sense punishing the puppy for your
Inattention. It is not fair to punish you either, but you still have to clean
It up if you didn't have the puppy outside in time.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
A crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
Little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
In the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
The dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
Needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
Drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
Sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
Have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
They go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
To going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
Your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
Even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
Effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
It going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
Puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
Sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
It and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
Work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
The other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
Plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
Shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.

Pup was up every hour last night to go to the bathroom... didn't go potty in the crate since I took out bed. I found worms in her stool last night, going to the vet in a bit. I hope this is part of the reason she is having such a hard time sleeping. She was checked out by the in house vet at the pet store and they didn't see anything, but we bought her the day she came in.
I took your advice and sang to her in the cage... it actually worked, although my husband started crying:p