[ridgey]

My 9 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback is doing great with house breaking during the day. I follow all the rules, take her to the spot when she wakes, after food, after playtime etc... She is starting to run towards the door and sniff when she needs to go and we've only had a few accidents - usually my fault when I haven't been paying attention.
At night however, I take her out at 10:30pm and stand with her - she wee's and poops. I set my alarm, take her out at 2am - she wee's and poops, then somewhere between 2am and 6am she is messing in her crate but she doesn't cry to be let out so I don't know when its happening. I've tried adjusing her feed time so her last meal is earlier. I thought she wouldn't like too mess up her sleeping area, I don't understand why she isn't crying to get out if she needs to go. Somebody please help me, I don't want her getting used to going in her crate :confused:

[tickle]

You have chosen a handlful of a breed, alert, very intelligent, a working dog. Resourceful to the nth degree and very stubborn. Need a lot of exercise and very very loyal.

At 9 weeks a baby really and you will have to have a firm word for her. She is bonding fast and you will have no trouble house training her, but you have to understand at even 9 weeks she is telling you that she doesn't want to be in that crate and wants to be with you. Can you be more diligent, more then you already are and get her out of that crate between 2 and 6, her body will grow faster then her other internal parts. I assure you, any extra effort you make with her will pay off in the long run.

Tick

[Lucky098]

Where is the kennel at night? I always advise people to put puppies in their rooms with them for reasons like that. If the puppy wakes up you'll be right there to take the pup outside.

[tickle]

Where is the kennel at night? I always advise people to put puppies in their rooms with them for reasons like that. If the puppy wakes up you'll be right there to take the pup outside.

Yes, that is a good point. I never used crating. I had to put up with the sharp puppy teeth and ear biting; I didn't get any sleep (she was with me in bed) so it was easy to get her outside for her business. Now at l3, she has always been the cleanest dog I have ever had every lovely 70 lbs. of her.

Tick

[Lucky098]

Before I got my Pit puppy, I did a lot of house training classes and had a couple rescue puppies... I did a lot of trial and error... by the time I was ready for my own puppy, I used all my techniques, such as keeping the crate with puppy in it in my room, teaching her the command "go potty" and so forth. My pup was house trained within 2 weeks and has never made a mistake since.

When I was little, and we had our first litter... I had the puppy I was going to keep in my bed... She peed in my bed. That was the last time that happened lol

[tickle]

When I was little, and we had our first litter... I had the puppy I was going to keep in my bed... She peed in my bed. That was the last time that happened lol

Taffy was pretty big even when she was 9 weeks, she never had a chance to pee in the bed because she was out the door and down the steps before she could blink, in the snow, in the rain. She learned fast. She is l3 now and has a bum back leg but you know what, even though she can't get around as fast anymore, she will still hobble down those steps to do her business, and yes, she gets help getting back up. But she lasts through the night and gets up with me at 5 am just like she always did. It's a parade in the morning.

Thanks for joining us Lucky, you sound like a good dog person.

Tick

[lovebird120]

Its because she is locked in a crate! Let her sleep in your room, if you don't want her on the bed get a doggy bed for the floor next to you

[shazamataz]

I have never taken a puppy out to potty in the middle of the night and I have never had a puppy have an accident during the night.
Yes puppies do have small bladders and during the day they can't hold it for too long, but overnight you should have no problem as long as you aren't giving them a big drink before bed.

All letting them out at 2am does is teach the dog that it's OK the cry in the crate as you will be right by their side to let them out.

I do keep my dogs crates in the bedroom but only so that if they start crying in the middle of the night I can give their crate a whack and tell them to be quiet.

[shazamataz]

its because she is locked in a crate!! let her sleep in your room, if you dont want her on the bed get a doggy bed for the floor next to you

Crates are a wonderful training tool, please don't tell people not to use them. They are not cruel, or any of that BS, they are a safe place for the dog, just as a den would be in the wild.

[lovebird120]

Crates are a wonderful training tool, please don't tell people not to use them. They are not cruel, or any of that BS, they are a safe place for the dog, just as a den would be in the wild.

I never said that they were bad I never said not to use them I simply... oh just forget it

[shazamataz]

i never said that they were bad i never said not to use them i simply...oh just forget it

Your answer implied that the problem was because the dog was locked in a crate. Not true, crates are great if used correctly.