Crate training

I have an 8 week old puppy that we are crate training. She is wonderful. However, we do not know what to do with her a night. My husband thinks that 7 hours is to long for her to stay in the crate at night. I agree but feel that it will confuse her to let her use papers at night , while house training durning the day. She thinks she should just sleep in our bed with us (her vote does not count). Any suggestions?
Chris L

• I've read many housetraing books since I am preparing to get a Maltese puppy my self. Most of the books agree that you should set an alarm and get up to take the puppy out. Then over a period of time decrease the night time "potty breaks" until you don't have to go out at night any more.
  Jackie

• One month ago I got my first Maltese. He is my first dog so I was totally inexperienced. We also crate trained him. I took him out faithfully during the day & even posted a "schedule" on the fridge for my husband to also follow. I took him out at least every 2-3 hours during the day & was careful not to allow him to eat or drink late at night (I tried to make his last feeding no later than 7 or 8 o'clock). His last bathroom run was at 10:00p.m. & I was sure to be up by 7:00a.m. for his first bathroom run of the day. As inexperienced as I was, this seemed to work well & he is now fully trained & goes to the door on his own when he needs to go out. Hope this information helps.
  Lydia/Pepper

• We just got a little maltese puppy and brought him home from the breeder today. We have decided to crate train him. Our initial attempts have been a little confusing, as he seems to prefer to pee in his crate and sleep on his puppy pad. He seems to just pee in his crate, and not care if he is sleeping there or not. From what we have read, this not typical behavior, he has no problems going into his crate, and almost seems to prefer to go into his crate to pee.
  Phil

• Excuse me while I am laughing, I wish my little one would only pee in one spot, even if it is the crate. Keep in mind I am a pet owner and not a show dog owner, but I think you have it made. As your little one gets older just move the crate outside and then just remove the crate totally. Outside it will be easy to hose out for cleaning. I know this is not the norm and probably will not be approved by the true trainers, but hey, I figure what- ever works. I would get your puppy another type of crate, they have very nice soft sided ones that are airline approved and look like travel bags. They are cozier and I think easier to carry.

  My motto is be flexible and love the baby, but if a more serious career than just a family pet is in store for you baby, you probably should listen to the more experienced professional Maltese owners. Have fun!
  Joeline

• We have our first Maltese, a female, who is just 4 months now. At first she also peed in her crate, and I was concerned that I'd end up with a dog that was peeing all over the house. But I just kept trotting her outside every hour or two, and praising her like crazy when she went. I said the word potty every time, and now when she hears that word, she knows she's supposed to look for a spot. Potty isn't a word I usually use, so thats a safe word. Also, I did notice that this dog likes to go off aroun d a snowbank and pee or whatever in some privacy, so maybe he wants privacy too? I only put a pad down at night in case I don't wake up in time for her, and during the day I just watch her and get her outside. It only took a week of that for her to improve to the point where she comes and gets me to go outside most of the time. Don't give up on him, but like I said, some dogs like privacy-I had a siberian husky who would only go behind a lattice where no one saw him.
  Colleen

• To anyone getting a puppy for the first time, here's a word of advice. Run, don't walk, to the nearest pet supply store and buy yourself a galvanized steel cage or "crate". Then train your new puppy to sleep there and stay there when you're out of the house. Our Lhasa Apso is now six months old. We thought we could handle training without the crate. Wrong! Even though we had someone come in and visit her mid-day every day, and she did her business outside when we were home, we could never break her of the newspaper habit we had established for when we weren't home. We were cleaning up messes (albeit localized in the bathroom) twice a day. The real clincher was after she came home from spaying after a three-day hospital stay. We'd missed her so much, we went overboard for the weekend and gave her far too much attention. The result was that very soon she graduated from chewing books and papers (she had trained us to keep all paper chewables out of her reach), to chewing speaker wires, electric cords and our TV cable. Luckily, the electrical cords were unplugged; however, one day we caught her in the process of chewing an extension cord and we were right there at home and didnt' notice...and it WAS plugged in. The upshot of all this is that now we have a crate and are having to start all over again. She sleeps in it at night and lives in it during the day. We're wimps and hate to hear her fuss when we leave her, but we know it's for the best. It's just too darned dangerous (and expensive and stressful) to risk leaving her out...so if you're hesitating, don't. It could save your pup's life.
  Beckett

• In my opinion, the best and easiest way of training a Maltese is to use a dog crate. There are many different types of dog crates. There are wire and fully enclosed plastic ones. I feel that the fully enclosed ones are the best for the dog, however either one will work. Using a dog crate, we actually simulate a dog's natural urge to curl up in confined places with their back up against something and feel safe and secure.

  Dogs in the wild live in dens. The den provides dogs protection form their predators and the weather. It also provides them with a great deal of security and psychological satisfaction. This is why all dogs have a natural desire to be in a shelter such as we are speaking of here.

  In our homes, a dog doesn't have such a place of his/her on. This is why a dog will curl up under a table, behind chairs or in corners. By using a dog crate, we are giving back our dog's den right in our own home. In this way we can take advantage of their natural instincts and, with little effort, can housebreak, curtail chewing, and raise a well adjusted pet. Also by using a crate, we can keep our pet safe and out of trouble while we are not at home to supervise them.

  Crate Training:

  When you get your new Maltese puppy home is the time to start the training. Have your new pet use the crate to sleep and rest in. You will notice that without trying your Maltese will almost seem to train himself, seeking out a place of security and comfort. This will be his special place in your home. If your pet seems a little reluctant to use the crate you can put a treat or a toy inside to encourage him to go in. Never force your Maltese into the crate and never use the crate as a means to punish your pet. We always want this crate to be a pleasant place for our pet to go. Remember, we are trying to use this crate as a safe place for our pets, a place where they want to be! When he enters the crate reward him the first few times, he will learn quickly.

  It is recommended that you get your new Maltese used to the crate while you are home. Please do not just put him in the crate and then leave. Again we want to make the experience a pleasant one. Keep praising him and he will actually begin to enjoy his "new home".

  When buying a crate for your Maltese, don't buy one that will give your pet a "party room". We only want a crate large enough so that the dog can enter, turn around and lay down. If we get a crate to large , then he will be able to use the crate to go to the bathroom in. If it is the proper size, he will not use it in this manner. This is a natural instinct of dogs, they won't go where they can't get away from it. Another words, they won't lay in their own mess.

  As your Maltese puppy grows up he will learn that the crate is his special place in the house. When he gets uneasy about something he will naturally go back to his crate where he feels safe and secure. The advantage of buying a plastic crate is that when the puppy becomes an adult, you can remove the door and he is free to use the crate at any time.

  Here are some Do's and Don't's for you new Maltese Puppy owners.

  1. Don't leave very young puppies in a crate all day. At 8 weeks of age a puppy can go about four in the crate. When puppies are young their urge to releave themselves is greater. As they get older they can go longer periods before they have to go out to releave themselves.

  2. Do not use "housebreaking pads" to housebreak your new puppy. We do not want to teach our pets to use our home as a place to go to the bathroom. We do not want to confuse them by saying in the beginning that it's OK then later changing our minds and saying that it's not OK.

  3. Don't let a new puppy roam the house while not being supervised. There are alot of dangers lurking for a new puppy in our homes. Please watch them so the stay safe and out of trouble.

  4. Don't force your new Maltese puppy into the crate. Make his new "home" a pleasant experience.

  5. Don't use the crate as a means of punishment. This is the place we want our new puppy to feel safe in. Make it as pleasant as possible.

  6. Do use a crate. This method will make training a breeze. Plus it gives your new pet a place of his own.

  7. Do provide a soft washable bedding for his new home.

  8. Do enjoy your new pet. With proper training and alot of love you will have a companion for a long time.