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10 week old puppy crate training and toilet training questions

mmm123456

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Hi have a 10 week old spaniel. We've had him for a couple of weeks now.
Few things I'd like some advice on please if you don't mind.

1. Crate training.

He was in a crate at the breeders so he naturally took to ours. I'm worried I'm leaving him in it too often as I've read that puppies sleep 18hours ish per day. But I'm also worried I'm taking him out to play/pee too often. Here's his average day since the first week which I'd taken off to settle him in so was playing more. I work at home but this week I've had to get back to work and don't have as much time to spend with him.

7am partner wakes up and lets him outside. He never does anything just comes back in and wees and poos the floor.
7.15am back in crate
8.15am I let him outside, doesn't do anything
8.20am back in crate while I take junior to school
9am take him outside for 10-15mins, does his wees/poos, play with him inside for 15mins before starting work
9.15am crate
11.30am
Take him outside for 5-10mins
11.45am back in crate
1pm let him outside and allow him to roam the kitchen while I eat my lunch then play with him for 15mins
1.45 back in crate
3pm let him outside
3.10pm back in crate
4pm let him outside
4.15pm back in crate
5.30pm partner comes home and plays says hello then dinner time for us
6pm back in crate
8pm let outside and play with him
8.30pm back in crate
11pm take out and play
11.30pm bed time

19.5 hours in the crate including night time.

Seems he's in his crate forever but I've read that crate training helps with toilet training as he won't soil his own bed. He's not soiled his bed yet.
I've tried giving him half the kitchen and leaving his crate door open the last few days but I still think he's probably lonely and he then wees and poos the floor rather than waiting for me to take him out.

I'm open to adjusting my work day a bit. I'm going to anyway once I can get him out for walks. Would getting a cardboard box and sticking some bedding inside, in my office help him not feel so lonely? Is he bothered about being left in the crate all day? Surely it drives a young energetic puppy insane to be left alone inside a small crate for that long?

On one hand I'm thinking I'm giving him terrible living conditions but then I ask myself what do people who work 9-5 at the office do for their day? If they are travelling to work for an hour each way thats them out of the house and the dog alone for 10hours!

When he is toilet trained he can have the run of my house I don't care it's just until he's toilet trained that I'm unsure of.

Thanks
 
That is a long time in a crate ...if you are home why is he in a crate .....can you make a safe area for him instead of him being inside a crate ...mine only ever went into their crates when i popped out and at bedtime and then never used the crate once they were 6 mths old ...you can buy some great playpens now which gives your pup alot more freedom than a crate ....
Please post a pic of your pup
 
I agree with @Tinytom it sounds like a lot.

A crate can help with toilet training in that a dog prefers not to toilet in their bed area, but the real key to toilet training is taking him out frequently, so he can be other places in the house without you having to worry about accidents.

There are some tips here but do shout out if anything is unclear or if you have questions.

House training
 
At 10 weeks i would be taking him out every hour instead of relying on the crate its a much more effective way of house training in the long run ....
 
I've rejigged it so that he has half of the kitchen with his crate door open and I'll try letting him out every hour see how he gets on. He just chews puppy training pads so that wasn't an option.
So far, whenever I've went in today he's been asleep/relaxing in his bed which is inside the crate so that's a positive.
I'll pop up photo up a bit later.
 
Great update that has really made me smile ....
 
He sounds like a really chilled lad - lucky you! I can't wait to see photos.
 
Hi sorry for the late reply had my booster and felt serious fatigue. Here he is.
 

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Hi sorry for the late reply had my booster and felt serious fatigue. Here he is.

update:

Has had all vaccinations so started taking blood him out short walks.
He asks to go to the toilet now but still wees if out the crate.
If in the crate holds it a long time until we are back in the house and can let him out.
He seems a happy pup.
 

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