when to start crate training?

my gorgeous george is coming home this week end ive decided to use a crate but not completely confident with the use of it, as previously i didnt use one to help house train etc. i will be home most of the day as i work from home so its during the night george would be in his crate for a longer period. is this ok as a puppy cant hold his wee all night yet i know staffords hate to mess they're bed? any tips greatly appreciated!!!! soooooooo excited to bring him home

p.s is it true that leaving a blanket with george and the rest of hiss litter to get the scent on prior to bringing him home help with him settling into his new home? there is no other dogs in our house so conscious he may feel alone on his 1st few nights

I crated Dempsey from day one. He used to go into the crate at about 11pm and I'd get up at about 4am (my oh does early shifts so I get up with him & go back to bed after he's gone!) and let him out for a wee, then back into the crate till about 7am. He was a difficult dog to house train, but he never messed his crate other than when he had the runs.

How exciting! I haven't ever crate trained but you'll find loads of great advice on it here. Welcome to the forum, just one thing, make sure you take lots of pics of the gorgeous George

so with the crate there doesnt need to be enough room for bed and a paper area for toilet as long as i take george out into the garden last min before i go to bed and get up early? i will put pics up soon!!! eeeeek excited roll on sunday!!!! <:-P

I think that giving the dog room to wee or poo will encourage it to do so!

As long as you're prepared for the fact that there may be a couple of accidents, there's no need for a seperate area. If the crate's really big, then do what I did - I put the bottom half of a pet carrier (the one we brought him home in) in one half & left the rest empty.

see this link from the website, might help

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/cratetraining.html

We also did it from day 1, dont encourage them to go toilet in there at all.

Just try to make sure you give them plenty of chances to go toilet and expect a couple of accidents unfortunatly, just be sure to clean it really well after any accidents. Use a special spay that gets rid of the sent completely.

If there is any trace of the smell even though you carnt smell it they will and will do it again and again then.

If the create is clean and you let them out regular then the accidents will be very rare, think we had 3-4 in total. Dogs/Animals wont go toilet where they sleep and eat unless they have no other option.

I also crated from day one. I think they all need a place of their own to feel safe. I have her sleep with us so only left her alone at night for a week. I would wake up in the middle of the night to let her out but I am a bit soft sometimes.

I am only starting to use a crate for Stanley, I never close the door to it though just semm to use it as an indoor doggy house so if he gets sick of he has somewhere to go and be alone.

On a different note, when we picked up Stanley for the breeder they gave us a towel that was in with his mum to take home so he would settle quicker, don't know if it work but we put a couple items of our closes in there as well for him to get use too. The first 2 nights were the hardest but after that he got really good.

He sleeps in our room every night next to my wife and at 4am he wakes up mum (the OH) and wants to get into bed with us for a snuggle, how can you say no to him???? So we don't and he sleeps with us until 6-7am and then its time to get up and have breaky. I am telling you this because this has cause a bit of a problem for us to leave him in his rate now because it does not fit in our room therefor he wont stay in it over night and just uses it thoughout the day...... This does not bother us though as we have never used a crate before and only do because it was given to use by a friend or found that their dog did not like the crate either.

Good luck and you will get all the help you need here I rekon....
Dave