# Sleeping area



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I thought I'd share a pic of Tori's sleeping area. I know that many new puppy owners crate at night then deal w/a lack of sleep due to the several potty times throughout the night. Well, I do not do well w/out my  so, here's how I solved that issue for us. She has done extremely well with it. The 1st (and only:biggrin1 night when she whined, I just said, "shhhhh.....night-night" each time and she quickly settled down once she realized I was right there next to her. It is wonderful to not have to worry about her needing to get out to potty during the night.

Just wanted you to see what's worked _very well_ for us. Maybe it can help other new puppy owners, as well.

BTW, the pink vinyl was not a choice...it was on sale for $1 <BG>


----------



## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Leslie,
are you telling me, that she'd get out of her crate, go to the pee pad and back to the crate without waking you up?


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Absolutely! Every night :biggrin1:


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I also have to tell you that Jan did such a great job training her that she was at least 90% trained to the pads when she came at 10 wks. old. Pretty amazing, huh!?


----------



## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Wow! Thanks for that picture&advice, I might try that right away too!!! I hate to be disturbed in my sleep, must be a Scorpio-thing, hehe.
Yes, that truly is amazing! Great job Jan!


----------



## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Leslie,
Great setup! I'll keep that in mind for whenever I get number 3! Is it difficult to train them to outside once they've been pee pad trained? 

Here'e what we did for each of our puppies. Each one came to us doggie door ready.... It worked really well for the girls but wouldn't work at all if I ever got another puppy. The puppy in the photo is McKenna way back in 2004.

We used a TV tray table to block one side so she couldn't squish through and nailed the other side of the cutout (for the doggie door) to the wall. 

Susan


----------



## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Susan, I had no problems with Kubrick going from pee pads to outside. However, I do use both pee pads and outside since I don't have a yard. Kubrick has to both pee and poop when we go outside, and he does them both every time. I do think he prefers to go out too, but if he has to, he will go on the pads.


----------



## dholmes (Nov 2, 2007)

*Preparing for puppy*

Hey Leslie,

I'm new to the Havanese Forum. We are expecting a Christmas delivery. I've been preparing the family for our pup....my 5y.o. is sooooo excited. The breeder suggested the type of sleep area you have set up. The other option was to take an old Playpen and set it up just like you have but without the crate. Just wanted some feedback from others regarding how its been working.
eace:


----------



## dholmes (Nov 2, 2007)

*Trained to potty outdoors*

What type of schedules did anyone set to get pup trained to go outside? Do you ever get to the point of not needing the pads?eace:


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

mckennasedona said:


> Leslie,
> Great setup! I'll keep that in mind for whenever I get number 3! Is it difficult to train them to outside once they've been pee pad trained?
> 
> Here'e what we did for each of our puppies. Each one came to us doggie door ready.... It worked really well for the girls but wouldn't work at all if I ever got another puppy. The puppy in the photo is McKenna way back in 2004.
> ...


Susan~ Great set up. I kinda wish DH would allow a doggie door, but :nono: I'm not so sure I'd like her using it anyway, though. Having her outside alone is a bit scary for me. We have hawks, possums, racoons, etc. and I'd hate to think what may happen if I wasn't w/her. Yikes!

As for potting outside she does both; pads and outside, and doesn't seem to have a preference for either. During the day when I have the time, I take her outside to potty every couple of hours. She will go every time. When she needs to go in between times, she just heads to a pad. She is so well trained that she pretty much has the "run of the house" anytime we're home.

I've attached a pic of the area she stays in when we have to leave her. Notice the pad there is in a holder. Shadow used to shred her pads whenever we were gone. So, I learned that lesson and have never given Tori the chance. :biggrin1:


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

dholmes said:


> Hey Leslie,
> 
> I'm new to the Havanese Forum. We are expecting a Christmas delivery. I've been preparing the family for our pup....my 5y.o. is sooooo excited. The breeder suggested the type of sleep area you have set up. The other option was to take an old Playpen and set it up just like you have but without the crate. Just wanted some feedback from others regarding how its been working.
> eace:


:welcome: So glad you found us! The set up I have has worked extremely well for Tori. She came to us very well potty trained and knew exactly what the pad was for. I wanted her to have a "den" to sleep in, which is why I set it up the way I did. Eventually, when she's able to go all night w/out pottying (she's not quite 14 wks. old) the ex-pen will come down and the crate will stay as her bed.

Congratulations on your soon to be addition. Be sure to post pics of your little one. Folks here are crazy for puppy pics :baby:


----------



## dholmes (Nov 2, 2007)

Thanks for the quick response...I'll definitely include pics. My daughter has already picked a name but I feel weird using it before the pup is even born.


----------



## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

I love having the doggie door but if we had lots of squirrels and other wildlife I probably wouldn't have one. When each girl was a puppy we had a covered fenced pen on the outside of the doggie door so that they could go outside and we wouldn't worry about hawks. We do have those......

Are the pads treated with any kind of deodorizer? I'm wondering if one would immediately be hit by the smell of urine or feces when they walk in the door after being gone for several hours. DH would never go for that!

Susan


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

*Ex-pen set ups*

Very convenient set up, Leslie! We have somthing similar to Susan's. We have set up an ex-pen in the corner of our family room. The doggy door in the wall (white framed) connects the indoor ex-pen to outdoor ex-pen. I leave a piddle pad on the out door ex-pen. The sides are covered by vinyl during the winter months and it has a roof too. The piddle pad remains dry. The ex-pen has a water bottle, a crate and toys.


----------



## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

What a great set-up, Leslie! That would really help new Hav moms get their sleep. I've never used pee pads (always got up during the night with a new pup to take them outside), and I can tell you that I lost alot of sleep during those times. My husband and I would always argue over whose turn it was. :laugh: Your arrangement would make things alot easier!


----------



## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

Wow, Poornima- You've got an inside arrangement *and* and outside one. Too cool!


----------



## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

Wow..that's all good stuff. Capote was good..I can't complain. When he was a puppy I only made a couple potty runs before he figured out that night time was for sleeping. The second night I had him he slept all the way through the night at 8 weeks old! The next morning we went outside promptly and he did his business. 

There was a lot of trial and error, but he's always been good about sleeping through the night in his crate without a pee pad and he never makes a peep until I step out of bed..then he whimpers cause he knows he's about to get out of his crate..lol. We finally have a good schedule now that he's older.


----------



## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Susan, the pads to not smell unless you don't change them for a long time. I try to change them every 1-2 days depending on how often Kubrick went on the pad vs. going outside. I never ever leave them more than a day if he has peed on it twice. Otherwise, they really don't smell at all.

Leslie, I also use a holder with Kubrick, but only because he used to walk off the pad when he was pooping and the holder now makes him keep contained to that one area. LOL.

Poornima, I love your setup! Very nice.


----------



## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

dholmes, yes they will eventually learn to not use the pad and just go outside. Mine did it. I always made a pad available when they were little but always tried to take them out regularly when I was home. You have a "potty party" everytime they potty outside and eventually they learn that outside is what makes you happy!! 
Welcome to the forum, hope we get to see a pic of your expected baby soon!


----------



## Kathy (Nov 9, 2006)

Poornima,
Love the outside set up, I might have to do something like that myself. We have used a doggie door now for several years. Most will still go out in the rain, but I do have a couple that decide they will melt if they go out in it!


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Poornima~ Your set up is awesome! If we could figure out how to create something like that which is secure from our wildlife, I'd be all for the doggy door. Maybe even my DH would agree.

We used to have one, years ago, for our sheltie and "mutt". They were very good to use it. But, in those days I was less "doggy educated" and they were much bigger than Tori, so the worry wasn't the same.


----------



## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

When McKenna was a puppy and only weighed 3.5 lbs we had an outdoor enclosure connected to our doggy door to keep her safe from any hawks. It was before our backyard was landscaped. My husband built it with fence panels he bought from Home Depot. It was set up on concrete and we planted grass in bakers racks to put at one end. The top was screwed on and came off easily for cleaning. He put wire fencing around it, which is difficut to see in the photo so that the puppy couldn't get through the slats. 

Susan


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Kathy, Benji stopped using the piddle pad on the outdoor pen. He is completely housebroken but holds it when it is raining. His breeder tells me that his mom has the same habit and she needs to be taken out and forced. Hope your reluctant furbabies will use the piddle pad in the rain. 

Leslie, we can close the outdoor ex-pen door and then the furbabies don't have access to the yard. The roof protects them from the top. 

Susan, that's a very creative set up. Lizzie likes to go on the grass and if she too turns out like Benji and refuses to go out in the rain, I would like to use your idea. I would like to know how to plant the grass in baker's racks. Benji likes to go on the paved surfaces. I prefer paved surfaces as I find it easier to clean.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Wow she sure is trained! i can see all the times she went on the pee pad. That's so great!


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Susan,

What a NEAT set up! I will have to show my husband that, very creative. Although, our upper deck by the doors is not very big. He keeps saying NO to a doggie door (security concern! LOL)

Kara


----------



## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Kara and Poornima,
Here's what it looked like without the shade screen over it. It's just four fence panels. There are holes drilled so that the top can screw on with butterfly bolts (I call them that. I don't know what the real name is). This set up and the indoor ex-pen set up got us through two puppyhoods.

Poornima, Sedona wasn't too thrilled with the grass as a puppy. Eventually it died so we took it out and they just pottied on the concrete pavers which were easy to clean with a broom and some cleaner. If they got too smelly we just replaced them since concrete blocks are pretty cheap.

Susan


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Susan, thanks for posting the picture. It is really neat.


----------



## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Susan, that is really cool. I have something like that for my cats.


----------



## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Okay I love this idea. I have a dog door to the front of my house that has a small porch so no rain gets in. I might look at doing this. No one uses the front door and it would be a great way to let the girls have semi access to the outdoors while we are not home. Since Dora is a climber, I need a cover to the outdoor area though. What a great post you started Leslie!

Amanda


----------



## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

Wow! This is a great thread,great set ups! Gives us all new ideas!:whoo:


----------



## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

The problem I am having with my puppy set up right now, it looks like Leslie's set up; when Missy goes poop she likes to tell me about it, so she would not go back to sleep, after pooping (I think she is so vocal, so I will clean it up right now:biggrin1 and if I don't get to it ASAP, she will stomp though it and track it all over the ex-pen area and herself:jaw:

I just cleaned up a big mess, should have taken a picture for you. Missy had a bath As I write this I remember a past posting on here where the set up is smaller (4x4) with just bed and potty area. I wonder if that would work, better?

Missy is really good about using the pee pad/potty area, almost all the time. She just walks in it, if I don't get it cleaned up right away. I must be doing something wrong?:suspicious:


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

lfung5 said:


> Wow she sure is trained! i can see all the times she went on the pee pad. That's so great!


Shame on me I should have changed the pad before I took the picture :redface: She really is trained well, Linda. I was completely "blown away" when I saw this little 10 wk. old puppy walk right over and use the pad. My thought was "Bless you, Jan!" :angel::hail:

I think Amanda was pretty surprised when she saw her do it, too. I had no idea a puppy could be trained so well, so young.


----------



## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I was there the day Tori came home and Leslie was running around and Tori walked back in her area, walked over to her pad and piddled.... VERY IMPRESSIVE! 

I think everyone should send Jan their new puppies to house train


----------



## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I love the outdoor setups!! Would love that for mine, but they dont seem to have a problem going out in rain or snow, and I dont think they would use it!! I too would love a doggy door, but hubby wont do it - security issues!! Oh well I guess I will still have to go out in the rain & snow.


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Laurie, I'm right there with you! Security issues!! My husband is fanatical about security and if a sensor goes out, he calls the company here to fix it. LOL, we even have all these motion sensors in my house (but can't arm them when the dog is home).

I guess he envisions a bunch of criminals crawling through them. *sigh* they are TINY! LOL, I just don't see the 'issue'

I would love an indoor/outdoor set up! So many creative ideas here. 

Lynn, I had the same issue when Gucci was a puppy...she did NOT like the poop left on the pad. She became so anal (appropriate word, eh?) that she started not even peeing and pooping on the SAME pad. To this day, she pees on one side of the yard and poops on the other. Quirky little girl, I tell ya.

Kara


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Those of you who are concerned about security issues, there are electronic doggy doors that would not let anything else but your pet go through it. If you have an ex-pen outside, you can always lock the door of the ex-pen as we do. The fence door is locked too. There are good reviews for electronic pet door products. If you websearch there are a number of sites, I just picked one that popped up first:

http://www.moorepet-petdoors.com/Electronic-and-Automatic-Pet-Doors-s/24.htm


----------



## catlieber (Jul 26, 2007)

*NEW PUPPY POTTY TRAINING*

the pics are great i wished i had seen your set up, Emma never liked being in a crate, We tried different types and sizes, no go. She always chose to sleep underneath a round table. She is in a room that has access to the outside. She used her pee pads at 10 weeks old. 
She is now a little over 5 months old, and she will ring a bell to go outside, but we have to be vigilant of her when we are in other parts of the house. 
Last night we brought her into our bedroom , which is steps away from the room she has been in since she come into our home. 
Our concern is that we have 2 cats that sleep in our room, one in her own perch the other 17 y/o that sleeps behind my head. 
so things went well , but she chose to be back in her room sometime about 4 am. 
I spent a lot of weeks with very little sleep, things are so much better, but it continues to be a challenge to have all of us in the same room without a lot of drama. Emma still reacts to Bradley's hissing as Yea bring it on I want to play !!!! 
I look forward to the day when all of us are sitting in the same room . AHHHHH tranquility!!! she continues to be such a little love bug snuggly girlie girl . Her greeting still continues to be flipped on her back , tail wagging, and her belly ready for some rubbing!!!


----------



## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Emma sounds like a little doll! I'm sure once some of her "puppyness" wears off, she'll get along better w/the cats. I'd love to see some pics of her w/them *hint, hint* :biggrin1:


----------



## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

*Doggie Doors*

We worried about security too but we got our first doggie door about 15 years ago when my elderly dog Casie had trouble holding her urine for too long. She took to the doggie door like a champ!

We have a weather resistant key lock on our gate and we have a temporary chain link fence that is gated and locked. I figure that if somoene is able to scale the 6 foot wood, fence, scale the 6 foot chain link and fit through a doggie door built for small dogs, coming face to face with said small dogs, who will be barking, not to mention a big guy with an M1 Garand who is angry about being woken up, they are pretty determined. If we lived in a wooded area I'd be more concerned about wildlife coming in than human life. I do know that a five year old can fit through our doggie door easily but I doubt that anyone much older could. Luckily, during the day we have one elderly neighbor who is home all day and takes his Chihuahua out front to potty and another neighbor who gets home from work early in the day and sits out on his front porch every 20 minutes or so for a cigarete.

It's worked out well for us.

Susan


----------

