Puppy making decisions, someone help?

[Freedom]

I've have only ever used a crate for puppies. It seems as much for their safety as anything. Having a puppy roaming around the house, or even jsut a room, unsupervised at night while you sleep just doesn't seem like "good parenting" to me. And as you mentioned it makes it easier for clean ups when there are those inevitable accidents.

Once they learn to tell me they have to go out, I remove the crate. So since you have one who does that, I would save your money and use that crate for the puppy.

If you decide on this route, you may want to start keeping that dog out of the crate NOW, so he doesn't sassociate losing his crate with the newbie and become jealous. You know, "mom MADE me give up my home for YOU!" kind of thinking.

[coco-bean]

good idea, thanks guys!
any other tips on anything at all is more the welcome here! I know im not super new to this being a mommy again, but becoming a mommy with an additional 3, is there anything i may need to know that i may not have been aware of before?

[dab_20]

Crate training, in my opinion, is probably the easiest way to get your puppy potty trained and out of trouble. I have not crate trained only once, and the dog was never fully potty trained and when she was a pup got into everything. I would recommend crate training this pup, too, since you've done it before it should be pretty simple.

Your chocolate girl is a sweetie, BTW!

[applesmom]

You might as well bite the bullet and buy another crate. Crate training has worked well with your other 3. Why mess with success?

In a household with 4 active dogs, all dogs should have their own place for quiet time when they want it.

[Giselle]

Just wanted to add that some dogs get easily agitated when they're in the crate and another dog isn't. Therefore, I have to agree with getting another crate. For the average Lab, you'll probably pay about $80-90 for a wire crate. It's pretty inexpensive considering you practically have all your supplies already

[coco-bean]

well i prolly wouldnt ever crate them together just because of size wise and they get easily aggitated by each other in the same room, let alone the same crate lol!
I get the plastic crates...which i prefer, since cainan is a little escape artist anyway lol!

[Giselle]

No, no, I meant some dogs get agitated when they themselves are in a crate and the other dog is allowed to roam free. I forget which crates are more expensive, but plastic Vari-Kennels shouldn't be more than $80 or so dollars. It's an invaluable tool =)