Housetraining a Sheltie?

hi i have several dogs and some of the things i was told by the vet that have worked are. get the dog on a feeding schudule remove there food at say 6 pm and dont give them anything to drink uless you have the time to bring them out within 20 minutes of drinking water and last but not least is give them a treat when they go outside. hope this helps denise

I'm not a fan of crates, although some swear by them. Eh. Anyway, no dog should be left inside them for much longer than 4-6 hours.

Instead what I do with our Male rat terrier (who tends to take "liberties" when we're away) is to:

drill/screw an eye-hole bolt into the base or side of a kitchen cabinet and use a carabiner--connected to one end of a dog leash--to fasten the leash to the bolt. Then hook the leash to the dog's collar to sequester it. That way, it has some freedom to get up, move around easier and stretch. We put Cosmo's dog bed there for him to lay down on, and he's pretty content with this set up.

Nan Corpe

June 26, 20070 found this helpful

Crates are so misused by misguided pet owners. Pets should only be in the cage to sleep at night if it's a destructive or unruly pet or in the cage when you leave the house for a very short time.

Some owners leave their pets in crates while they go to work all day which makes the pet wild when it finally gets out, especially if it's a large breed. I know a person who keeps a large breed dog in a crate all day and all night, only letting it out a couple hours a day. The dog has a broken spirit and is depressed, not at all true to it's breed. It also has serious arthritis problems at a very young age. I have four dogs in my home and I don't keep any of them in crates. They sleep all night and cause no problem when I go out for a while. I just put them in the family room with the doggy door so they can go in and out.
If a dog gets food and water and plenty of exercise, there is rarely a behavior problem. It is usually the owner and not the dog with the problem.

i started my dog on paper, after a few weeks i started moving paper towards the door,then i put paper outside,after she used it ,i put some of the soiled paper outside,then she just smeled the paper and has been going out since,i noticed it also helps if you just take dog out right after drinking or eating,i praised her a lot when she went outside,they are smart for the most part,you have to be consistant and dedicate some time when they are puppies. good luck

I have a large breed puppy and I crate her during the day while I am at work. I am fortunate enough where I only work a few miles from my home so I come home at lunch and let her out to play and eat for about 45 mins. She goes back in her crate until I get home from work, and I take her for a walk. She is never too hyper, or out of control; however I do not keep her in her crate through the night. She has a bed in my room where she sleeps. I was told by a dog trainer not to allow her to sleep in bed with me until she is completely trained so she will understand that I am in charge and not her.