Dog pees in crate

[i_have_too_many]

STRESSEDOUTDOG: my suggestion would be to re-train him for the crate, just as you would an 8 week old puppy. I think all dogs should be used to going in and staying in a crate. Even if you dont keep them there overnight, it is best to have them stay in one while you are away, to keep them and the house safe, and while traveling. It is much easier to get them used to it slowly at home so if they need to stay in one at some point, they will not be too stressed. This is how I tell my buyers to train their puppies. It is a long process, but works very well.

Start by playing near the crate, at a distance the dog is comfortable with. If he seams to get anxious, move further away. Slowly move closer to the crate, playing and giving treats. You can use this time to do some basic obedience too, like sits and downs, with lots of reward. Only do this for a few minutes, but several times a day, they have short attention spans and can get bored/stressed easily, and you want this to remain positive.

Once you are playing right next to the crate, start tossing the ball/toy/treat just inside the door so all the dog has to do is stick their head in to get it. Do this a few times, then stop. If the dog shows some stress, stop and continue next time at a spot where he was comfortable. Do not push him, let him go in on his own, the treat or play is the reward, and as long as he is having fun, he will not think about the bad things that happend in the crate.

Continue training this way until you are able to have him go into the crate to get the ball or treat with no worries. Once you are at this point, DONT GET EXCITED AND CLOSE THE DOOR, this will only enforce the fear he has. Instead, try to keep him in the crate for a few seconds. Feed a treat, then call him out. Keep extending this time in the crate WITH THE DOOR OPEN until he is staying in it for 20 or 30 seconds. You can practice some sit/down/stay while you are doing this. Not only will this keep his mind off of the crate, you will get a fairly obedient dog too.

At this point you can now slowly close the door, talking to him, but do not latch it. Once it is closed, open it again, treat and let him out. Try not to let him burst out of the crate, you will appreciate this later. Over time you will be able to latch the door, and even leave him for a few seconds, then a few minutes. I keep a crate in the living room when I am training a pup, this way I can put them in it for a few minutes several times a day and they can still see/hear what is going on around them.

Once he is no longer afraid of the crate you can leave him for longer periods. I would suggest a chew toy or kong with peanut butter to keep him busy. If at any point he seems to get anxious, stop and back up a step or two.

Do not expect this to happen overnight. Give yourself a few days. If you work at it for 5 or 10 minutes every hour, you will be able to accomplish a lot in a weekend. Just remember to keep it positive.

A few more thoughts on peeing in a crate. A friend of mine mentioned that her dog pees in his bed as well, her vet told her it was like a toddler who wets their bed. There were medications for him, but that would be for the rest of his life. The vet explained that he just sleeps so well, he totally relaxes, resulting in a wet bet/crate. It is not every night, but they just keep him off of their bed, and wash his bedding frequently. Sometimes it is something they also grow out of, just like kids.

Hope this helps someone.

[Freyja]

What about when you have two dogs?? First dog is completely reliable in the house (resident dog for 3 years). New dog is 3-4 mos old. Crated at night. Plan to put pup in bathroom during day if not home. Will that work if the first dog has free run of the house??

[Dean55]

here is a link to a process that can be varied as needed.
i would always have a pup vet checked if several methods fail.

Hope it helps

cheers

[BigT]

Hi, I actually have a question regarding bathrooming in the crate. I'm unsure of what size of crate to have. I have a 7 month male chihuahua (Tucker) and I work during the day so I put him in his crate. I come back every lunch hour though so he is only in it for 4 hours at a time. But he is going to bathroom in it. The crate is probably about 2.5' x 2.5' x 2.5'. During the night he'll just pee in it too(sometimes poo) but the crate is big enough he'll do his business in one end and sleep in the other. Also..he has alittle habit of eating his poo as well(which I have been reading up on possibly ways of breaking this). So I'm curious as to what size of crate he should be in.

[Laylapet]

That crate is too big - 2.5 feet? It should only be big enough for him to lay down, turn around, stretch out. I would imagine that a much smaller crate would allow a chihuahua to do that.