Now for the past few weeks she is using it in her bed, on her blankets, and everywhere. She used to whine when she needed to go out and that has stopped as well. What can I do?
By angelia2010 from Atlanta, GA
Part of the problem may well be that the crate is far too big. A dog should be able to lay comfortably and turn around, no more. Generally, a dog will not go in its bed; but if the crate is big enough that the bed doesn't take all the space, it leaves room for a potty place. You can always block off a portion of the crate with a plastic milk crate, or the like.
If it continues to go, and go in its bed, a trip to the vet may be warranted to rule out a medical problem.
It is said that dogs won't go potty where they eat. You can test that theory if you haven't already. Also, dogs have sharp noses and if they smell any trace of poop or pee, they will go there again. I would wash everything in his cage, take the cage outside and wash out the bottom with vinegar water, then let dry. If the cage is on a floor that can be mopped, mop under the cage with vinegar water.
I don't know whether these things will work, but maybe worth a try.
We raised our lil chihuahua in a large dog crate too. We put a kitty litter pan. She caught on pretty quickly. Now, she prefers to go outside during the summer and hates the winter. Might want to consider it, just watch the litter if you do. You don't want it to be dusty. We used a clay litter that clumped so it wasn't as dusty.
Cut a cardboard box low to share some space in the crate. Put a pee pad in there. Try feeding her in there and leave her for about 10 min. If she uses the pad reward her with lots of loving.
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We have a 13wk old terrier mix that has been with us for about a week and a half. We're in the process of housebreaking and crate training her, and she's still learning. Our daily schedule is wake up at 5:30 to take her out, then in for breakfast. We take her out again before we leave for work at 7:15, making sure she's peed and pooped at least once in the morning. She's in the crate until my wife gets home around 3:00, and during this time she has pooped in her crate, and somehow spread it in a splatter pattern outside the crate (very little left inside). We don't know if she jumps on it or what, but it's over a foot out from the crate in any direction. We clean the crate and wash her and she's out for the afternoon. No food until dinner time around 6pm, and no food after 8pm. We take her out again before bed (9:30-10pm) and she's fine in the crate overnight.
She's pooped in her crate during the daytime for several days in a row now. The crate has a divider to make it appropriately sized for her, but since she spreads it outside, she effectively removes it from her area so it doesn't bother her. She does it whether we have a towel in the crate for bedding or not. We're not able to leave work during the day to come home and let her out. Any suggestions?
Some dogs simply can't wait 8 hours. You may have to find someone in your neighborhood who can take the dog out at the halfway mark.
I don't feel young puppies should be left alone for that amount of time, anyway. Puppies are a lot like children. They are social and interactive. You wouldn't leave a child home alone for eight hours in a little cage.
Puppies that feel abandoned can quickly learn to hate their crate which will quickly undo any training you're trying to achieve.
When I put my dog (who is a 12 week old lab) in his cage for the night he continues to poop and pee in the cage. He does this even thought I let him out before bedtime. When I wake up in the morning to take him outside he is laying in it. My cage is huge you would think he would lay on the other side of the cage, but no.
By Anthony from San Antonio
My husband raises/trains coonhounds. At times, there will be one that will pee and poo in their sleeping house in the kennel. He will put their food and water bowls there in the house(for your uses, the crate). They usually get the idea to not use the bathroom when that is the only place they can get food and water.
It could also be that your crate is too big for the puppy. He should only have enough room to lay down. To avoid having to buy another crate, see if you can get some plastic canvas or anything else to make a temp divider until he is big enough to fill up the whole crate. If they have enough room, they will use the bathroom in one end, and sleep on the other.
