Gun Dog Forum

I have a GSP who will be 20 weeks tomorrow and we cannot get him to stop going in his crate. Before he would only wet his crate and now he's moved on to doing either one. We have tried with and without crate pads, using a smaller crate, restricting water, keeping a strict schedule (only leaving him in for 3 hours at a time while we are at work). Some people have suggested using and X-pen with a puppy bad but we do not have anywhere to put it. I've also heard that he will grow out of it but we have seen absolutely no improvement after more than two months. We've had him since 10 weeks and have had this problem since day 1 with no improvements. He's been to the vet a few times and everything checks out OK so there is not medical reason behind anything. At 20 weeks he should have the bladder control to hold it for more than the 2 hours he's left in there. This morning we took him out three times before work and he everything he should have needed to do and 3 hours later we came home to another big wet smelly mess. He doesn't seem to mine being covered in his own mess and we cannot think of anything else we can do. He doesn't have accidents in the house when we are home and let him run around, it just seems like he thinks that it is OK for him to go in his crate. Any ideas?

does he have seperation anxiety. Is it only when you are gone.

probably a stupid response, but have you cleaned and sterilized his or her crate? since he or she has gone in there several times he or she may be smelling it and thinking it is where he or she should be going. Try that and see if there is any improvement. I know vinegar works well for eliminating the odor.

He doesn't seem to have problems with separation, he stays quiet in his crate when we leave the room for a while and doesn't bark or tear thing up when we have him tied up outside alone. We do clean the crate after each mess. It's gotten to the point where we have to use two identical crates so that we have a clean one ready to go since we usually end up having to take one apart hose it off, bleach it and then clean it with disinfectant. We are really running out of ideas.

How much room does your pup have in the crate? Sometimes if there is "too" much room in the crate they will go in the crate.

Corry

As mentioned in the post above we have tried a smaller crate. We had him in one that for a couple days that he couldn't sit in without hitting his head on the top or lie down without having to curl up a little just to see if it would make a difference. Nothing... We didn't get him until 10 weeks from the breeder and while the kennel were clean when we were there I have a bad feeling he cleaned then because he knew we were coming. The pup needed 4 or 5 baths before we could get him to quit smelling after we got him. I think he was conditioned to living in filth and now we have no idea how to break him of that.

Wow, I am guessing we are blessed with a 13 week old that no longer has to be crated at night. She wakes up and rings a bell to go out. But sleeps through the night most the time.

I have had many dogs and have absolutly no idea why your dog is acting like this. Could he be acting out because you are crating him. Do you crate him while you are home?

Got me on t his one. If medical and anxiety are not an issue.

Having just crate trained eight puppies for new owners, I feel your pain.
This is very unusual since dogs are naturally clean animals.
I think it must be some mental thing. Wondering if you might restrict his food and water for a few days. It seems like when they get used to a clean crate they like it.
At that age a puppy should not need to go that often.
He might be thinking he gets attention because he goes in the kennel.
Might be if you let him out before he goes and give him a lot of attention and praise he would get the idea. Leave him in longer if he goes. Don't scold him if he goes, attention is attention negative or positive makes no difference to him.
I would try restricting his food it won't hurt him for a few days putting him in for a hour or however long he will go without going, letting him out and praising him and try to get the time in the kennel longer.
Might work, might not. Good Luck CJ

Number one I can tolerate but number two How many times a day is he feed? You might have to go with once a day PM that will give him 8 hrs. to get it trew his system and out before you go to work.

I would make sure the crate is small, the dog has been out (sounds like you've done both of these things) - then I would start feeding the dog only in the crate - and treats in the crate - and kongs filled with peanut butter or yogurt - only in the crate.

Sounds like you'll have a way to go with this one, but you can do it. Most dogs can be successfully crate trained. I've had a lot of fosters that resist at first, but usually it can be accomplished.

Dogs are place oriented and creatures of habit. They learn things relative to there environment. It seems that your dog has learned that this is the place to go. My dogs get walked every night and although they may go in my backyard if left out they will usually hold it in till I get home to go out on the street during there walk. This comes from consistent repetition. Your dog is going in the crate all along , this is consistent repetition as well. Since the dog does not go in the house, I would remove the dog from the crate and just confine the dog to the kitchen with gates. When the dog is on its schedule to go take the dog to the crate outside and see if it goes in the crate . If the dog heads for the crate allow it to go inside and and go. Then once the dog is used to going outside to the crate , remove the crate. My dog got so used to going in my yard as a puppy if I took him out for the day he would hold it in until I got home and run for the backyard and go as soon as he got there. If your dog goes in the kitchen i'm out of ideas , but I think that will not happen. It may take some time before your dog gets used to going in a place out side but once he is accustomed to it he may be ready for the crate again. Another anecdote, I had a friend who's dog was confined only to the kitchen in the house . He would go outside no problem but since he was not allowed in the rest of the house ,he saw it as outside the kitchen, and would jump the gate to relieve himself in the living room. He was only trained to go outside the kitchen not outside the house . You could hardly fault the dog for that . Good luck and let us know how you make out.