crate training

[niecey]

hi i have a 3 month old pup and we have started using a crate which has really help with her training to go outside to do her buisness but every morning we get up and she has pooed in her bed. i read that when dogs are in there crate they wont do things in there bed but mine is. we even bought a spray to stop them from doing so but it seemed to make her do it all over her bed. so does anyone have any ideas how to stop this??

[meaty]

Well firs 3 months they are like babies Ive got 3 dogs a collie golden retever and black lab and they ate every thing and left puddles all over they do grow out of it even though sometimes you think they wont. Just dont loose your temper with them because youl make them scared to go to the toilet and they will end up ill.
But when she doese do a poo outside praise her so much and give her treats then she will realise yeahh if I go outside I get a treat
Good luck

[ganesh]

She is probably desperate and can't do it anywhere else,they don't normally soil their own 'nest',but maybe she can't help it.
I am housetraining mine at the moment and she's getting there but we still have a puddle usually in the morning.
She's still a baby so be patient,I guess you wouldn't expect a human baby to have the 'control'to not do something in the nappy overnight.
My only suggestion would be to change the feeding times so that she doesn't need to poo in the night or early morning. Mine gets her last meal at 6pm (3 meals a day still?) and she goes out in the garden last thing before bed at aound 11pm.
Good luck.

[winny]

3 months is a bit early to expect it to go all night their little baldder and bowel not up to it yet. Try using a litter tray so if she is cut short she can go without making a mess. I would certainly not use the crate as a fail safe cus she wont poo in it cus if she is desperate she will. Then you have a habit to break. My lab used to mess her bed and I had a devil of a job stopping her and she still does it occasionally and I never have figuered out why. 3 months is still a baby where these things are concerned although simple stuff like sit come and not jumping up should begin now. You will find as ganesh says as your feed times change so will the poo frequency and it will solve itself. If the pup is clean all day and most of the time then it is obviously not a generally dirty dog so im sure if it could hold on it would. Hang in there and keep the detox and kitchen roll handy for a bit longer and stay calm. Good luck.

[lankeela]

Is the crate big enough? You need to have a bed at the back and newspaper or puppy pads at the front, so the pup can come to the front and poo on the paper. A 3 month old puppy is still very much a baby and cannot be expected to hold it all night if it needs to go.

Gradually you will find that there are some nights when there is no poo, try setting your alarm an hour earlier and try to catch it before it has gone. It could be that the pup is only going just before you get up.

I hate to think what you are spraying, but please don't, as you will end up with a neurotic dog that is scared in case it poos.

[Taran]

Do you lock the pup in the crate on a nightime ? Try leaving it open and putting some paper near the door , then the pup will be able to use that instead of its bed. You will get a few puddles , but eventually the pup will go through the night.

[Annlinda]

My routine with my 4 month old....last feed of day 8pm outside for pee/ poo
10.30pm - 11pm out in garden pee/ poo play etc
Then bedtime in crate.
5.30am-6am get up pup usually awake outside in garden for pee. Goats milk drink then first feed of day about 8am
2nd feed 12.30 walk
3rd feed 4pm - 4.30 walk
Are you leaving your baby too long? Don't forget they only have tiny little bladders. Must make sure that puppy empties itself before bed.DO NOT use sprays..god knows damage you can do to delicate eyes, noses and mouths.

[ganesh]

Sounds like a lovely routine for your pup Annlinda (aargh 5.30 start?!!!)
I don't get up till 7 so I'm not surprised at the puddle in the morning (or should I say 'lake'- small bladders eh?)
I agree about the sprays-I sprayed my previous dog when she was on heat a long time ago and she would run for cover every time I got a pledge can out!! Everything you do now will have an effect on her later,so be patient. (that's what I'm telling myself anyway)

[niecey]

thanks for all the kind help. i will certainly stop using the dog spray and try what you have all told me. since posting i have been getting up at 6am trying to catch her before she does it and so far shes still doing it even tho she goes for last toilet about 11.30pm and last meal is 5pm. i understand about her being so young but as its my first dog you dont know anything till you have tried. once again thanks for all the help x

[Annlinda]

Good luck with her. I know its very frustrating when you do all you can think of and still don't get results. Thats dogs for you. Hope all goes well, its early days

[ganesh]

Just a thought but is she eating too much-is she a labrador?

[niecey]

no shes a collie/alsation. she has 3 small meals which the vet told me to do so now what im doing is making the tea time feed a bit earlier to 4.45 then i can make sure that her bowel is empty before going to bed but at the moment im just going to keep on top of it and hopefully she will grow out of it ( fingers crossed lol) at least with the better weather coming i can have my back door open all day and she can come and go as she please unless she keeps eating my plants lol