Ok so she's still toileting in her crate- argg!!

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shadowboy

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About a week ago I posted regarding my 4 month pup using her crate as a toilet. We did a mega clean up - boiled everything and used special detergents and even washed the pup. All was going well until i woke up this morning to find she's been in her crate again the only thing that is different to the rest of the week is that she was on her vet bed last night- why? Because she cried at midnight which she has done for the last 3 nights so we've let her out for a wee- she does a tiny one probably because she only just went out for final wee's at half 10. So we thought she must be cold- she burst her hot water bottle a few days ago so rather than keeping her on the towels we had her on we thought a vet bed would help keep her warmer.
We had previously noticed she's toilets on squishy bedding before such as a mattress type dog bed and an old cushion - those were binned so all we had left was a set of towels and a vet bed. So the question is how do I get a good nights sleep and yet not have to spend the morning cleaning and washing bedding and crate!!
 
Our current lab took a long time to stop going in her crate, I had suggested to buy a smaller one, but I didn't want the expense. Solved it buy getting up at 5.00 am every morning to start the day and taking her for a wee then. Never had this problem before with our labs, but I had never used a crate before. My husband and I took it in turns to do the last thing at night toilet excursion, it took us back to having a baby!! But it did work.
 
Thanks for your reply- but I don't think it's a time issue as she went out for a wee at midnight and then we let her out at 6am. Over the last week she's been holding it fro 11pm until 6am no problem. The pattern seems to be if she has soft betting in = urinating in her bed. Very little 'harder' bedding = dry. But then she gets cold and cries!
 
I had a similar problem with an Italian Greyhound. Finally solved it by using newspaper as bedding in a very small crate. We also left a nightlight and the radio on low as ours was a nervous problem. Might be worth a try with yours. Maybe she feels anxious on her own so a radio might help that. The World service is good as they they talk all night. Good luck with it.
 
Pamfyson said:
I had a similar problem with an Italian Greyhound. Finally solved it by using newspaper as bedding in a very small crate. We also left a nightlight and the radio on low as ours was a nervous problem. Might be worth a try with yours. Maybe she feels anxious on her own so a radio might help that. The World service is good as they they talk all night. Good luck with it.
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shadowboy, don't laugh at the suggestion of leaving a wireless on at night, it can sometimes have a truly settling effect upon puppies.

I've made no secret of the fact, and previously, that I'm no fan of putting dogs in cages, and within the home, however, for a puppy which is either lazy or slow to make any effort, then containing it would, I'd have thought, actually encourage cleanliness, and would be a positive thing. Within a home, I would never see any need for a hot water bottle for a 4 month old puppy, regardless of the breed. Whether newspaper will help, I wouldn't know, but no harm would be done by trying it.

Failing everything, it may be a case of setting your alarm for 3 or 4 in the morning, and simply getting up and booting your puppy out, for a wee. It sometimes takes a while for the penny to drop!

Good luck!

Alec.
 
Alec, the reason I went down the newspaper route was the fact that my washing machine was working overtime and it was getting me down. I took the view that no matter whether I was cross or not my mood would be picked up (not happy) and would possibly make matters worse. I just chuck the paper away if she wets/fouls and life is easy. Interestingly she very quickly improved so maybe the newspaper had a good effect.
 
I think I may have to try this - I'm so glad to hear it's not just me having a problem with a crate soiler.

Mine is four months old - her routine is that she goes to bed about 10 - then my hubby gets her out again around 12 or 1 for her last wee. I'm up at 5 and she gets out again then. Now and again she'll have a wee or even a poo - though the latter is rare. BUt yeah, laundry like mad!

I use a terry cloth bath mat in her crate - think I might just take it out and leave her with metal bottom and her basket.
 
Pamfyson said:
Alec, the reason I went down the newspaper route was the fact that my washing machine was working overtime and it was getting me down. .......
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I've no argument with you. If paper works, then that's what we do! :wink3: Paper is only a tool, it wont be the answer. Puppies are fine, once we've worked out how to deal with them!

Alec.
 
I don't like cages either have you left the door open and put some newspaper near your outside door so she can make an effort to get there. If your leaving her in the cage she has little choice but to go there.
 
We put the towel back in last night and she's been dry again. To me this confirms it's not a time issue but a lazy ness- I can go when I want on a soft item issue. Last night she had last wees at 11pm and then at half 4am and no problem- looks like she has to sleep on a towel
 
Was waiting to see how this panned out...interesting! My dog sleeps on a towel or a fleece...different reason...anything stuffed needs de-stuffed, immediately...same reason he sleeps in a crate at night, so he doesn't choke on the sofa. And he is in a kennel run during the day (I don't see a massive difference tbh)...and his head hasn't fallen off, with either! Hope she continues to stay dry!
 
My, now old, boy took forever to stop peeing in the kitchen, no matter how late I walked him or how early I woke. Then he became magnificent. Could have a lie-in. No problem, he would hold it in. He is now in his dotage and reverting to being a toddler, peeing when he fancies it in the night. I just make sure there's nothing too difficult to clean that he can aim at.
 
Interesting thread. I've followed this as I have a slightly different problem. My 6 yr old Weimaraner always wets her bed when I go out, whether it is for 15 mins or 4 hrs. She is put into the utility area whilst I'm out with lots of space but will always wet her bed and on occasion poo. It's not because she's left too long, i suspect it's because she's been left. She goes all night without incident. So long as she can sleep on the landing. She howls when left alone but leaving her the run of the house isn't an option as she likes to raid the fridge. !!
 
I am currently house training the new guard dog, Max, who is now 9 - 10 weeks old. I did think of changing his name to Pissing Pete at one point but he is learning….

In his case, it is a matter of taking him outside, routinely:

(1) After eating.
(2) After a boisterous game.
(3) When he wakes up after a nap during the day.
(4) First thing in the morning (7 - 8am) -- his last pee is at 12pm.
(5) Every 20 minutes regardless of the above! For some reason, he doesn't seem to want to go in the dark so nights are dry (thank God!).

He definitely prefers to wee on grass and defecates in long grass (as do both dogs). Neither likes to empty onto concrete, although Max will pee on the stone floor in the house if not taken out in time.

A lot of people don't know that dogs often empty TWICE, so don't assume it is all over if they go once.

As I've said on here before, dogs like to lift their heads when emptying so putting a false ceiling over the bed area a little above withers height can deter them from soiling the bed. That worked with a pack of hounds and my gundogs for many years so I can't see why it would not work with a house pet.

6yo Foxy is trained to bark (once) if she wants to go out. It's not difficult to teach and quite useful -- until she thinks there's a fox about at 3am and wants to go and check….
 
Dry Rot said:
A lot of people don't know that dogs often empty TWICE, so don't assume it is all over if they go once.

.
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yes yes!! this!! ^ not only are many pups and young dogs so excited that they only squirt a bit out then get distracted and run about again but many will naturally go more than once anyway which often results in the complaint that they went outside but came in and went again straight in their bed.
 
OP if you believe the pup is cold is your crate covered? When my lurcher was a pup I flung an old horse rug over the top to cut out all draughts, I also put her to bed in her 'jumper' and found she slept through without crying.
 
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