New puppy, pee in crate!!!

[qr409tz8]

I just got a 5 month old puppy from a shelter last week. (Dane/Boxer) He can sleep through the night in his crate with no problems, and he is very good at going potty when I take him outside. Now there are two issues, first if he gets out of sight inside he will go anywhere im not looking. I know what I have to do for that, not let him out of my sight, and then correct him if he starts to go inside. Not easy, but doable. Now the more difficult problem. He recently has gone pee in his crate durring the day a couple times. I come home at lunch to let him out and walk him, so 4 1/2 hours is about all he has to do durring the day, but he dosnt quite make it somtimes. It seems too that once he went in his crate once, he just gave up and decided why bother trying to hold it anymore... Ideas? I was thinking I may have to move to a pen in the kitchen that is papered, Is it reasonable to think he will ever be able to go all day? or should I just plan on making arangements so he can go inside somwhere?

[BabyElephant]

Hi there, my puppy is 3.5 months old now and she lasts all night, if I put her in the crate. Like you I go home at lunchtime and let her out - but I don't put her in a crate during the day - I give her the kitchen to play in. She still pees in the day but I have puppy training pads. These are plastic backed sheets specially scented to attract the puppy to pee on them. Even if I don't put one down, Poppy now pees in the same place if she can't get outside.

She doesn't pee anywhere else in the house, only in the same place in the kitchen. I personally wouldn't put paper anywhere as it doesn't teach them anything, but using the training pads does (in my opinion).

If you don't want him to go in the crate you need to make sure he doesn't have space to pee and then move away from it - ie section off the crate so it's only big enough for him to lay down - that way he will have to lay in his pee - something that he won't want to do. The other thing is you will need to thoroughly wash the bedding (and any other place in the house that he has used) to make sure that there is no trace of his pee smell - otherwise he will keep going there.

I have heard from other people that it is reasonable for them to go all day - but not until they are at least a year old - I'll let you know if I ever get to that stage - lol.

Hope this helps.

[qr409tz8]

Yea I really like the idea of him only going outside and not using pads or paper or things of that nature, but if he isnt going to make it the half day in the crate I dont see any other choice. Im going to try sectioning off his crate a little bit tomorrow, it is a little big for him, but not a ton. We will see what happens with a smaller crate area, but I might have to set up a playpen area in the house somwhere for him durring the day with those pads you talk about.

[BabyElephant]

See how he goes in a smaller crate, then make your mind up. But if you do start using the pads, don't change places of where you put them. Decided on an area, put one down, show it to him and leave it at that.

I don't know where you live but if it's in the USA then those training pads are a ton cheaper than I can get in the UK - price for 100 in the US is the same as what I can get 20 for in the UK - it's just not fair!!!!

[qr409tz8]

yea im in the US, bonus for me

[erdog3]

We are actually working on a puppy crate training prob link in the training links sticky at the top of this forum.
There are many threads back in the archives about this particular problem. I will work on bringing them back up and putting them in the sticky over the next couple of days.

[qr409tz8]

A stickey of that nature would be excelent. This morning I cut up a big cardboard box and sectioned off about 1/3 of the crate leaving him only 2/3's of what he previously had. So im currious what the situation is at lunch, I figure he will either have held it because of the smaller space, gone in his crate anyway, or eaten the cardboard box. I have a feeling the last is the most likley.

[Moo]

I'm one that's completely against using paper or pad detours, but whatever works for you... First off, do a good cleaning of the inside of the crate. Use Natures Miracle or something of the sort to neutralize the smell (not Lysol or something that 'covers' the smell).

Now, the cardboard... not sure if that will work. Cardboard soaks up moisture and smells and can be knocked down easily. I used a bunch of plastic bricks and crammed them into the back to block off the back (No clue why I had plastic bricks)

[qr409tz8]

Well the cardboard divider seems to be working, he dosnt go in the crate anymore, however my wife was suposed to go home at lunch today to let him out, and got busy at work and didnt, that means he will have been in the crate for about 9 and a half hours!!! Dont know yet if he made it or not, but the poor puppy!!!

[Dax]

Bad mommy - poor puppy (and that's the comment from the peanut gallery). It happens - no biggy. If he didn't hold it - guess you've got a puppy to wash and crate to clean.