3 Year Old Making in the house still

[interich]

I have a three year old Italian Greyhound. He was house broken for a while. Out of now where he started making in the house. He always goes in the same spot. Mostly when we are not home. I work from home so I am here most of the time. I put his dog food and toys in the spot where he makes but he just picks another spot to go in the house. Can you crate train a dog that is 3 years. is it to late. He gets so much attention and love. Plenty of toys and socialized with other dogs. We have a dalmtian also to keep him company. please help

[Dax]

First I would ask if you have had him checked out physcially. Whenever there is a change like this it could be a sign of an illness like infection, thyroid, etc. That would be the first thing I would check.

You can go back to crate training a dog at any age. There are several good threads about crate training. My favorite is the Puppy Potty pen. You can find a link to it in the Training Section stuck to the top.

[Moo]

What Dax says.

Yes, check with the vet for bladder issues first... And there is nothing bad about crating at any age.

[interich]

Hi,
He is ok. the vet checked him out. He will last the whole night and not pee. He won't do it when we are there. It is when we leave for 4 hours or more that is makes. We can't catch him to correct the problem. I told my wife I would like crate train him so he is in the crate wshen we are gone. but she thinks it is separation anxiety And it is cruel to put him in a craqte if he is panicing. let me know some help

[Dax]

It doesn't really sound like separation anxiety to me unless he also is destructive when you are gone. Has he been destroying stuff, ripping apart toys? There are a couple of things I would try before crating (although it is what I recommend) so see if it makes a difference.

In the morning - don't just put him out for 15 mins to do his business. Take him for a 1/2 hour around the block. Let him mark to his heart's content. Do this for a week and see if there is any improvement.

Go to the Petstore and buy a really good "pet stain/smell" eliminator. Spray any area really well.

Limit him to certain areas of the house like a kitchen that can be easily cleaned.

Make him earn the privledge of spending the day anywhere in the house.

[GretaJack]

It is a bit confusing at first to start to crate a three year old. You are going to have them act like a pup that is first away from mom and their littermates. Antsy, whiny, and confused. But it shouldn't take long before your dog accepts the crate just fine. But the dog in the crate and ignore him. If you make a fuss about him making a fuss, you are only encouraging the behavior. Don't make a big ordeal about putting him the crate or leaving. Just make it part of your routine. And same thing when you come home. Don't make it an ordeal. Quietly let the dog out of the crate, let him outside to potty and then your fun time begins.

In my experience, if your dog is suffering from SA, the behavior is present whether you crate him or leave him free ranging in the house. The dog doesn't change his behavior because he is in the crate. I am currently dealing with a dog that has SA and we have made remarkable improvements over the last month. If you have ? feel free to ask, not sure if I have the answers but I can try to help.