Help with dogs & crates?

[Blenheim]

I have a 10 month old dog. He''s been pretty much housebroken for a while, although he has the very occasional accident. He''s now too big for the crate that we got him as a puppy, so we just bought him a larger one a couple of days ago. So far, he keeps trying to get into our spare room and lie down in his old crate (which we put there to store it for now), and I keep catching him walking into his new crate just to urinate. He''s urinated in it at least two or three times today, and I''m not quite sure what to do. Each time, I''ve thrown the wet crate pad into the laundry and washed out the crate with cleaning solution specifically made to get dog scents out of things, so that dogs don''t recognize the smell of urine and want to mark it. So I don''t think that the smell is the problem.

Does anyone have any advice? We generally put him in the kitchen with his crate and water and toys when we leave the house, but we''ll need to actually crate him some when we visit family over the holidays.

 

[monarch64]

Oh, so sorry to hear you''re having this issue... I''m not really sure what advice to give you, but I would think maybe you''d want to put the old crate somewhere (even though storage space is a problem) where your puppy can''t find it?

Usually the recommendation when beginning crate training is to buy one big enough for the puppy to "grow" into...and while it is still small you can sort of blockade off part of it so the puppy doesn''t use one section to sleep in, and another to urinate in. Since you didn''t do that, though, I don''t really know what to tell you! Hopefully he will figure out that the new crate is another safe place and get used to it. I think he might be marking it to make sure no other animals could possibly use it, and to make sure it has his scent in it before he makes himself comfortable there. If you can stand it, can you maybe use less cleaning solution and just wipe it down with dish soap and a wet towel until he gets comfortable sleeping in it? Maybe put his toys in there and try to make him understand that it''s not for peeing in?

 

[Blenheim]

Thanks, Monarch. We''re trying to keep the door to the spare room closed, but it''s where we''re storing Xmas gifts and the couple of times when FI has gone in there to wrap them Dylan just makes a bolt for his old crate. I might go ahead and move it to the basement tomorrow.

We thought that the old crate was big enough to grow into. His mom is 10 lbs and his dad is 14 lbs, and he''s now a whopping 25 lbs. Whoops.

 

[goldenstar]

Maybe you can try putting his food and water bowls in the new crate so he''ll get used to the fact that its not for using the bathroom. He won''t want to pee where his food is. Then after a while feed him in his regular place and see if that helped.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 12/18/2006 1:41:09 AM
Author: Blenheim
Thanks, Monarch. We''re trying to keep the door to the spare room closed, but it''s where we''re storing Xmas gifts and the couple of times when FI has gone in there to wrap them Dylan just makes a bolt for his old crate. I might go ahead and move it to the basement tomorrow.

We thought that the old crate was big enough to grow into. His mom is 10 lbs and his dad is 14 lbs, and he''s now a whopping 25 lbs. Whoops.

OHhhhhh, I hear ya. Nice suprise, huh?! Ya just never know...

err, can''t scroll down...last poster says try putting his food and water in the crate, and I''m agreeing with that! Although our new puppy has had "accidents" right next to her food and water bowls on the kitchen tile (we leave her gated in the kitchen with her crate open while we''re gone...

This might just require some patience Blennie. In other words, you might have to deal with Dillon getting used to his new crate the way he wants to, which seems to be peeing in it...hmmm... it just sounds like he''s marking it just in case for now. Maybe that will stop once you make him realize that it''s a safe place by putting his feeding bowls in there.

 

[mrssalvo]

I think it would solve the problem if the smaller crate "disappeared." I''d guess your puppy still thinks of it has home and it''s a territorial type thing going on. No crate, no problem right?

 

[crowmama]

He misses his old crate, poor little guy! I''d try the following:

1) put the old crate right next to the new crate
2) favorite toy, blankie and food/water in the new crate
3) less favorite toys in the old crate as "storage"

This way, he has both, and I think that eventually he''ll favor the larger crate, since he won''t be able to squeeze into the old one. You''ll be able to take away the smaller crate and store it after Xmas.

Keep us posted!

 

[widget]

I like Wallermama''s idea....let him move when he''s ready.

Is the crate only for sleeping? Maybe he just prefers small cramped snuggly (and secure feeling) spaces.....no accounting for taste!

widget

 

[mtrb]

We have never used a crate with my dog. We just gate her into the kitchen and hallway which is hardwood (closing all of our bedrooms and bathroom).
Why not just take it away and put a regular old dog bed and some toys in the kitchen? Dogs are like children. You just have to train them and they will adapt, usually much easier than children too.. The key is just don't baby the dog.
Just crate the dog when you travel if that is a concern.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/18/2006 8:10:21 AM
Author: crowmama
He misses his old crate, poor little guy! I''d try the following:


1) put the old crate right next to the new crate

2) favorite toy, blankie and food/water in the new crate

3) less favorite toys in the old crate as ''storage''


This way, he has both, and I think that eventually he''ll favor the larger crate, since he won''t be able to squeeze into the old one. You''ll be able to take away the smaller crate and store it after Xmas.


Keep us posted!

I think this is a good plan! If it doesn''t work, just get rid of the old crate completely (sell it on craigslist or something).

 

[gail013]

Our dog trainer told me that dogs will pee only in area''s that they don''t see as theirs-that is why when they pee somewhere, they usually do it when no one is around, or in an area they don''t go into alot. I would also try putting a treat or two in there, and let him wander into it on his own-maybe start out by putting the crate in an area that you are in, so he feels comfortable in there.

I understand about him being larger than he was supposed to be! Is your dog a mixed breed? Our vet has told us there is no guarantee with dog size when you mix breeds, and that the size of the parents is immaterial! Our dogs are supposedly terrier, poodle, and schnauzer, but they are about 10 lbs larger then they were supposed to be. I signed up for the 15-18 lb ers. Love em anyway.

Good luck!

 

[Mara]

hmmm well it''s tough to know what is going to work exactly, but the new crate should just be large enough for him to feel comfy in. nt too big, not too small.

i''d also move the old crate out of the house. i''d put him in a room and close the door then hustle the crate out and into the basement so he doesn''t see it. then a few minutes later, let him out, open up the spare room door and he''ll see the crate is gone.

do you crate him at night? you might want to start doing that with the new crate...because he obviously doesn''t see it as his own space. i''d start putting him in the crate maybe for a few minutes during the day a few times a day, and then crate him at night or similar...and also put a blanket he loves or his sleeping pad and some toys in there too. i think it''s hard to introduce a new item like a crate if he doesn''t really use it that much...because yeah he might be like ''hey what''s this?''.

anyway good luck. i''m sure over time if you keep doing positive things with the crate then it''ll work out. you may also want to start putting treats in his new crate and let him go in there and get them and eat them. so maybe he''d also associate the crate with food rather than pee. hehee.

 

[Christa]

Just kind of agreeing with some things that have already been said: get the old crate completely out of the house, and put his food and water in the new one at least temporarily, until he gets used to thinking of it as his, and crate him (in the new crate, of course!) at night.

Our dog sort of outgrew the need for a crate, but when he was younger is totally saved him from the pound!

And dogs don't see them as a "cage" like we do--more of a cozy den. I always recommend crate training to people getting new puppies.

 

[Blenheim]

Thanks for all of the advice! I fed him in the crate this morning, and when I got home it was clean (except for some dog hair, so I know that he was in there at least some). I''m going to continue feeding him in the crate, and have him sleep in the crate for the next few nights.

The new crate isn''t that big, by the way, but it is at least large enough for him to stand up in. His old one hasn''t been for a little while, but he wallks with a crouch to get in it.

We''re getting the old crate out of the house this weekend. It technically belongs to my parents, but they were happy to let us use it as long as we needed it. We''re going to go ahead and return it to them in case they want to use it themselves.

He is a purebred, by the way. Breed standard''s 12-18 lbs. I''m not sure what happened with him. The vet says that he''s a healthy weight, although she prefers cavaliers a little skinnier. She told us not to cut back on food, though, because he''s still a growing boy.

 

[larussel03]

Hey Blen!

I''m sorry you''re having these issues with the doggie--I can''t offer too much help, but if you don''t have storage in your apartment complex, you can store your doggie''s crate in our storage unit in our basement--I''ll make you a key so you can get it if you need it!