3 month old puppy going number 2 in crate

[Dawn Walton]

Hi everyone!  Bentley is doing a great job with house training.   Part of this is because my stepsons live with us and between all of our schedules, someone is almost always home with him to let him out frequently.  He has slept with us since we brought him home.  He sleeps all night with no accidents from 10pm to at least 4:30 am, sometimes even longer.   Because of this schedule, he isn't in his crate very often.  We primarily use the crate when we are all leaving the house.  We have made these trips short...no more than 2 hours, often less.  He has pooped in his cage 4/7 times when we have left him.  He is pretty regimented and we aren't leaving him at a time that he would normally even need to go.   I welcome any thoughts/suggestions.  We bought a snuggle puppy with the heart that beats, have tried a blanket over the crate, left the radio on, etc.....  He still seems to get so freaked out that he has accidents.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think part of the problem is that really wasn't crate trained and he isn't in the crate very often.  Usually we start puppies in a crate and get them used to it.  I crated my guys on and off throughout the day, especially if I was doing something and couldn't watch them.  The always had a bed or blanket and toys in the crate.  When I took them out of the crate we always went right outside to potty.  I used it for about six months until I felt it was safe for them to be out even if I wasn't there.  If you're only using it when you leave the house I really think you may be creating a negative association with the crate.

[Dawn Walton]

Thanks....we have put him in for short periods of time when we are home during the day, but probably not as much as we should.  He has a nice thick mattress in it, a kong with treats inside, and the puppy with the heart beat.  I will make sure we make more of an effort to put him in more when we are home.  He is such a good boy....I don't want him to panic when he goes in there.  I want him to think of it as his den where he wants to be.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I totally agree with Jane--leaving the pup in the crate when you leave the house is not crate training and also the space that he has need to be only big enough for him to lie down in--if he has more room, he will use the extra space as a potty place. And I am not  sure you can really predict when a 3 month old pup has to go--they go all the time! Eating those treats in the kong could trigger it --And if they are anxious, then that can also trigger the need to make a bowel movement.

Start over before it is too late--follow the crate training regimen so that you can use the crate when you need to in the future. If he is asleep, he is in the crate--no exceptions. He can also eat his meals in the crate and get new toys or treats in the crate--make it his happy place that way...also a big thick mattress may make him too hot--just a thin towel or two might actually be more comfortable. If he is crying in the crate and you know his needs have been met, ignore it--and then reward him when he quiets down. Lots of work, but well worth it.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I also agree with Jane. Crate training begins the day you bring your puppy home, while you are at home, with the crate door open until the puppy becomes accustomed to it and enjoys playing in there. And as Ginny said, when the puppy is asleep, he/she is in it's crate, no exceptions. One thing that helped both my doodles as puppies in crate training was using the CD "Music Pets Love: While You Are Gone". It became a kind of cue to them to settle and nap/sleep in their crate. I played it at no other time but during crating.

Also, you may not have the luxury, but I didn't leave either doodle alone in the house (crate or not) for several weeks.

Lastly, you'll want to clean the crate thoroughly with an enzyme type cleaner to remove 100% of any residual smell, as even the smallest hint of odor from previous accidents can prompt a puppy to to it again.

I keep editing this post as I remember more about crate training. I love sharing this short video of Lucy on her first full day home with us. 

Find more videos like this on DoodleKisses.com

[Dawn Walton]

We moved the location of the crate tonight thinking he may be a little more likely to explore on his own in this location.  He just laid down on the floor and fell asleep.  Would you pick him up and put him in the crate?  I know that someone said that anytime he is sleeping, he should be in the crate.

[Ginny Nightingale]

YES! pick him up and close him into the crate---the best time to get him used to it is when he is too tired to care...if you leave him on the floor and just look away for a minute, he might get up and pee someplace and then go back to sleep--the crate will help prevent that.

[Dawn Walton]

I love the video!  Thanks for sharing!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

For Ned, we put the crate in our bedroom and used it at night and when we had to leave. We didn't have any issues with it.  One of our other dogs never got used to the crate and just freaked out every time he was in it, so we used an ex-pen when we had to leave him and put him on our bed at night.  That worked for us.