Need opinions - puppy peeing in crate!

[Megan York]

Ok guys! Need your opinions. Walter is almost 17 weeks. He has been doing wonderfully with his housetraining. No accidents in weeks. When I'm making quick trips out I will even leave him out in the house, with no problems. He goes to work with me every day and has full run of my office and a crate to nap in if he chooses.He'll go 4-5 hours at a time inside without asking to go outside. However, the few times I have had to crate him for evenings out, I'll come home to a wet crate. Max I am gone is between 4-5 hours. What do you think the problem is?

He also still sleeps in his crate for 8 plus hours each night.

Opinions please!

[Sarah and Willow]

Does he have separation anxiety? Our adult mini schnauzer will pee in the house when left alone too much. He has terrible SA, he greets my boyfriend like a maniac (schnauzer came with the bf as a package deal) and is glued to him when we get back. Point being, he can go all day w/out wanting out when we're here, but if we leave for a couple hours he usually pees.

[Megan York]

That is sort of the direction my mind was going. He won't pee if he's left out loose in the house. It's only in his crate. So I'm wondering if maybe between going to work with me and not ever having much alone time in his crate, he's just not used to it and gets anxious?

[Sarah and Willow]

Here's an article... Our schnauzer has gotten a lot better with his anxiety ever since I added our Doodle Willow into the mix.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/separation_anxiety.html

[Sarah and Willow]

Sorry if my answers are short, I'm typing on this darn iPod. But I'm no expert on SA, and that article was disheartening when I read it. They seemed to really push medicating..
But he is still young, Willow used to cry when I left her to go to work, it broke my heart! But she is almost 5 months old and she does so good in her crate now! Maybe some more alone time would be a good idea. In one of my puppy books, Dr. Ian Dunbar said one the most important lessons to teach your puppy is how to be alone and away from you. Although don't quote me on that! I read so many books prior to getting my puppy I could be getting this one confused ;)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Do you have the area too large?   If a pup can go to the other end of the crate, they will pee out of the area they are sleeping in.

Can you section off a smaller area? Just enough to lay down is all he needs

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I used fans facing the opposite direction ( never put it directly on a dog with a crate that is in a corner), the television, or a radio may help if you truly think it is anxiety.

Again, check how much room you are leaving him to roam around in as they WILL go in a corner.

And I caution you about leaving your dog out of his crate for your brief errands. You can never trust that he wont get into something dangerous and you wont be there. It is dangerous at this young age

[Megan York]

He's in a crate with just enough room for him to turn around and lie down. So I don't think it's a sizing issue. And I have a white noise machine in the room. Maybe I'll try leaving the TV on next time? Maybe it would help him to hear voices.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

My first thought is to try crating Walter for periods of time during the day. Once he's use to that, leave the house for short periods while he's crated. Gradually increase the time. The idea is to start with very short periods like 10 min., and increase by 10 min. each time. He'll come to know that you'll always return and won't be so anxious about your leaving.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Megan ~ I just saw your post and my suggestion is that you give him more room.  When Beau was younger he did the same thing.  After I gated off an area in our bathroom and put his crate in and left the door open, he slept in his crate and if he had to pee, he went in the corner.  I did put down a pee pad just in case and he did not always pee, but when he did, he had a place to go without being stuck in the crate!  Generally they do not want to soil their sleeping area.  Is this happening at night, or during the date and how long is he being crated?