I'm stumped.

[Mandy & Benny]

Hi all.  I've got a few coexisting issues that I'm unsure how to deal with, so I thought I'd see if I can get some input.  I've had Benny for five weeks now.  Three of those weeks he's been on antibiotics for a severe UTI.  The vet is also having me mix prescription food in with his regular food to see if that will decrease the excessive crystals in his urine.  Obviously all of this has been a wrench thrown into the process of housebreaking him.  Benny had been doing much better with the potty training after a couple weeks of the antibiotics, but within the last five days he's started a new habit- peeing in his crate.  Even when he was at his worst with the infection he didn't do this.  But now, EVERY single time I put him in there- whether its for 15 minutes or 4 hours- I return to a puddle.  I've made the crate small enough that he has just enough room to lay down, so I didn't figure he would want to sit in it.  It seemed like at first he was peeing on any type of soft material, so I removed his blanket and all of his soft toys.  Now even his hard plastic toys are swimming, and when I came home yesterday his ears were dripping wet, and he was just covered in it.  I've had to give him a bath every day for the last five days- and he hates baths.  

I'm not sure which way to go with this.  I truly believe the infection has been taken care of, he doesn't have to go to pee nearly as often as he had been previously.  He still goes frequently, but I'm guessing that's just the puppy in him, and if he's out of his crate and roaming around, 80% of the time he lets me know he has to go out.  I do work an erratic schedule, different every week, anywhere from 9-12 hr shifts.  While I'm gone I have people stop by to let him out, usually twice a day.  They, too, have never had a problem with him going to the bathroom in his crate until this week.  Do you think he's doing this because he's annoyed with being in there?  Related to the UTI?  Just a puppy phase?   The little darling is costing me a fortune in paper towels and Nature's Miracle.  I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions before I resort to hanging a "free puppy" sign around his neck.  Thanks! :-)

[Mandy & Benny]

That's a good idea, I'm going to look into that.  I guess I got a bit confident with how long I could leave him- a couple of weeks ago the person who was going to let him out while I was working got held up someplace and Benny was in his crate for almost 7 hours and had no accidents at all.  He went about five days with no accidents in or out of the crate before all of this started again.  I feel awful that I have to be away so long during the day- I'm sure it's not helping. :-(

[Bob Johnston]

You may want to look into getting a floor for the crate that way I he does have an accident he isn't sitting in it at all and you can put newspaper on the tray to soak up any accidents. We have had one in sophies crate since she was a puppy even tried to take it out after the house breaking phase was over but she wont sleep with out it in there. I think it keeps her cooler because it lets air move all around her. this is the one we use the spaces on ours are small enough her feet cant get caught or her nails. http://www.petsupplies.com/item/midwest-folding-dog-crate-floor-gri... our crates are made by Midwest. Even if you have to use it short term it may help a lot.

[Mandy & Benny]

Thanks for the link.  I'm going to look into this- that looks like a definite possibility.