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I have a 9 week old lab puppy. He has been with me for a week and I have started crate training. He NEVER pee's in his crate but he poop's in it sometimes 2x a night. I thought it was b/c the crate was too big and he was in the kitchen. So I got a smaller crate and put him in the bedroom crying has stopped but he still poops in the kennel then cries to get out. I thought that maybe I was missing him crying not hearing him but that isn't the case. I just moved him into the large kennel in the kitchen last couple of nights no crying at all but still pooping in the crate. Tonite he is currently in the crate sleeping I'm in the other room on the computer. I hear him stirring so I take a look it looks like he is just changing positions then next thing he is squatting to poop at the front on the crate. I yell out no he pinches it off and I take him outside where he runs to his spot in the yard and finishes then pee's. He is now back in the crate. So he doesn't even attempt to cry before to be let out. Instead he goes then throws a fit to get him outta there. What should I do? Wake up every 2 hours and wake him up to go outside????
Advice appreciated.

did your crate come with a divider?

The pup basically needs enough space to get up, turn around and lay down. Nothing more. If he is restling around and squatting it sounds like he has too much space.

You should watch my video I posted here with my crate trained dog.

Maverick,

Your puppy is likely making a signal that you are missing. I had this issue with Abby when I first got her. She had to pee / poop and would start pacing ... took me about 3 mistakes to realize she WAS giving me a signal, I was simply clueless.

In response to your question ... YUP ... haul that butt out of bed every 2 hours! It sucks big time, but hey, at least it's summer (I had to do it in March, in downtown Ottawa, and I lived in an apartment building ... and had to get up, get dressed, run down four flights of stairs, stand outside, smoke a cigarette, get Abby to do her business, back upstairs ... sleep for another 2-3 hours, and back up again!)

Let me tell you, by the time she was 4 months old I was the crankiest woman on the planet, but she was finally totally trained!

Good luck!

marion

I know about the divider etc this is why I got the much smaller crate he only has enough room to turn around when he's sleeping stretched out he is touching both ends of the crate. He went to the washroom even in the small crate!?!?! I am totally perplexed by this as my frist dog would sleep thru the night til 5am then cry to get out right from 8 weeks.
This guy seems to get it only in the morning last night 2x poo's in the kennel then at 5:50 am he cries I get up take him out all business done outside. Maybe he is just so tired he doesn't want to get up? I even set my alarm for 2 hrs from his last accident. Go figure he cried and had already gone just 15mins before my alarm went off.
I am completely at a loss as is my mom who has now crate trained 4 pups and this is the first guy to do this.

I would just continue getting up to let him up, and let him know it's bad when there's been an accident. Keep in mind that it's only been a week, and with potty training, some dogs catch on faster than others. Is there a chance that he could still smell where he went before and associate that with his place to go? Either way keep up the consistency with taking him out, etc. Start using a key word when taking him out to his spot, like it's time to go potty, etc. Good luck!

I've been lucky and not had that problem so I am just making a suggestion...what about feeding him earlier in the day? Do you feed him at night? Or perhaps a good walk just before bedtime would get everything "out" of his system before sleeping.

Good luck!

We have a 2 year Old English sheep dog that we have had for 6 weeks. We also have a 5 year old cockapoo we have had for 4 years. When I got Molly (OESD) we started to crate both of them as they would not stay off the furniture when we were at work. We have been crating them for over 3 weeks and Molly still barks and carries on when she is put in her crate. She generally goes into the crate ok but then it starts, you can hear her from outside. I do feed them both in their crates. We need help and I'm sure our neighbours would also appreciate us getting her under control.

Ok, I "bought" (read "rescued" this 8 month old Redbone Coonhound from a "breeder" who claims to have really liked the dog etc. Anyway, that is a whole other story but I am basically starting potty training with an 8 month old dog who has never done anything in her life. She just goes in her crate at night to sleep. I always take her for a short walk before bed and she pees. But this past week, she has been peeing in her crate. I am shocked because I thought a dog would NEVER pee in their bed. Now I do have blankets in there, but perhaps I should take them out?

She has tried to do both numbers in the house a number of times and we have caught her almost every time. I am willing to keep working on that but I am at a loss about what to do with her peeing in her crate!

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Dawn (and Ruby!)