# Crate problems.



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I've posted this in the puppy section, but I realized it's probably more appropriate for the training session.

Simply put, my 7 week old puppy has issues with being put in her crate during the day. At night she sleeps about 6-7 hours undisturbed. She'll go into the crate during the day to eat, drink, get toys, and even nap. In fact, she's sleeping in there right now happy as a clam.

However, when she is awake and I need to crate her, she goes insane. I know puppies get upset and I was ready for that, but what I wasn't ready for was the pooping. Every time I put her in the crate during the day and close the door, she poops EVERYWHERE in about 5-10 minutes. I always make sure she has peed and pooped within an hour of her going in her crate. I have her crate covered, toys inside, and I occasionally put treats in there so she associates it with good things.

So is the pooping thing just from stress? Is it normal, or is it something I may have to be worried about? I have currently moved her crate to another location which is very den-like, and I'm basically starting over with the crate training.

I moved the partition so she has only about enough space to turn around in. I think I had it too big before.

Any help would be great. She's so good otherwise, I guess something was bound to come up.


----------



## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

I don't really think that the pooping part is normal, but it could be that she is just overly stressed. She is probably upset since she can hear you, but she can't see you since her crate is covered. My pup used to hate being put in the crate when we first got him and he would cry and howl, but he eventually stopped if just ignored him and now he doesn't mind his crate at all. We have never had problems with pooping in the crate, so I don't have any real advice, but hopefully someone else will!


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Oh yes, and I don't think the pooping thing is an intestinal issue. Her fecal test came back negative, and her poops outside are well formed and normal looking.


----------



## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

It definitely sounds like a stress reaction since her fecal exam came back okay. It even sounds like it could be a case of separation anxiety.


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

jwemt81 said:


> It definitely sounds like a stress reaction since her fecal exam came back okay. It even sounds like it could be a case of separation anxiety.


Yeah, that's my worry. God, she's only 7 weeks. I didn't realize separation anxiety could start so early. The last dog I tried adopting had severe separation anxiety to the point where I could no longer care for her (escape crate, ran away, destroyed the house, hated being inside), so this really sucks.


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

I did the same thing when I first started crate training. I bought the wire crate that grows with the dog. I had the divider too big. They should only have enough room to stand up and turn around that is it. Your dog won't poop if it thinks it has to lay in it.

How often is your dog in the crate per day?


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Bailey & Bentley said:


> I did the same thing when I first started crate training. I bought the wire crate that grows with the dog. I had the divider too big. They should only have enough room to stand up and turn around that is it. Your dog won't poop if it thinks it has to lay in it.
> 
> How often is your dog in the crate per day?


Right now, not very often. Maybe, uh, 20 minutes a day in 5-10 minute increments.

I would like to think it's just the divider, but she seems to have no issue with smearing the poo all over herself. I think she gets in her crate, gets nervous, and it just... comes out. :yuck:


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

kdmarsh said:


> Right now, not very often. Maybe, uh, 20 minutes a day in 5-10 minute increments.
> 
> I would like to think it's just the divider, but she seems to have no issue with smearing the poo all over herself. I think she gets in her crate, gets nervous, and it just... comes out. :yuck:


 
My dogs would be covered in it too. Which was wierd. Has she still pooped since you made her space smaller?


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Bailey & Bentley said:


> My dogs would be covered in it too. Which was wierd. Has she still pooped since you made her space smaller?


I haven't locked her in her crate yet since I've made it smaller. She took a long, long nap in her crate with the door semi-open about an hour and a half ago.

She's fine in the crate when she is asleep. But if I put her in it and she's awake, all hell breaks loose. : She's a feisty little girl.


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

So you need to crate her while you are at work? I would just put mine in before I left. Sometimes I think it is harder to keep them in the crate while you are around because they don't understand and want to be with you. I found it easier for all of us to just put them in the crate before I left and they did fine like that. But that is me.:


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Yeah. I've decided I'm just being neurotic about all this. I'm going to not crate her while I'm around, and when I leave I'll just put her in and leave. If she wants to go nuts, she can go nuts. I think my frustration and anxiety about it is rubbing off on her, so I need to take a chill pill and relax about this.


----------



## Reels (Jan 4, 2009)

Puppy will probably love baths later getting use to being cleaned young. 

How old was the pup when it came home?


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

She was 7 weeks to the day. The breeder thought that was a good time for puppies to come home as opposed to the usual 8 weeks.

Anyways, I saw a trainer today who helped me at least address this problem. She says it sounds like separation anxiety but also a little bit of fear of the crate. So I'm going to have her help me out.


----------



## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Can you let me know what she says about the seperation anxiety? My daughter is having problems with her 5 year old dog. Thanks!!


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I private messaged you, Amy.


----------



## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

thanks Kim! I wrote back


----------



## tuscany (Jan 2, 2009)

A tip someone told me was to play soothing type music on a radio while she is happy/in a good mood & then play it again when she is in crate - the sound association may help. 

Also make sure she has had alot of excercise before crating & she will be tired & not bother crying too much. Does she like the Kong chew toys ? You could put one inside her crate that has little kibbles inside to keep her busy for awhile & happy. Good Luck!


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Oh, we have tried everything so far - a clock, radio, night light, stuffed toys, kong... but if we put her in there during the day and close that door... BAM!

Our breeder says it's simply stress and we should put her in the crate and let her out just before we think she's going to poo, take her out, let her poo, and put her back in. But since I don't know the intricate workings of her intestinal system, that is very hard to accomplish.


----------



## Cratemail (Nov 6, 2008)

I have kept Duncan out of the crate when we are home, taking him with me wherever I am going in the house. When we go to bed, or leave the house, in the crate he goes. We play music for him and there is a small light on too. He has had a few #2 mistakes in the crate, especially overnight. We've moved the divider in the crate (think we had given him a little too much room at first), but he did have a mistake again last night. He is going outside regularly and we remove water about 7:30 pm - putting him in the crate around 11. He only cries for a few minutes now, then settles. I'm with you, don't really know why he goes since he has been outside (every 30 minutes) and goes there each time and can't yet read his signals. Even though we are trying too! I know that he is still very little and he is trying so hard to please us, so I have hope that this will be a short lived problem. Hang in there!


----------



## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

Sorry I know this is a really old post but I am getting desperate! Just wondering what happened with your dog pooping in the crate. My puppy is almost 5 months old and she never has accidents in the house but if I put her in the crate for 5 minutes during the day she poops every time! She sleeps in her crate every night about 8 hrs with no problems. I can leave the house for 3hrs and come home with no problems. It is only when I am home. I only put her in if I need to have her out of the way for a few minutes other than that she is always out during the day. Example I just wanted to mop the kitchen floor without her attacking the mop! I was thinking it might be stress because she wants to be with me. If you were able to stop this please give me some tips or do I just have to wait until she gets older! Thanks!


----------

