# Need help with house breaking



## ssacres (Sep 29, 2012)

I took my pup out about 4 time per night the first week or so. I know that is hard if you are working. He will get it figured out. I know it can be frustrating the first few weeks. Good luck. :wave:


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

UPDATE: last night I put him in his crate to sleep at 10:45. I woke up at 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 & finally 5:20. he peed almost every time I took him out, but did not poop. however, he did poop in his crate between 2-3. so what am I supposed to do? wake up every half hour now?


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Is he calm and sleeping soundly in his crate? I don't have a lot of experience with puppies, Liza is my second, but both girls hardly ever woke up during the night. The only time Liza wanted out several times at night was when she had a UTI and Tess when she had diarrhea. Other than that, they always slept from about 11.00 until 5.30. But they loved the crate (Liza still sleeps in it). Usually when puppies are asleep, they can hold it longer than during day time. What you are describing seems a lot...


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

I feel for you!!!! Some puppies take easily to house training, some don't.

Question - what time is your last feeding?


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

how big is his crate?


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

Last feeding is between 4 and 4:30pm.

The crate is partitioned off to be just barely bigger than the pup is. He has enough room to lay down and stand up and that's about it


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

You may want to consider a vet check for your pup. Peeing frequently may be an indication of a urinary tract infection and he may need antibiotics. If a pup is not sleeping well at night, sometimes it is because they are hungry, and being awake triggers bathroom activity. If you are feeding him only wet food, consider adding or switching slowly to a dry kibble, it stays with them longer and is more 'compact' nutrient wise than canned which has a lot of water. Suggest working in a third meal during the day, 4:30 pm to 8 am is a long stretch for a young pup without food, perhaps a small meal around 8 pm may help. It may sound counter productive as he is pooping in his crate, but if he is contented, and not hungry, he will sleep better and longer.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

The beginning can always be rough. It must be hard as I have never need to use a divider in my puppies adult size crates to train them. At 9 weeks old they have no understanding of potting outside. Some pups more then others take longer to learn. From what you are saying it seems like he has lots of opportunity. One thing I would suggest is not giving him a treat every time he goes out to potty. Verbal praise and petting should be enough. He may be getting you to take him out more often for food. If I were going to offer food it may be after he poos outside since that is what he needs high reward for right now. In the late evening maybe an hour before I was going to bed I would put the puppy in the crate. Wait about 5 min and without a word take him outside. Let him have a few minutes if he doesn't go poo then back in his crate. Repeat this over and over until he does. This whole time while going in and out you there is no talking to him or paying attention to him. This is serious business not play time. Hopefully your pup who seems to have one more evening poo left will go. If he does praise him and play with him before going in the crate for the night. Never associate going poo as a marker you will be leaving him. He may be holding it so he doesn't have to go to bed and end his day with you. I would also feed a couple of meals in the puppies crate. Dogs usually don't like to potty where they eat. Good luck it is worth it in the end.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I can't be of much help but our daughter/SIL's Poodle-Mix did the same thing. They ended up not crating him. Their thought was, better to clean up poop only on the floor rather than the crate and puppy. I wanted you to know you're not alone with this problem.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Are his poops firm or soft? Kira had some tummy issues as a baby and had that same problem, pooping in her crate in the middle of the night. It was very soft though. We used Natures Farmacy probiotic paste (Link here) at dinner, before bed and any time we took her out in the middle of the night. It definitely worked and got her tummy to calm down so she wasn't pooping in her crate at night.

I think their digestive systems are just immature and it takes time to get them functioning normally.


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## sameli102 (Aug 23, 2009)

The only time I ever had a problem with any of my pups needing to poop during the night was when one had coccidia, it ran through all of them and always seemed to hit them in the middle of the night. Or a stomach upset.

I would have him vet checked to rule out any type of parasitic problem, make sure he's getting a good quality food (without making sudden changes) some foods create more stools. I've never fed wet food so I don't really know what effects that has, does he have to have wet?

Instead of waking him to go out every hour I would put his crate right next to your bed and as soon as you hear him move take him out immediately. Make no fuss or excitement about being up and put him right back to bed, no treats on those outs because he is liable to start waking up wanting that treat.

I'm sure he will outgrow it, hang in there.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I have never had to,get up in the middle of the night with a pup. At that age, they poop sometimes five times daily. I have 12 week old Gabby...she gets up at 6:30, pees and poops. Feed her around 7, then she comes to,work and pees and poops at 8. Out again around 10 to pee. Feed her 12:30 PM, then pees and poops around1:30. Take her out,again around 4, she pees. Get home at5:30, pees, might poop. Eats at six, pees and poops after eating. Then has to,pee several,more times before,bedtime at ten. Lasts until AM. The more active she is, the more she has to pee. She is my tenth golden and I have never had to get up thru the night with one...... All are different and my current pup Gabby has been one of the easiest.....


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

Well we took him to the vet for his first checkup and presented the vet with our problem. He first recommended that we forget about the wet Bil-Jac food the breeder gave us and feed him strictly the blue buffalo dry puppy. He also recommended that we feed him 3 times a day rather than two. We have had him on that schedule for two days now, and well the results have been much of the same. 

Last night he pooped in the kitchen at around 9 (we missed the signs, it was our fault) then took him out at 10:00 and 10:20. I woke up at 11pm to take him out again and he had already pooped in the cage. Unfortunately I think he's starting to eat it too, as there is barely any poop left in the cage by the time we find it. It doesn't even seem like he's trying to hold it. Ugh


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

Well last night I took him outside twice right before putting him in his crate. both times we took him out he just layed down right outside the door (he had a VERY active day and was super tired). So I put him in his crate and walked outside of the room, which was out of his site. I stood there for exactly 10 minutes while he cried and yelped. I waited until he stopped yelping for a minute and walked back into the room. That little son of a B was laying in his own poop. So basically he is pooping immediately after putting him into the crate


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

jasonvs2 said:


> Well last night I took him outside twice right before putting him in his crate. both times we took him out he just layed down right outside the door (he had a VERY active day and was super tired). So I put him in his crate and walked outside of the room, which was out of his site. I stood there for exactly 10 minutes while he cried and yelped. I waited until he stopped yelping for a minute and walked back into the room. That little son of a B was laying in his own poop. So basically he is pooping immediately after putting him into the crate



What kind of bedding or floor cover do you have in the crate? 

I would make sure everything is out and he is one bare floor in the crate.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

To get my dogs to poop as pups, I will often stand stationary and have my pup travel in a circle around me. I find that the circling helps to encourage the pup to poop. I can also tell with Gabby when she has to poop, her anus goes from being dime sized to quarter sized... When that happens, I persist in making her circle me until she poops. If I walk randomly in the yard, she gets too distracted... Also, mine are raised on fleece so sometimes they mistake the crate fleece for a place they should eliminate. I also never play outside with mine until they understand that outside is the toilet. I think between 8 weeks and 12 weeks is the hardest. I have to say Gabby been the easiest pup to housetrain since her great grandma, but before that and in between, I have had some hard ones. Some get it to potty outside, but take a long time to learn not to potty inside...


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## golden_eclipse (Apr 1, 2011)

Sally's Mom said:


> To get my dogs to poop as pups, I will often stand stationary and have my pup travel in a circle around me. I find that the circling helps to encourage the pup to poop.


I do the same thing, it works like a charm. I also try and add a word to it, like "go potty" because when they are older, and I need them to go fast, its very handy if they understand what I want, like at a dog show or in a down pour. 

The crate needs to be by your bed so you know when he is even moving. 

Make sure its very sanitary, bleach the plastic bottom and have nothing else in there. Any tiny smell left over will only hurt your progress. 

I try not to feed late at night, as eating usually excites the digestive process and they need to go right after. But you might try giving a small snack at say 9:30PM and just waiting him out, by being outside, and ignoring him, until he goes, which he will go. But do not play with him or give any bit of attention until he poos for you. 

Feeding in the crate will help the situation it is against a dog's instincts to poop where they eat.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Oh yes, I say go potty or go pee....


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

MGMF said:


> What kind of bedding or floor cover do you have in the crate?
> 
> I would make sure everything is out and he is one bare floor in the crate.


The crate should also be sectioned off so he only has enough room to turn around and lay down. Theoretically dogs should not want to potty where they sleep. It may help.

Also, if you know he it's time for him to poop don't bring him in until he goes. You may end up walking around the yard longer than you like, but if it keeps him from pooping inside it will be worth it.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Feed him a couple of meals in the crate. Dogs usually don't like to potty where they eat.


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

I took the crate out yesterday and scrubbed the whole thing with natures miracle odor remover. After taking him out to poop at 10pm, I woke up to take him out at 2 and he had already pooped in the cage. He already pooped in the cage today too while my wife was at work. (She stops home to let him out at noon) 

This little guy is showing absolutely no signs of improvement at all. And he still has NEVER pee'd in the crate... Only poop. I've tried all your guys suggestions, and I don't know what else to do. He will be 10 weeks old this Friday


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

What is the feeding schedule before you put him in his crate? Maybe getting up earlier to feed him so he has more time to go before you leave for work. Also feeding him dinner early and offer many chances to poo before bed. Lots of walks after meals encourage them to go. Make sure he doesn't get anything that is edible in the crate while you are gone. A good guideline for crate training is one hour for ever month old. At 10 weeks he may need to let out about ever two hours. Depending on what time your wife leaves for work noon may be to long.


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## Cari (Sep 19, 2012)

I would say to give him his last meal earlier in the day so his body has more time to eliminate before bed. It will get better, I promise!


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

it really seems like this **** dog doesnt even try to hold it while hes in the crate. if he has to go he is just gonna go. just again tonight, we took him out at 10:30 brought him in and played with him, took him out at 11, then put him in his crate. I woke up at 12 and he had pooped in the crate and trampled it everywhere. 

he is now pooping in the crate more than he is pooping outside! 4 times he pooped in the crate today. thats 4 times i had to clean him and his crate.

I have completely broken down his crate and taken it outside to hose it off 3 times in the last 3 days. this crate training thing seems pointless. hes not making any progress and im spending about 2 hours a day cleaning poop from his crate.


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## jasonvs2 (Oct 17, 2012)

maybe he doesnt see the crate as his den/home. thats why he doesnt care about pooping in there. any tips, besides feeding him in there, on how to create that home feeling? 

still baffles me why hes never pee'd in there, only poops


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

What is your feeding schedule and time you put times you put him in the crate?


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

When a training method is not working it is time to consider something else. Firstly, get past the idea that he is pooping in the crate on purpose, it is not the puppy's fault. Secondly, make sure you are rewarding him with a couple of tiny treats and lots of praise, when he does poop/pee outside, every time.
Suggest setting up an xpen with crate at one end, potty area at the other. Feed him in or near the crate in the xpen. At the very least he will not have to lay or walk in his poop because he has no choice and it can give him the opportunity to learn to be 'clean'. If he is 'freaking out' in the crate (panicking), the stress/anxiety can cause him to lose control of his bowels.
Also work on helping him learn to like the crate, at other times of the day, put a kong with some of his meal in it in the crate, toss toys/treats, chewbones, in it, but leave the door open so he is free to come and go. Once he is easily going in and out of the crate on his own, then work at closing the door briefly, feed him a few treats through the door, and let him out. Gradually build up the time he spends in the crate, while you are home, and building a positive association with it. If the only time a pup is crated is when you are leaving him alone, going to bed or going out, he will make the association that the crate means he will be 'abandoned' - scarey for a pup. So teach him to accept confinement (not a natural thing for an animal) when you are home, and once he is comfortable with very short periods of confinement, then gradually build the length of time he is confined, and slowly work towards leaving him alone in the room while confined. House training takes time, patience and a little bit of forgiveness - a puppy is a baby after all.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time but I can tell you that so far everything that Charliethree has suggested for my training problems has been spot on!


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