# 4 month old puppy recently started peeing in crate :(



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

85% chance that your pup has a UTI. 5% chance there's another health problem involved. Go get him checked out at the vet.

If he's sleeping in it, then it's not an ordinary housebreaking issue, and there's only a small chance that it's behavioral rather than physical. Is the crate small enough (or walled off enough) that he has to pee under himself? Or can he pee in one corner and then move to another?


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## hellokitty1031 (Jul 6, 2010)

The crate is sized so that he can spread out on his back & sleep totally spread out (his preferred way of sleeping)...but when he sleeps 'tucked in' he takes up only about half the crate. I feel like he could have avoided sleeping in his pee had he done this...but he didn't 
I will definitely call the vet today to find out what's going on. Just a side note though, if he has a UTI, how often would he be going? I'm asking this because we came in from a walk around 11-11:30, he's had a lot of water since coming in but he hasn't had any accidents in the hour & a half.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

How long is he in his crate? Is he peeing outside RIGHT before getting put into his crate? 

I'm wondering if he's being left in there too long for him to be able to "hold it" comfortably and maybe now he's realizing that peeing in there is better than holding it in. Try cutting back on the number of hours he's in the crate and make sure he gets out for a super long walk and pees before he gets put in the crate. It's easier for dogs to hold it when they're sleeping so try to tire him out a lot before putting him in, then sneak home and let him out earlier than normal for a pee break.


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## hellokitty1031 (Jul 6, 2010)

We take him out for potty / walk / play before every crate-session. We also give him a 2nd chance to go at the end of our outdoor time. Maybe I did push him too much last night. The overnight peeing is still a mystery to me though...he has been sleeping through the night since he was 3 months old...I'm not sure why he did what he did  I really hope I didn't allow him to create a habit of eliminating in the crate. Aside from being a lot of work to clean / bathe him, I don't want to ruin his coat by overbathing.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I wonder if the time you caught him in the act was excited peeing (a behavior we were quite familiar with for awhile), because you said you had just come homes, and then the crate just wasn't cleaned enough and seemed like the right spot. I'd take him to the vet, as suggested above, but also clean the heck out of that crate with Nature's Miracle or something similar.

Also, when you come home avoid any high pitch tones to get him excited and get him outside asap. Jack did the excited peeing for awhile and I think has finally (knock on wood) outgrown it. We haven't had a problem for about a month.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I'm thinking medical problem (UTI), OR, if the weather recently turned hot, he's power-drinking beyond his ability to hold it. Although, if the latter, most pups would whine to let you know they have to pee when crated. Is the crate where you can hear him if he makes a fuss in the middle of the night?


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## hellokitty1031 (Jul 6, 2010)

I'm starting to agree with the predictions of UTI...I just remembered (actually, the bf reminded me) that this weekend he picked up a new habit of walking with his bag legs spread so he can pee & walk as we go towards the potty spot. he KNOWS the potty spot, i usually rush him down the elevator but as soon as we're on the sidewalk i let him go at his own pace just to see if he gets it & he does...he darts to the grass & goes...not the past couple of times...we can rush all we want but he'll do a pee & go.
also, he is crated in our room. i find it weird that even if it were a UTI & he couldn't help soiling his bed, he didn't whine to get let out (probably wouldn't have helped if it was that urgent) or whine to have his soiled crate cleaned up?


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

hellokitty1031 said:


> I'm starting to agree with the predictions of UTI...I just remembered (actually, the bf reminded me) that this weekend he picked up a new habit of walking with his bag legs spread so he can pee & walk as we go towards the potty spot. he KNOWS the potty spot, i usually rush him down the elevator but as soon as we're on the sidewalk i let him go at his own pace just to see if he gets it & he does...he darts to the grass & goes...not the past couple of times...we can rush all we want but he'll do a pee & go.
> also, he is crated in our room. i find it weird that even if it were a UTI & he couldn't help soiling his bed, he didn't whine to get let out (probably wouldn't have helped if it was that urgent) or whine to have his soiled crate cleaned up?


If the pup has a physical problem (UTI isn't the only thing), it can present itself really weirdly, as if he "doesn't care" that he's peeing or sitting in his pee. It's not that it lessens his bladder capacity and he still experiences discomfort in the same way. It messes with his ability to hold and control himself and is very confusing. He probably does not understand why he's peeing or what exactly is going on. He may be focused on discomfort and relief in his body and not care as much about cleanliness.

Given all the behavioral changes you've noticed too, my money is definitely on a physical problem. Get to the vet quickly. The more accidents he has, the more it's going to mess with his natural housebreaking instincts.


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## hellokitty1031 (Jul 6, 2010)

thanks for the advice everyone, i booked an appointment with my vet to collect urine & have urinalysis for my puppy...unfortunately they are booked solid for today & we have to wait until tomorrow am.
any advice on helping us get through the night, i REALLY don't want to give him 2 baths in 2 days...he will look like dry tumbleweed







should i get up every 2-3 hours to take him out?


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## chyna (Aug 21, 2013)

Very old post, but I was wondering how the problem was solved as it seems like I have a similar to what hellokitty1031 experienced. 
Could you let me know? Thank you!!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Have you taken your pup to the Vet to see if your pup has a UTI?

If you haven't, try to get him/her in as soon as possible. 

The OP hasn't been back on the forum in over a year.


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## chyna (Aug 21, 2013)

Thanks Carolina!! I took the pup to the vet and it was all ok, so it was not a matter of UTI, but the good news is things are getting so much better now! Cadh la does not pee in her crate, she still does a few drops just before taken out of her crate (excitement peeing), but it is less, and we actually had one night without it! If anyone has the same problems, please have a look at what we do with our puppy, it may help.
Cadhla is now almost 16 weeks, she understands going outside to the toilet, but still does not know how to let us know (although you can tell by the way she is). She sleeps in her crate during the day (with the door open, unless we are out or upstairs) and night (we are upstairs, so door is locked). We feed her in her crate (no water though!), so she gets in on command and I have noticed she goes there when she wants to have a nap. She has her little blanket in during the day, but not at night, as we can't supervise her. She's got toys in her crate and she gets treats in her crate (or kong with peanut butter). Before we go to sleep she is taken out to the toilet spot (from the very beginning one and the same place) and then she goes to her crate to be taken out again after 4-4.5 hours. We will soon start extending the time, but we're trying to make her get used to the whole process, so she does not start peeing in the crate again. 
Last night we occidentally did not wake up, so she waited the whole 6 hours! 
Also, what is important - we have a little ritual. When I go downstairs I take her lead and I go to her crate without talking to her, I open the door, put the lead on her and they say 'we're going outside'. No necessary talking that can make her too excited, and it actually helps. She is praised lavishly after peeing outside and you can tell how happy and proud of herself she is  
During the day she is taken out more often - if she plays in - every hour, as well as before feeding and after. She has to be supervised, but I know I can leave her for some time and not be worried that she'll pee. 
What is very important and I think helped a lot with our training is the short walks I started taking her for - a few times a day. 5-10 minutes 3-4 times plus the normal 20 walk with our other dog Lucy, including chasing each other, fetching, running etc. 
There is no scolding, we do not show her that we clean the mess she made outside or inside the crate. We ignore it and clean when she's out. If caught red handed she is told 'NO' and taken outside. 
There is probably nothing new that I said, but for someone who does not know what to do at all it may be very helpful. I am grateful for every single piece of advice I found here, as it helped me a lot to get through the worst moments  Sorry if it all sounds chaotic, it shouldn't as the potty training should not be chaotic. And remember - every accident make the training a longer process, BUT do not go mental if it happens, because it will make it much worse. Just accept the fact that it happened, clean, move on and try better next time. There is no need to be stressed - dogs know when you are and will be stressed too = will pee. It is just trying and trying new things until you find a way. 

Thank you Everyone!! I found help here and I hope I can be of any help in the future


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## GoldenReg88 (Apr 13, 2020)

hellokitty1031 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a 4 month old puppy. We brought him home at 10 weeks and started crate training immediately. Like all puppies, he had occasional accidents around the house (but NEVER in the crate). We are diligent about bringing him out first thing in the morning, right before work, a walker comes 2x during the (although that has stopped as of this past month because I am off for 2 months in the summer), right after work & then before bed. Up until 2 days ago he has been doing very well...but I made sure to not get too excited because I know puppies often regress & 'forget what they learned'. Yesterday, I came home & caught him in the act of peeing IN HIS CRATE
> 
> ...


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## GoldenReg88 (Apr 13, 2020)

Our pup was really struggling pee accidents. He was peeing in the crate and all over the house. Turned out he had a UTI. We noticed mainly because of some blood in his urine. It is not common for male puppies but could be likely causing the accidents. Have him checked out. Meds worked quickly! And now we haven’t had an accident in weeks.


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