# My puppy keeps peeing in crate!



## Jazzys Mom (Mar 13, 2007)

Awwww poor baby! And, poor you!!!! Its jusst as frustrating with a new puppy as it is with a new colicky baby, isn't it?

First, it does actually sound like she has you figured out. Pee - get out of the crate! Now what to do about it. Sounds like you are doing all the proper things ---- making the crate small, not having any blankets to absord the urine, etc. etc. My worry would be if you leave her in the urine soaked crate to show her that peeing doesn't get her out, then more problems can occur. First, her sitting in urine and then the fact that she may learn to actually LIKE being dirty! I think I would try something like this: Leaving her out of the crate during the day but attached to you by a teather. You would have to constantly watch her and at the first instance she is going to pee scoop her up and take her outside. When she pees make a big deal over it, maybe give her a small treat and take her back in. At night I think the only thing you can do is let her cry and if she pees in the crate she has to sit in it. Sounds mean but it will show her that peeing doesn't get her what she wants. Sounds like you have a very smart little bugger there that learns quickly ---- just the wrong thing! LOL Kinda like a baby that has his days and nights mixed up. There are many on this forum that I am sure will have a better plan that mine but did want to sympathize with you and maybe help a little

Welcome to the forum by the way!

Jazzys Mom


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## boyd114 (Mar 7, 2007)

i think jazzys mums given good advice. Check the crate isnt to big and maybe having her out until she gets the knack of peeing out side or sitting by the door to go pee she should realise that outside is the place to go to the loo it takes a couple of weeks to house break them and alot of patients and persistance!! after nearly everything you do with her i would take her to your back door (or where ever you let her out for the loo) ask her to sit then tell her to go to the toilet then give her loads of praise when she goes!!! sound like shes doing well sleeping through the nights like that already i think shes gunna be a super little girl!!! would love to see sum pics of her!!!! oh and when she does get mucky or her beddings mucky clean her/it striaght away so she learns its nice to be clean and if shes does pee in her crate when shes in there i wouldnt go get her til your ready coz otherwise she lay learn that if shes peeed shell get let out!!! hope this helps!!


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## EddieME (Nov 25, 2007)

Is Marley named after one of my favorite books Marley and Me?


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## Goldmom42 (Oct 17, 2007)

When our dogs were puppies I followed a strict schedule-Very small area in the crate for the puppy-just enough room for them to turn around. I would keep them in the crate most of the time every hour or so I would pick the puppy up out of the crate and carry them outside to go to the bathroom. After they went (I would do the happy dance when they did!) I bought them inside to play for a while. We would go out again and then I carried them back into the house and put them in the crate. This went on all day and the last walk was arounf midnight and we started again around 6 AM. I was always very diligent and all my dogs were housebroken so quickly-I even had a friend who wanted me to train her dog!!! It's not easy but I am sure your baby will get the hang of it-just remember not to let them be the boss. She sounds like a real smart girl to me and I know she'll be fine and one day you'll look back and laugh at this!!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

First welcome....you are among friends here!

Second relax...there is no doubt it is frustrating....but it will get better....

Third...there is no,one, single, cookie-cutter approach to puppy-raising...everyone has to kind of feel out their own unique pup and do the best they can....so while it is great that you have a plan....dont fret if you need to deviate from the plan...you have an unique individual puppy..what works for one pup, may not work for your pup...

My list of questions and comments 


How long have you had her? When was she separated from her mother & littermates? 
How big was the litter? Big litter, small area, in a barn separated from people to help keep the area clean...can lead to pups that dont have an appreciation of what it is like to live clean...
Any chance she could be younger then 8 weeks old?
Does she defecate in her crate?
I read that the crate is in the family area during the day...Where do you keep her crate at night? Bedside works well at night...I am a light sleeper too...but some pups have a very short time between 'first wimper' and 'pee' at night...if you are waiting for her to cry loudly she may not cry as loud at night (when she is sleepy) as she does during the day....
Are you using a wire crate with the wire separator? I have had better luck using a plastic cat carrier...not sure why....
I would remove even the stuffed animal...just one more thing to clean if it gets peed on....
Some pups pee hourly...so it doesnt totally suprise me that she cant make it to the 2 hour mark everytime....
Where does she eat her meals? In addition to enjoying her kong in her crate, eating her meals in her crate can help cement the idea that the crate is to be kept clean...
Urinary tract infections are really common in female puppies....it may be worth taking a sample to the vet to rule out a UTI...
Natures' Miracle spray (and paper towel) are (IMO) more helpful then the NM wipes..some swear by plain white vinegar to odor neutralize... 
When is her last ,meal and her 'last access' to water in the evening?...do you pull all access to water around 6:30 or 7pm? That can help alot....

Remember even at 8 weeks, she is a baby with an infantile brain and bodily organs ...it would be 'atypical' if she were consistantly dry through the night at her age...up twice a night would be more then 'norm'.
Dont get me wrong, some 8 week old female pups are dry in their crate, but most are more like what you describe (at 8 weeks...) especially if they were not accustomed to having a sleeping area and a separate potty area...for some puppies it is a concept that they need to learn...

Hang in there....!

Warmly,


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I agree with having her urine checked to eliminate a UTI. I strongly DISAGREE with not bathing her, and the fact that she smells of urine could also indicate a UTI, which can occur if a female puppy is squatting in her own urine. Go ahead and bathe her! Use a mild, puppy shampoo, as often as need be, it will NOT harm her skin or coat.

I would make sure that the crate is not too large, and I would limit her intake of water to when you are with her and know that as intake equals output, she will need to eliminate shortly after drinking.


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## Marley&Me (Nov 25, 2007)

*Thank you!*

Thank you so much for all your advice and for making me feel welcome to the forum! It is nice to know that I'm not alone and I have a place to ask questions and get advice! This is my first golden (I grew up with Basset Hounds) - and Marley is much smarter than any of my other dogs! I'm trying to be patient because I know she is very young - I just want to be the best puppy parent I can be and make sure that she is happy! I'll keep you posted on how she is doing! 
PS I think we may find a new vet - I wasn't really happy with the advice he gave us.


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## Marley&Me (Nov 25, 2007)

EddieME said:


> Is Marley named after one of my favorite books Marley and Me?


Yes, I feel in love with that book and wanted to name our new puppy Marley - I hope my Marley is better behaved than the dog in the book!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

IMO this dog sounds like she has a UTI and cannot help it.


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## EddieME (Nov 25, 2007)

Marley&Me said:


> Yes, I feel in love with that book and wanted to name our new puppy Marley - I hope my Marley is better behaved than the dog in the book!


But wasn't he lovable? Anyway your Marley is a little girl. Got a picture of her to share? Good luck with the crate.


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## Me&Ruby (Aug 20, 2007)

You poor thing - it IS tiring toilet training! But welcome to this forum - I've had a lot of great advice from here. Our Ruby's 6 months now, and we still had accidents close to 3 months thinking, "are we really gonna get there?" - but we did soon and the rest is history.

We didn't so much use the crate (and still don't), but had a play pen that can be adjusted in size. We moved it a few times, and decided in the end to set the whole thing (crate and pen) next to the door to the garden, so that if we could see her sniffing (and even squatting), we could act quick enough to call and rush her outside. Is it possible for you to - just for the short-term - work in the same room as your puppy?? That way you could look out for her frequently and every time she shows signs you'll be there and if she pees in the right place, she can play a little (as reward) before crating... I can imagine it's harder in this weather (when doors are closed most of the time), but vigilance and patience is the way to go I've learnt. Good luck!


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## mk9906 (Aug 16, 2007)

Hi, I am a new golden mommy too  Our little Zachary is now almost 5 months old. 

He did every possible thing he could to drive us nuts and be "bad" in the first few weeks, but he didn't pee in his crate ever. So...I'd be willing to bet there is some reason that your little one can't help the behavior. Like the infection that the others mentioned. They are such smart dogs and I think that if your puppy had a choice she'd be doing better with the crate. 

Just my opinion, and as I said I'm a newbie too  

Good Luck!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I would agree with others who have said have her urine sample tested for a UTI. Also, she is a tiny baby and two hours is obviously too long for her to hold it, make the intervals between potty trips outside shorter, even 30 minutes in between. And at night set your alarm and take her out before she cries or wets. 

You want her to be successful, so adjust her potty breaks to taking her out BEFORE she has an accident. If she can hold it an hour take her out every 45 minutes. If she can hold it 1.5 hours, take her out at 1 hour 15 minutes, you get the picture.


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## Marley&Me (Nov 25, 2007)

Thanks again for making me feel welcome and for taking the time to answer my questions. I answered your questions below in caps...



LibertyME said:


> First welcome....you are among friends here!
> 
> Second relax...there is no doubt it is frustrating....but it will get better....
> 
> ...


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## foreveramber (Feb 25, 2007)

how big is her crate? i think you said earlier, that you made it smaller, but is it small enough that she has no choice but to sit in pee, if she pees?


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## twins&golden (Jul 14, 2007)

Awww...she sounds adorable and I remember those puppy days all too well. The only thing I would suggest is maybe picking up a cheap plastic crate for your room so she can sleep at night near you. We have Izzy's wire crate in our kitchen (the hub of the house) and we previously had a small plastic crate for her to sleep in at night. She never pottied in there, and I think she felt more secure sleeping by us at night. 

I hope you find something that works. It sounds like you're on track and you're great puppy parents!!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Hello and welcome,
I dont have any advice because everyone has given you some good advice. But I know what you are going through my little guy is now 4 months old and the first month was a trial but well worth it.
Cant wait to see pictures and more stories. I would go to another vet. A good relationship with the vet is very important and you need to trust them.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I think you definitely need to have the crate in your room at night. How else will you really hear when she wakes up and starts shuffling around - which may be her simple indication that she needs to go?

Plan to keep her in your room until at least 12 weeks or so. By then, they can usually hold it through the night consistently.

Pick up water an hour or two before you put her down at night. Take her out for the final pee as late as possible and make sure you stay with her so you see her go. Keep her on a leash outside for the pee trip if that helps.


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## Marley&Me (Nov 25, 2007)

*Update on Marley!*

I just wanted to thank you again for all your help - this forum is great! Especially for us new puppy moms! I took Marley to the vet and they did some tests. She didn't have a UTI, but they did find some bacteria in her urine which the vet said could be causing the urination problem (this was our first time to the vet for something other than preventative care, and boy were we shocked by the bill! $255 just to do urine and blood work!) But, it was worth it to know whether she was okay. They vet gave Marley some antibiotics to clear things up. I am happy to say that we made it through the night last night with no peeing in the crate!!! 

I tried a few of your suggestions - I cleaned the crate out with water/vinegar - I wasn't sure if the Nature's Miracle was getting the urine smell out well enough. I also covered the crate (leaving the front uncovered) with a sheet to make it more den-like, and I set my alarm for 2am and let her out once during the night. She made it to 5:40am and then starting crying - but she cried BEFORE she peed so I was very happy! and she made it through her first crating this morning without peeing (she has peed during her first crating the last few days). We are also shortening her cratings from 2 hours to 1 hour until she is successful at not peeing and then we will slowly increase them. 

I thought it was interesting that the vet told us (I went to a different vet this time) that we might actually be letting her outside to pee too much during her playtime and could be teaching her that she doesn't have to hold it, so we have only been letting her out when she goes to the door (which she is pretty good at doing so far)! She is such a good little puppy, so I'll be so happy when we get this peeing in her crate thing under control!

I attached a photo of our little Marley. It was taken on the car ride home after we picked her up from the breeder!


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## Jellybean's mom (Jul 6, 2007)

Oh she's adorable!! Sounds like you're definitely on the right track. Hang in there!! My Jellybean was stubborn at housetraining, so I definitely feel your pain. And Welcome!!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

She is just beautiful. It is great that she is going to be ok. I am glad that last night went really well. Hopefully it will be uphill from now on.


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## Emmysourgolden (Oct 10, 2007)

She is adorable!! What a little furball!


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

i think you got alot of good advise here. We've all been there and 8 weeks old is young. I would have never thought UTI at 8 weeks but rather have thought about taking the water away earlier and crating in my bedroom at night and making sure that the crate is only big enough for the dog to be able to turn around in completely and that's it. Good luck and Marley is a cutie


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## Jazzys Mom (Mar 13, 2007)

OMG! She is adorable! Glad you are on the right track!

Jazzys Mom


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## lovealways_jami (Apr 17, 2007)

I cant give you any advise except... be patient... Everything comes with time... LOL That doesnt help at all, does it?


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

What a cutie!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Just catching up with your thread....
First WHAT A DOLL!!!!!
Second, WOW that was a big vet bill! ....But if it helped the vet rule out other possibilities more quickly, then money well spent...
You have a lucky puppy!!

Got another tip for ya!
If you do decide to keep a crate in your bedroom....keep a towel ready to wrap her in when you are carrying her to the door. That way if she 'leaks' the towel will catch the pee and you wont have to mop up a trail of pee in the middle of the night! <grin>
I have a small ranch (read: not that far to the back yard) but it still seemed like some could not 'hold-it' until I got to the door, slipped on some shoes and got down the stairs!


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## EddieME (Nov 25, 2007)

Marley is too cute for words! I'm glad you went for a second opinion. Hope things get better soon for you both.


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

Marley is a DOLL!!!! More pictures!! 

Glad you were able to get some help with her. There's a lot of very smart people here!


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## Marley&Me (Nov 25, 2007)

*Another Update!*

Marley is doing much better! No accidents in her crate since Monday! Thanks again for all your help!


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Good, good. Marley is too cute to be mad at.


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## Zookeepermama (Nov 12, 2007)

Marley is a cutie!! Now will you come help me and my stubborn baby?! We didnt get her until she was 11 weeks old and now were something like 17 weeks, and were still not there yet. So you are lucky!! I am spoiling mine with too much off leash time..guess its me that needs the training and new rugs..


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## teddysmami (Nov 14, 2016)

I enjoyed your post. I've had my Golden for 6 months. He is 8 months old and he was doing great in the crate and for the last 2 months he has been peeing in the crate only at night. I've allowed him to sleep in my room without being in the crate but he does not sleep a wink when he's with us in the room. Any ideas that can help me in assisting him in holding it for more than 4 hours at time? When we are at work, he holds it for 8 hours. But at night time its a whole other story. Any tips would help. Thank you in advance.


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