Going potty in crate to get attention! HELP!

[CharlieBink]

My Charlie is 7 months old and a month ago he developed a nasty habit! Everytime I put him in his crate and leave him alone for more than 15 minutes he pees! If I leave him for over half an hour he poops and then eats it / licks it almost all the way clean. I have tried reducing the size of the crate so that he can hardly turn around and still he peed. He doesn't cry or bark and I think he is doing it to get mine and my wife's attention. Since we are not home when he does it, he just has to lay in it until we come home. It wasn't like this for the first two months we had him, and we hardly ever leave him at home alone for more than 3 hours. (My wife and I work from home) We always take him to go potty before we put him in his crate, so he must be doing this on purpose.

Also, he is 90% potty trained in hotel rooms, our camper, and other people's houses. BUT, as soon as we come home from a trip he pees on the carpet within an hour of coming home. Maybe he had so many accidents while he was little that he thinks it's just OK to have a bad potty at home. He used to think he owned the place, but we got that worked out during the first month home, thanks to tips from the board.

I am at my wit's end, and he is SO sick of getting rinsed twice a day. Please Help!!

[DvlshAngel985]

I don't know if he's doing it on purpose or not, but have you had him checked by a vet? Unusual urination when he already was pretty consistent could be a sign of a UTI.

[jeanm1963]

Please dont think dogs are SPITEFUL, THEY ARE NOT!! They dont do things on purpose to disappoint us!!! Try to figure out other solutions, perhaps since you guys are home and he is NOT crated often, he is scared which can cause him to pee, he may not like to be home alone and when he goes in his crate he knows that your leaving, this may be causing him to poop/pee. Dogs do NOT like to lay in their own waste so its unlikely he is doing this out of spite.
Maybe you could try a larger crate like this
Amazon.com: New Blue 45" Pet Puppy Dog Playpen... put his bed, toys , pee pads maybe a kong or what ever he like to play with !!
Or since he is older and you say you are training him outside you could just keep him in the kitchen gated with maybe a radio or tv on?
Your dog does not set out to intentionally disappoint you they are not like humans who do things to piss you off!

[CharlieBink]

I have tried the larger crate and an X-pen in the kitchen to no avail. Excellent suggestions though! I know he is not doing it out of spite, I think he is doing it because when we were home and potty training him, he always got attention when he had a "bad potty" albeit, negative but attention all the same.

Originally Posted by jeanm1963

Please dont think dogs are SPITEFUL, THEY ARE NOT!! They dont do things on purpose to disappoint us!!! Try to figure out other solutions, perhaps since you guys are home and he is NOT crated often, he is scared which can cause him to pee, he may not like to be home alone and when he goes in his crate he knows that your leaving, this may be causing him to poop/pee. Dogs do NOT like to lay in their own waste so its unlikely he is doing this out of spite.
Maybe you could try a larger crate like this
Amazon.com: New Blue 45" Pet Puppy Dog Playpen Exercise Pen Kennel 600D Oxford Cloth: Kitchen & Dining: Reviews, Prices & more
put his bed, toys , pee pads maybe a kong or what ever he like to play with !!
Or since he is older and you say you are training him outside you could just keep him in the kitchen gated with maybe a radio or tv on?
Your dog does not set out to intentionally disappoint you they are not like humans who do things to piss you off!

[YorkieZoo]

I agree that it could be a UTI but that doesn't explain the pooping in the crate.

If you guys were with him A LOT when he was younger and recently started the crating, then it could be a separation anxiety issue and he just defecates out of nervousness of being alone. If he does, he will most likely eat it to keep his space "clean".

For the peeing on the carpet when you get home, did you clean the carpet or area with either white vinegar or and enzyme cleaner?

Once a doggie goes in a spot, they will generally return to that spot. An enzyme cleaner actually "eats" the left behind stuff from most carpet cleaners.
Most just get the coloring and smell (from a human perspective) but since dogs have a much keener sense of smell, you generally need the enzyme cleaner.

[yli009]

Did you make sure to associate his crate with good things? Like giving him treats when he goes in/when you put him in there and making sure he has lots of toys to play with.

Also, you could try to leave him in the crate more even when you are home so he doesn't associate it with you leaving. Maybe put him in the crate and sit right next to it for a while so he knows that he can still have your attention even when he is in the crate.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Originally Posted by jeanm1963

Please dont think dogs are SPITEFUL, THEY ARE NOT!! They dont do things on purpose to disappoint us!!! Try to figure out other solutions, perhaps since you guys are home and he is NOT crated often, he is scared which can cause him to pee, he may not like to be home alone and when he goes in his crate he knows that your leaving, this may be causing him to poop/pee. Dogs do NOT like to lay in their own waste so its unlikely he is doing this out of spite.Amazon.com: New Blue 45" Pet Puppy Dog Playpen Exercise Pen Kennel
Maybe you could try a larger crate like this
600D Oxford Cloth: Kitchen & Dining: Reviews, Prices & more
put his bed, toys , pee pads maybe a kong or what ever he like to play with !!
Or since he is older and you say you are training him outside you could just keep him in the kitchen gated with maybe a radio or tv on?
Your dog does not set out to intentionally disappoint you they are not like humans who do things to piss you off!

I couldn't agree with you more!!!! Dogs don't do this to upset you they are JUST confused! Taycie decided to do this when she was about 3 months old and would go to her bed to potty!

Needless to say I was so frustrated and confused! But trust me they are too! Potty training is incredibly frustrating but it will get better. I would definently try something like a play pen or an xpen. Honestly, when I did that this solved my problems. I put her potty area on one end. I actually planted a "sod" box. So she would associate grass = potty. Then she had toys and her bed. Within a week we basically had a 70 percent turnaround! And by 2 weeks we were home free!

When I was reading books on potty training the best thing to do is reinforce postive behavior. Basically when its good act like your about to throw a giant party. Shower with gifts treats... the whole nine yards. When they do have an accident. Stay firm, and say NO! a change in your tone is all it takes and place the puppy where you want him to go! If you don't see the accident, all you can do is clean it up. They will have NO idea why you are getting mad at them if didn't see them do it.

I would also try something on your carpets. Nature's miracle is wonderful,(recommended by my vet) in dissolving the urine smell and maybe he is smelling it even if your not. I only say this because you mentioned he is peeing in your house and not anywhere else. He is a boy and boys love to mark, so if he smells urine at all this will happen!

If you have any blankets or beds in his crate take them out! I know this is sad, and I had a hard time doing this, but the problem was they were absorbing the urine and Taycie would still would sleep in it. All it took was about 3 days with NO blankets, and one accident and she learned potty crate.. no no! Eventually you can add the blankets/bed back. I did 3 days later and she had never gone on them since. You may also need to wash them in something to help nutrilize the oder.

I also read that if they start to eat poop that this could mean they are nervous and they know they may get into trouble, and the best place to hide it, is to eat it. Some eat stools irregardless of the situation but there are many products out there you could add to his food to help him stop that behavior.

And last but not least scheduled feedings make all the difference. Taycie eats between 8-9 am then again at 6pm. Once their bodies adjust to the times you can almost guarentee you will know when they need to poop! Best thing I have done! Do also check for UTI, sometimes this could be a problem as well.

Hope this helps!