YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - Bad Crate Behavior / Separation Anxiety? Need Help

mkeeney728 · 08-06-2015, 06:03 AM

Hi all, I am new to this forum, but have used it as a resource over the pastcouple of years with my yorkie (thanks!). Any help for the below problem will be greatlyappreciated!

My yorkie, Scout, is 2.5 years old. He is fully house trained and has beensince he was a puppy. We never have issues with him going in the house when weare home. We keep him in his crate (which is big enough for a puppy pad, a bed,his stuffed animal toy, and his water bowl) all day while we are at work(10-ish hours). We understand that since we are gone for such long periods oftime, he needs “to go” in his crate, which is why we put a puppy pad (he evenwakes up a couple times per night to go outside).

Ever since we have had him, we have had trouble with him making a huge messin his crate. He will rip up the puppy pad and smoosh his poop everywhere, evengetting it in his paws. We have tried giving him calming treats, sprayingbitter apple spray on the puppy pad, using different brands of pads, using a puppy pad holder which is supposedto keep the pad in place, giving him a bigger / smaller crate, and even changing his feeding schedule, all to noavail. I have even tried coming home for lunch and letting him out, but heeither has already made a mess, or he waits until I leave again to go in hiskennel and make a mess for when I get home at the end of the day. I am finewith him “going” in his crate, because he is in there for so long and genuinelycan’t hold it. But what can I do to make him stop these behaviors of shreddingthe puppy pad or smooshing his poop? I can’t seem to get to the root of theproblem, and it is hard to try behavior modification training when I can’t “catchhim in the act” because he does it while we are not home.

Any advice??

08-06-2015, 06:03 AM	#1
mkeeney728 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Lake Charles, LA, USA Posts: 2	Bad Crate Behavior / Separation Anxiety? Need Help Hi all, I am new to this forum, but have used it as a resource over the pastcouple of years with my yorkie (thanks!). Any help for the below problem will be greatlyappreciated! My yorkie, Scout, is 2.5 years old. He is fully house trained and has beensince he was a puppy. We never have issues with him going in the house when weare home. We keep him in his crate (which is big enough for a puppy pad, a bed,his stuffed animal toy, and his water bowl) all day while we are at work(10-ish hours). We understand that since we are gone for such long periods oftime, he needs “to go” in his crate, which is why we put a puppy pad (he evenwakes up a couple times per night to go outside). Ever since we have had him, we have had trouble with him making a huge messin his crate. He will rip up the puppy pad and smoosh his poop everywhere, evengetting it in his paws. We have tried giving him calming treats, sprayingbitter apple spray on the puppy pad, using different brands of pads, using a puppy pad holder which is supposedto keep the pad in place, giving him a bigger / smaller crate, and even changing his feeding schedule, all to noavail. I have even tried coming home for lunch and letting him out, but heeither has already made a mess, or he waits until I leave again to go in hiskennel and make a mess for when I get home at the end of the day. I am finewith him “going” in his crate, because he is in there for so long and genuinelycan’t hold it. But what can I do to make him stop these behaviors of shreddingthe puppy pad or smooshing his poop? I can’t seem to get to the root of theproblem, and it is hard to try behavior modification training when I can’t “catchhim in the act” because he does it while we are not home. Any advice??