Potting training and pen .
 

We just got a baby this weekend . Oh it killed me to put him in the small pen this morning but i did it .. However he wet and pooped in the crate on his bed . I put in his bed two of his toys water and food and newspaper at the end to potty on .

Is this normal when just starting he has done great over the weekend going outside . I just want to make sure i am doing this right . I was told that he would not potty where they lay .

Thanks for any help or suggestions you can give .
:animal-pa

It sounds like his crate is too big. I have read on YT that he should have enough room for his bed and to turn around in it.

Oh, sorry... welcome to YT! :)

If he's going in his crate then it might be too big or you may need to start him out without a bed in there.

My suggestion is to get a small pen (an exercise pen or a kids big play yard, sold at toys r us for kids and online) and adjust it to that it can fit your pup's crate and then about two or three pee pads (or newspaper).

Set up the crate with his water and food and toys. You can try washing his bed with Nature's Miracle so the scent is gone from his accidents and see if when he has a separate available area he'll use it but if he goes on his bed again, you need to take it out for a while.

If the crate itself is too big, it may have come with a divider wall or you can put up a piece of cardboard inside to make the area smaller. He just needs room to lie down and room for his food/water.

Crate him for an hour or so (door closed) and then let him out into his pen area (crate should be within the pen) and let him do his business. When he does, give him treats and praise. If he doesn't go within a minute or two, put him back in the crate (door closed) for fifteen minutes and then try again. Once he does go on the pee pads, praise him and treat him and then let him out for some play time.

Then repeat the process.

The idea is to not put the newspaper *inside* his crate (which is his den) but in an area just outside the crate. He'll learn to keep his den clean, and he'll learn to use to newspapers right when he's let out of his crate. This will teach him that a) he needs to potty when he's let out of his crate (and if you say "Go potty" while he's going, he'll also learn to potty on command) and b) you'll know he's gone so that you can safely give him a little free time without worrying too much about accidents (still keep an eye on him though).

I had a beagle that if there was any type of fabric in his crate he would pee. Any I mean ANY type. He had a blanket but got it taken away because he peed all over it everytime it was in there. Once I took it out he quit peeing but I had to be careful because I lost plenty of clothes because he would pull anything(socks, shirts, pants) into the crate and would pee and CLEAN IT UP. He would use the fabric and push it back and forth until it was cleaned up. He one time pulled in a small bowtie that men where and tryed to clean it up with that.

Also when Piper was little in her crate she would pee with her blanket in then. I just took it out for a little while and she wouldn't get anything soft to lay on. THen I would put it back and leave in it unless she went pee. She finally learned that if she peed on it she had to sleep on the hard plastic floor. She did really good with that.

Good luck!