Poop in the crate... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

xine · 12-03-2006, 08:02 PM

I'm fostering a rescue yorkie right now. (He was found wandering an apartment complex a week ago, and we're searching for his owners before we figure out whether or not to find him another forever home.)

He's male, neutered, and probably around 2-4 years old. It was pretty obvious to us after a few days that he's really intelligent, knows a handful of obedience commands, and possibly crate-trained, since he sleeps fairly peacefully in a crate overnight.

Here's the strange thing. The last few days, we've been finding poop in his crate in the early evening. I can't figure out when or why he's doing it (or if it's even him, since it could possibly be one of my two cats) since I've been walking him after meals like clockwork (as well as before and after bedtime) and haven't deviated from the schedule since we first took him in a week ago

He's definitely not doing it while he's in the crate itself, and I'm rather touched that he's doing it in the crate instead of on our floors. But I'm wondering if maybe there's a way to train him to do it somewhere else - like on litter or a wee pad. I don't mind cleaning the crate (for now) but I don't want him making a habit of soiling his "room".

If we end up keeping him, maybe I'll need to try bell-training or clicker-training since he seems smart enough to pick up on it. Any ideas or suggestions?

BTW, this has been a *great* site to refer to. Most of my experience is with cats or larger, shepherding types of dogs. I never thought I'd love a tiny little dog, but this guy is just so clever that I can't help adoring his every little move.

JeanieK · 12-03-2006, 08:27 PM

Keep the crate door closed. it could very well be the cfate, but cat poop usually smells really bad.

I think I would try keeping the crate door closed and maybe putting a pee pad next to it.

Bnot · 12-04-2006, 07:43 AM

My YT instincts are telling me someone is crying their eyes out wondering where their pup is! Have you looked at vets in that area, to see if one is missing? Many contact local vets. Also lots of folks put up flyers in the neighborhood one came missing, and they keep checking the local pound to see if their pup has been taken to the pound, and they put ads in newspapers.

I'd sure try to see if he's wee wee pad trained. He may be.

Make sure you take him out every 2 or so hours. I know when I first started crate training Venus (6 months now), that first week she'd mess her crate. But once she knew that I'd get up, anytime of the night to take her out, she quit. I kept her crate beside the bed so I could hear her and wake up to take her out.

Good luck in finding the owners. I feel someone is worried to death over their yorkie missing.

RLC12345678 · 12-04-2006, 07:47 AM

Hi! Welcome to YorkieTalk! Bless you for taking such great care of the little yorkie you found.

I agree that you should just keep the crate door shut. If he is pooping at the same time everyday, maybe take him on a walk during that time to see if he'll poop outside. Then again, it could be one of your cats.

xine · 12-04-2006, 10:36 AM

Thanks for the advice and responses.

Jeanie K and RLC12345678 - I will try to keep the crate door closed and put an alternative next to it. It conflicts with my desire to leave the crate open so that he has a "retreat" area, but I think your point is a good one.

Bnot - I totally agree with you that someone is missing him! My husband and I are actually known in our community for finding the owners of lost dogs (and the occasional goat...), so we have the routine down pat.

I've taken him to the two biggest shelters in town to file a "found animal report" and get photographed for their websites, and they both checked for microchipping which they didn't find. (I'm really surprised that someone would go to the trouble and expense of getting a dog like a yorkie and not chipping him.) I also ran two found ads in the newspapers, but I've been hesitant about posting "Found" posters with pictures because I don't want to get calls from people who want a free little dog.

The really sad part is that I've gotten two calls from other owners who have lost a yorkie, and it broke my heart to tell them that this wasn't their dog. (One was lost on the other side of town with a different collar than the one we had on this one; one was microchipped...)

Anyway, I'll try the suggestions and check back in.

dezertblu · 12-04-2006, 10:44 AM

Yes LiL Moe is deffinately my lil poopoo doodoos , and he took up the habit of pooping in his crate a few weeks ago, I mentioned this to the vet, who states, a dog who either is feeling inseccure, or like they need more attention will do this, now this fit with why Moe would suddenly take up the habbit as I have been bed ridden sick for about a month and he hasn't had the full of my attention as he is ussually used to, so his lil poopy protests were his way of getting some sort of attention..as with a child ..a dog would rather for negative attention than no attention at all.I am better now and he has his full mommys attention now..and the pooping in the crate has stopped.

xine · 12-06-2006, 04:04 PM

Thank you all for your wonderful advice - it really worked!

I did what you all had advised and put a pee pad outside his crate. (I try to leave the door closed, but I've been a little lax about this, since I usually like to feed him inside the crate with the door open.)

Anyway, the last two days there have been no accidents, as I've been extra vigilant about taking him out really often.

Today, though, I was swamped with work and couldn't get to him in time, and lo-and-behold, I discovered that he peed on the pee pad outside his crate! Woo woo! He must be pad trained.

I guess for me the next step is to put the pee pad in a box and slowly move it to the non-carpeted part of the house.

Thanks y'all! Now keep your fingers that his owners see my ad and call soon, because another week of this, and I'll be too attached to let him go.

Bnot · 12-08-2006, 11:59 AM

On the main part of this site, there is a section for "finding lost dogs". You might want to check in there to see what they suggest, and check same places they tell us to look for them.

Your post has really made me want to go ahead and get both mine microchipped. I almost lost one, Adonis. I searched the neighborhood we were in for several hours, cried, and had both of my cousins checking the neighborhood. I'd been devistated if we hadn't found him! This was after Katrina hit, and we were moving stuff from the house to the road. Adonis had been to their house many, many times before. That time he followed me to the road to take stuff out there, and didn't come back with me. We were so busy emptying muddy stuff out of the house, took me about an hour to notice he was missing. Loosing him would have killed me.

So when I have them fixed, I WILL microchip!! Its an expense that could certainly benefit me, if that ever happens again.

So glad you found he was pee pad trained. Seems with all the training you said he had, someone took a lot of time, and gave a lot of love to him! I'm sure someone has been crying their heart out over loosing him. Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find the right owner.

Bnot · 12-08-2006, 12:02 PM

Oh, btw....several here have put their "missing" dogs in the RIP section too. See if they are in your city.

12-03-2006, 08:02 PM	#1
xine Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin Posts: 37	Poop in the crate... I'm fostering a rescue yorkie right now. (He was found wandering an apartment complex a week ago, and we're searching for his owners before we figure out whether or not to find him another forever home.) He's male, neutered, and probably around 2-4 years old. It was pretty obvious to us after a few days that he's really intelligent, knows a handful of obedience commands, and possibly crate-trained, since he sleeps fairly peacefully in a crate overnight. Here's the strange thing. The last few days, we've been finding poop in his crate in the early evening. I can't figure out when or why he's doing it (or if it's even him, since it could possibly be one of my two cats) since I've been walking him after meals like clockwork (as well as before and after bedtime) and haven't deviated from the schedule since we first took him in a week ago He's definitely not doing it while he's in the crate itself, and I'm rather touched that he's doing it in the crate instead of on our floors. But I'm wondering if maybe there's a way to train him to do it somewhere else - like on litter or a wee pad. I don't mind cleaning the crate (for now) but I don't want him making a habit of soiling his "room". If we end up keeping him, maybe I'll need to try bell-training or clicker-training since he seems smart enough to pick up on it. Any ideas or suggestions? BTW, this has been a great site to refer to. Most of my experience is with cats or larger, shepherding types of dogs. I never thought I'd love a tiny little dog, but this guy is just so clever that I can't help adoring his every little move.

12-04-2006, 10:36 AM	#5
xine Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin Posts: 37	Thank you everyone for your advice Thanks for the advice and responses. Jeanie K and RLC12345678 - I will try to keep the crate door closed and put an alternative next to it. It conflicts with my desire to leave the crate open so that he has a "retreat" area, but I think your point is a good one. Bnot - I totally agree with you that someone is missing him! My husband and I are actually known in our community for finding the owners of lost dogs (and the occasional goat...), so we have the routine down pat. I've taken him to the two biggest shelters in town to file a "found animal report" and get photographed for their websites, and they both checked for microchipping which they didn't find. (I'm really surprised that someone would go to the trouble and expense of getting a dog like a yorkie and not chipping him.) I also ran two found ads in the newspapers, but I've been hesitant about posting "Found" posters with pictures because I don't want to get calls from people who want a free little dog. The really sad part is that I've gotten two calls from other owners who have lost a yorkie, and it broke my heart to tell them that this wasn't their dog. (One was lost on the other side of town with a different collar than the one we had on this one; one was microchipped...) Anyway, I'll try the suggestions and check back in.

12-04-2006, 10:44 AM	#6
dezertblu YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 315	My PooPoo DooDoos Yes LiL Moe is deffinately my lil poopoo doodoos , and he took up the habit of pooping in his crate a few weeks ago, I mentioned this to the vet, who states, a dog who either is feeling inseccure, or like they need more attention will do this, now this fit with why Moe would suddenly take up the habbit as I have been bed ridden sick for about a month and he hasn't had the full of my attention as he is ussually used to, so his lil poopy protests were his way of getting some sort of attention..as with a child ..a dog would rather for negative attention than no attention at all.I am better now and he has his full mommys attention now..and the pooping in the crate has stopped. __________________ Love & Light Always

12-06-2006, 04:04 PM	#7
xine Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin Posts: 37	It worked! Thank you all for your wonderful advice - it really worked! I did what you all had advised and put a pee pad outside his crate. (I try to leave the door closed, but I've been a little lax about this, since I usually like to feed him inside the crate with the door open.) Anyway, the last two days there have been no accidents, as I've been extra vigilant about taking him out really often. Today, though, I was swamped with work and couldn't get to him in time, and lo-and-behold, I discovered that he peed on the pee pad outside his crate! Woo woo! He must be pad trained. I guess for me the next step is to put the pee pad in a box and slowly move it to the non-carpeted part of the house. Thanks y'all! Now keep your fingers that his owners see my ad and call soon, because another week of this, and I'll be too attached to let him go.

12-03-2006, 08:27 PM	#2
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	Keep the crate door closed. it could very well be the cfate, but cat poop usually smells really bad. I think I would try keeping the crate door closed and maybe putting a pee pad next to it.

12-04-2006, 07:43 AM	#3
Bnot YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mobile AL Posts: 1,399	My YT instincts are telling me someone is crying their eyes out wondering where their pup is! Have you looked at vets in that area, to see if one is missing? Many contact local vets. Also lots of folks put up flyers in the neighborhood one came missing, and they keep checking the local pound to see if their pup has been taken to the pound, and they put ads in newspapers. I'd sure try to see if he's wee wee pad trained. He may be. Make sure you take him out every 2 or so hours. I know when I first started crate training Venus (6 months now), that first week she'd mess her crate. But once she knew that I'd get up, anytime of the night to take her out, she quit. I kept her crate beside the bed so I could hear her and wake up to take her out. Good luck in finding the owners. I feel someone is worried to death over their yorkie missing.

12-04-2006, 07:47 AM	#4
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	Hi! Welcome to YorkieTalk! Bless you for taking such great care of the little yorkie you found. I agree that you should just keep the crate door shut. If he is pooping at the same time everyday, maybe take him on a walk during that time to see if he'll poop outside. Then again, it could be one of your cats.

12-08-2006, 11:59 AM	#8
Bnot YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mobile AL Posts: 1,399	On the main part of this site, there is a section for "finding lost dogs". You might want to check in there to see what they suggest, and check same places they tell us to look for them. Your post has really made me want to go ahead and get both mine microchipped. I almost lost one, Adonis. I searched the neighborhood we were in for several hours, cried, and had both of my cousins checking the neighborhood. I'd been devistated if we hadn't found him! This was after Katrina hit, and we were moving stuff from the house to the road. Adonis had been to their house many, many times before. That time he followed me to the road to take stuff out there, and didn't come back with me. We were so busy emptying muddy stuff out of the house, took me about an hour to notice he was missing. Loosing him would have killed me. So when I have them fixed, I WILL microchip!! Its an expense that could certainly benefit me, if that ever happens again. So glad you found he was pee pad trained. Seems with all the training you said he had, someone took a lot of time, and gave a lot of love to him! I'm sure someone has been crying their heart out over loosing him. Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find the right owner.

12-08-2006, 12:02 PM	#9
Bnot YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mobile AL Posts: 1,399	Oh, btw....several here have put their "missing" dogs in the RIP section too. See if they are in your city.