Oh, gross.
 

So I thought Sasha was doing better at the potty training thing, we took a day trip to St Joe yesterday and had to leave her for a few hours because nowhere in St Joe is pet friendly, and anyways we get back and she hasn't peed in the kitchen and she went potty right away when we took her out. I made sure she had pottied right before bed last night and crated her up right after her last pee. I get up this morning and what's she done? Peed all over her crate and slept in it. Her hair is nasty, coated in pee and she reeks, and so does her crate. It's bath time, again.

I'm at my wits end. Nothing is working. She just doesn't care if she lays in it. Even if she has an accident in the house, which are slowly getting fewer and farther apart, she'll walk right through it and it doesn't bother her. I seriously wonder how well her breeder was taking care of her and the rest of the litter. I've never met a dog who doesn't mind laying in their own crap.

I don't want to stop crating her because she doesn't like being left alone and still barks for quite a while come bedtime. For that reason, she sleeps in the basement with her toys and blanket and stuff so she doesn't wake up my son. The carpet down there is brand new. I guess I'd rather have her peeing in her crate than on our carpet. I've tucked stuff in the back of the crate to make it smaller so she has to lay in it if she potties, but obviously she doesn't care, cause it's not working. I feel so bad, I'd love to have her upstairs and in the kitchen at night or sleeping with us but it's just not possible, at least for now - she's too loud in the kitchen until she gets used to nighttime and my fiance doesn't want her peeing in the bed because our comforter was expensive and is dry clean only. We got it before we knew we were getting her, haha.

I know she's only 5 months old, but we've had her for almost 3 of those and you'd think she'd have figured out by now we're not abandoning her at night!

Well, as you've already heard MOST Dogs do not like to lay in their pee/poo and they do prefer to keep their den clean, as with everyting in life, there is always the exception. I'm not sure that your pup LIKES to lay in it, but if she has to go in the middle of the night she is going to go in her crate, now, if she has to sleep there is no place to go to sleep but in her crate in her mess. If you were in a box and had to do your business you would, if you had to sleep in that box you would with your business..wouldn't mean you like it. Perhaps your pup just can't hold it that long yet or?? If it were me, I'd try setting my alarm clock to mid morning and get up to take pup outside (or pee pad or??) and then put back in crate. I know that sucks, but maybe it would help for now? Hang in there, some dogs just take longer then others. Make sure there is no medical reason for her not to hold the pee pee longer.

Kathy

Emma did that as a pup too. It was awful. Trust me-she'll outgrow it once she's better potty trained. We remedied this by getting a pen, and putting her bedding, water, and pee pad in there. At least then when she had accidents she didn't lay in it. I think Emma was mostly reliable around 6 months, but she still had the occasional accident until about 11 months old. Now an accident is rare-and usually they're our fault (not changing the pad, not putting a new pad down, etc.)

I lined the bottom of the pen with that waterproof fabric that is rubber on one side and flannel on the other. I put a flannel bedsheet over that. That way, if she had an accident, it would soak it up, but it wouldn't ruin the carpet beneath. And, everything is machine washable.

Diaper?? :rolleyes:

She still might be too young to hold it throughout the night! Try taking her out to pee (on a pad or whatever) around 2am. I don't know when you go to bed/wake up, but 8 hours or so is a long time for a little baby to hold it in! Most pups don't have full control of their bladder until they're about 1 year old.

When you take her out - don't talk to her (aside from "go potty" or whatever phrase you say) and don't play with her. You want her to know that this time is strictly for "business" and nothing else.

You'll have to do it for awhile, but I'm sure you didn't get much sleep when you had your baby son, did you? ;) Good luck!