So why does our dog lay in its own urine??
 

We used to have a large crate for the dog to stay in while we're sleeping and while we're at work, but we use the divider now to section it off so it's a lot smaller b/c that will help with crate training. So basically, there's two sections of space....one for sleeping...and one for elimination....we lay down newspaper on one half for that, and he sleeps on the other. There isn't a lot of room, but then again, there isn't supposed to be.

My main problem is this...he likes to lay in his own urine. We have to about bathe him every day because his smell is so disgusting after basically taking a bath of urine on his stomach. Sometimes he'll even lay in his own feces, which is arguably even worse.

Now, I realize he spends extraordinary amounts of time in that crate, BUT these dogs aren't supposed to like laying in their own waste.

Any reasons or solutions?

That's an awful long time to be crated, all day while you work, and all night while you sleep? He's probably become used to laying in his own waste:(

Maybe if you got and X-pen and put down some pee pads, along with his food and water,and toys, and then the crate inside that with the door open, he might start using the pads and just sleeping in his crate.

Good luck, I know it's hard, you just have to keep at it and try something new when you hit a dead end:love:

Well the thing that kills me here is that he doesn't have to lay in his own waste...never has. He has enough room to not do that....but it's like he chooses to do so. I just don't understand why...I'm not sure if giving daily baths is really such a good thing, but we pretty much HAVE to so that our things he touches when we let him out don't smell like urine.

I agree with LunasMomma. If you're going to be away for the day, a play pen allows your pup to run around AND roll around as much as they want to without having to lie in their poop. And even though they have "enough" space to NOT lie in their excrement in the crate, it's probably not enough space for them to really play around. Give the pen a try...they cost under $60. :)

Morgan was crated when i first got her as well. She was in the crate while i was at work and at night. I used the divider that came with the crate and sectioned of 2/3 of the crate so she only had 1/3 of the crate to use. I didn't give her the option of having paper on one end. She spent 4 hours in the crate in the morning, then i came home to let her outside at lunch, and then another 4 hours till i got home from work at night. She never messed in her crate. After 2 weeks i set her up in the ex-pen so that she would have more room to play while i was gone. I didn't give her a pee pad and she never peed or pooped while in the ex-pen. this worked for us, but doesn't work for everyone. I was really strict with her crate training and it worked out well.

By teaching your dog to eliminate in the crate, you're defeating the purpose of crate training. Dogs naturally do not want to eliminate in their "den". That's why crate training works. You have a crate big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around in, and to stretch out some. You put a bed in there and that's it - no food, no water, no pee pads. You DO NOT want the dog going to the bathroom at all in the crate. The puppy (being this young) needs to be taken out every few hours to potty, not left to potty in its crate. Even by dividing a separate potty spot, you're still teaching the dog to go in it's "den". The little divider doesn't separate it's waste much from the bed.

Also, I don't know where you got your puppy from but if it happened to be from a petstore or a breeder than kept the puppy in a kennel most of the time, he is probably used to going to the bathroom in his "den" and will be very difficult to potty train because that's what he is used to. In that situation a crate doesn't usually work well.

"These" dogs are also not meant to spend 20+ hours in a crate......You have been given plenty of good suggestions, you just choose not to listen to them.......At times I feel you just come here for entertainment, "Let's see what response I get to this", so far I have not read any changes you have made......What have you done that has been suggested? Anything?

Well, we are going to switch up his food next time we buy food...does that count??

We'll consider the exercise pen....we just would have to find the right area to put it in....the good thing is, chewing isn't an issue then...that was why I refused to let him have free reign of any room in our house...I refuse to have our stuff get destroyed.

So we'd just lay down newspaper....and pray to God that he uses it then...because honestly, he'll crap and urinate in his bed sometimes too...THAT I can't understand...it's a really nice and soft bed...and he craps in it.

With you being gone such long hours and having no one to let the dog out to potty, I'd say crate training just isn't an option for you. You have to let the dog out often enough to potty so it doesn't go in the crate - otherwise you're defeating the purpose. I think an X-pen would be a better option for you. Try to train the puppy to use puppy pads. I don't like using newspaper -doesn't absorb liquid very well whereas puppy pads do. That way if your dog does pee and lay on it, it's at least absorbed in the pad and he's not "bathing" in it. I think a nicely set up x-pen might work though - on one end put a couple puppy pads, and at the other end put a bed and toys. With an x-pen you can even put a bowl of water and/or food in there (depending on how long you are gone). I would nix the crate though - you're gone too long for that.

He's just a baby and you'll have to be patient with him. The pet stores have the disposable pads that have an attractant in them that tells the pup they need to go on the pad. I suggest a frame for the pad so he won't tear the pads up, as some puppies like to do that:rolleyes: Praise him like crazy whenever you see him use the pads and pretty soon he'll get the hang of it. It's a lot of work, and a ton of patience, but it'll pay off. He just needs a little more room if he's to be confined.

Some here have used a remnant of linoleum under the xpen to protect the floors in case of an accident. No puppy is going to be 100% trained instantly, and there will be some accidents, but just hang in there:)

Pee Pads are cheap at Walmart. They also sell pads for adult dogs and they do a great job.

Even with playpen you need to spend a bit of time to teach your pup where to do his business. I would first put pad somewhere in the pen and watch puppy. When he tries to do his business try to put him (but do not scare him, gently) onto the pad. If he is done then you may get a tissue with a bit of smell of his pee-pee and put it onto the pad and move pad at the spot where he did it (of course clean-up first). Very soon he will start using the spot for elimination. You will have to spend maybe weekend for this training.

The first day I got my puppy I watched for his favorite spots to go and put potty pads there. We did not crate or pen him. He had whole living room for himself but I'm most of the time home. After a while we just reduced number of favorite spots to only one. I hope this helps. Just be patient. Definitely get him playpen.

I agree with everyone else. You've misunderstood the purpose of crate training. Crate training is meant to teach the dog not to go to the bathroom in his home and how to hold it. Tanner is just too young to hold his bladder right now. Sectioning is meant to make a large crate small enough to be effective for crate training.

At this point, he has learned that it is okay to go to the bathroom in his home and will make training more difficult. I think that pee pad training is the way to go now. Section off a part of the house that does not have carpet for him or invest in an x-pen. Personally, I've even used a playpen for the very tiny ones. Buy some of the spray that is designed for using on the pee pad that will tell him that is where he should go to the bathroom. Yes, some pads are already scented by the spray is much more effective. Also make sure you take him outside immediately after you wake up in the morning and when you get home from work. Also take him outside right after he eats.

Regardless, just remember that he is way too young to be able to hold his bladder. He will continue to have small quarter sized accidents very frequently which are not his fault. Punishing him right now will only make it harder to train him in the long term.

Have you looked into doggy daycare? There are some great ones in the area and a really good one in Franklin (not sure where you work). There are a few of us on here that are in the Nashville area and can give you some recommendations if you are interested.

I've seen pee pads really cheap at Target (much much cheaper than petsmart or petco). They are the arm & hammer brand.

He only does this because you inadvertently trained him to. You have to be really careful when it comes to training because you can easily train them to engage in bad behaviors if you are not careful.