Pottying in Crate!

[AprilLynn]

My Chloe is 11 weeks old. She is doing okay with her training, due to the fact that we don't really give her the chance to go potty inside (she will if we don't watch it)...
She is either in her crate (if we are gone for a short time), in our arms or outside walking to go potty.
The only time we ever let her down is if she is in our view and had recently used the restroom outside.
Anyways, she pees and poo's in her crate! It bugs the heck out of me! She is literally having to get way too many baths than she should because of this. We always take her out before putting her in the crate but honetly she poo's probably 4 times a day so no matter if she had just gone recently she will still go in her crate and not hold it.

Anyone else have this problem? Suggestions?

[AbbysMom08]

I also have the problem with my little girl going in her crate. I take her out before I go to bed and then after I take my shower in the morning before I go to work. I think I am going to try to take her out before I shower. Maybe it's just too long for her and she can't hold it. I'm hoping that will work.

[Amelia]

My sister said that my Millie might need to feel more at home in her crate and suggested I use only blankets with her scent already on them. We like her to be clean and fresh smelling, but she likes the dog smell.

So since Millie had just been bathed and all the blankets had just been washed out of necessity and I was desperate - I took a couple of her blankets outside to where my good old Cocker Spaniel is and rubbed him down with Millie's blankets (btw - Millie adores him and loves her time outside playing with him, so I hoped this would work for her). When she was put in the crate, she sniffed around, rolled around, and then curled up and went to sleep. Since then, I have used her blankets to rub her down after our walks to help keep her smell in her crate.

This has been helping - not perfect, but helping. She does not poo in there any more and we are still working on the other right now.

Hope this might be of some help for you. Good luck.

~C

[jim n]

Try putting a divider in her crate. They only need enough room to turn around. How much are you feeding her? Four times a day seem excessive.

[AprilLynn]

Im going to try the divider again. I did once. I put a small box in...it didn't go all the way to the ceiling though so she crawled up there and somehow pooped on the box! Her crate is the smallest one they make too!

[mandy4]

Im going through this same thing with Bella. She poops in her crate, but only at night. During the day while we are gone she does great, and when we get home we take her out and she pees and poops right away. But not at night, she doesnt even let us know she has to go. I have made her kennel smaller,pulled food and water early, get up in the middle if the night, everything,and she still poos in there. I think Im gonna get a different type of kennel for night time and see how she does. Maybe she is just so used to messing in there, and a new different one will help.

[MIZBROWN]

Originally Posted by jim n

Try putting a divider in her crate. They only need enough room to turn around. How much are you feeding her? Four times a day seem excessive.

I agree. She needs to be in the smallest crate. And you should try feeding her on a schedule, rather than free feeding, that might help. Though I must admit, I didnt crate train Meka when she was that young. She stayed in a play pen, with a pee pad to one side, and water, bed, etc.. on the other. That worked well for us. Best of luck to you

[AprilLynn]

We can't do a feeding schedule :/ Chloe is one who doesn't like to eat much and almost has to be forced. The vet told us to always leave it available in her bowl...it gives her more chances to get her food intake rater than a few times a day when she used to normally refuse it. Thats a different post though, lol.