Pooping in crate?!
I've noticed he only does it on weekends and holidays. We can't leave him even thirty minutes on a day off without coming home to find poo all over him and the crate. How do I get him to stop? |
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| thats a hard one. only on week ens and holidays. lol he knows the time???
are you home everyday? |
| Did it start happening with the new crate? If so, that's probably the answer.
Or could it be caused by the stress of your leaving or maybe a different weekend/holiday routine? I have a rescue sheepie that would pee in her crate... she suffers from separation anxiety. Below is info... I don't know if it really is what's happening with your sheepie-boy. One important thing though is not to scold him no matter how upset you get upon finding a messy crate... if it's separation anxiety, they just can't help it. Quotes from the Clomicalm website... "...What are the signs of separation anxiety? Dogs with this disorder are often well behaved when people are around, but when left alone, they become anxious, showing one or more of these signs: destruction (chewing, digging), inappropriate elimination (urinating, defecating), excessive salivation or vocalization (barking, whining). Some dogs exhibit signs when separated from the person or people to whom they are most attached even if other people are around..." "... Before leaving, pay no attention to your dog for 10 to 30 minutes before going out. When you do leave, make it low-key, without elaborate good-byes. Just walk out the door. Leave a special SAFE toy or treat to distract your dog when you go out, and remove the item upon your return. Make it something special, like a food-filled treat, so that your leaving is associated with something positive. The treat should also occupy your dog during those critical first moments after your departure..." "...When returning, do not reprimand your dog for destructive behavior or for urinating or defecating in your house. No matter what you find when you get home, remember that your dog could not control himself when you were away. Punishment will not help — it will only add to your dog's anxiety..." "...Certain cues tell your dog that you are getting ready to leave. When your dog sees this, panic sets in. Put your coat on or play with your keys at times other than departure. This technique will help your dog become indifferent to those cues..." You might also try taking him outside to run and play for 10-15 minutes before you leave. They say a tired dog is a good dog and it might help him to get everything through him if he plays first and is then kenneled up. You might also try leaving the TV or radio on so there's some background noise. Anyone else have ideas? |
| Funny you made this post, since Ziva too was just switched to a larger crate, and has since poo'd 3 times, every morning I find some. I've been ignoring it, and making sure food is removed before 7 pm, and a late pee break. I am pretty sure she is developing separation anxiety...even tho I do do all the aboved mentioned things.
I'm gonna gate the back end and make it smaller, and maybe leave her without any blankets for a night. I know how how frustrating this is, and I wish I could say what works. Ziva has been proving a challenge at times, and I miss my Tag even more. |
| When we first got Hannah, we used a crate. The first night she barked and cried and I would say sounded like screamed. I discovered she had pooped in the crate and moved it all around. It was EVERYWHERE in the crate and on her. She hated the crate from day one. We tried a few more times and she pooped every time and decorated the crate all over. I literally had to take the crate outside and hose it off and clean it with bleach several times. I didn't want to torture her (or myself) so I just stopped putting her in it. The bad news, it took two years for her to be housebroken.
Another dog we had was housebroken in one week using the crate and never had an accident. We would leave the door open and she would go in on her own because she liked it so well. It was her safe place. We didn't really need it after the week, but kept it out for her, for the longest time. It was the same crate, the largest size they make. The dogs were both puppies at the time. I guess it just depends on the dog. Good luck. |
| 6 Girls gave some good advice. On the more physical side, I'd suggest just making the crate much smaller (using a divider) and gradually increase the size with successes. If he has room to poop on one side but go to the other when he's done, he probably will. |
| I had this same problem with Hejduk when I first put him in a bigger crate and the crate didn't come with a divider so I put a heavy cardboard box in the crate to take up more room. I didn't have any issues with him chewing it because he had some safe toys to chew on but if you have chewing issues a plastic crate should work, too. I just put smaller and smaller boxes in the crate until he was big enough that he thought of the entire space has his sleeping area. He is 11 1/2 mths now and hasn't had an incidence in the crate since he was 6 mths old when he had a "stomach problem" (which is a whole other story - what a mess!).
Good luck! |
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