Learn how to stop dog from peeing in crate .Crate training your new puppy is something that many dog trainers and knowledgeable dog owners advise. I employ this method because it helps a lot of dogs.
But what should you do if your dog keeps making crate accidents?
Not to worry! There are answers to this typical problem! To assist you in learning how to prevent your dog from urinating in her kennel, we’ve put up various tips, tricks, and techniques. Continue reading to discover some of the best solutions for solving this difficult issue and enabling your dog to enjoy a dry crate!
The first thing is to crate train your dog.
It’s a requirement for ending pee-pee issues; therefore, if you still need to crate-train or potty-train your puppy, you must do that first! Before we can anticipate a reduction in accidents, your dog must feel comfortable both in the crate and on their own. She may urinate out of anxiety if she panics when left alone or is otherwise uneasy in her box.
Step 1 - Rule out any medical conditions.
Ensure your dog is healthy before taking any other action if she is doing potty in her crate. This may seem overkill, but medical problems are often the root of difficult potty training situations!
It can be a canine urinary tract infection (UTI) or another illness your cherished dog is dealing with. My friend’s dog spent most of his first year of life eliminated in his kennel due to a back ailment. A routine exam or urine test might not detect some of these problems!
Checking on this is especially crucial if your dog was previously well in the crate but is now unexpectedly having accidents. Save time on Pet MD or online forums if your adult, potty-trained, or crate-trained dog suddenly starts to pee in the crate.
Make an appointment with your veterinarian.
But bear the following in mind before having an examination :
- How frequently does your dog urinate in the crate?
- Any peculiar smells emanating from your pet’s poop?
- Regardless of whether the urine appears black or crimson?
- Whether or whether you’ve made any dietary changes for your dog?
- Your dog taking any new drugs or supplements?
The volume of pee per mishap
If your dog only urinates in the kennel or when it is not restrained You should be ready because your veterinarian will ask you these questions during your appointment. Senior dogs are more likely to experience incontinence since they are more susceptible to health problems, for dogs who urinate while they are sleeping, medical and age-related difficulties can also be major contributing factors.
Step 2- Confirm You're Providing the Correct Size Crate how-long-does-crate-training-take
The size of the crate plays a significant role in the crate-training process; thus, selecting the right size is essential for successful house training. Oversized boxes enhance the likelihood that your dog may use one corner for relaxing and another for urinating, while too-small crates are simply cruel. Your dog’s crate shouldn’t be overly huge when working on potty training; it should just be big enough for her to lie down, stand up, and turn around comfortably. This may seem insignificant to humans who value our personal space, but it is the most effective strategy to stop your dog from urinating in her box. After resolving the potty issue, you can allow your dog greater room and freedom.
The size of your dog’s kennel should remain the same to address urine problems: It only works if you also take your dog outside for frequent bathroom breaks. If you cannot keep up with your dog’s timetable for going pee, you may be better off giving him a larger pen with a designated potty spot. I utilized a sizable pet pen for my puppy, complete with a litter box and pine shavings. He quickly weaned off the litter box, but it saved me a ton of cleaning time when he was a baby or when I was extremely busy.
So, after making sure your dog is healthy, pay attention to the size of the crate, she is using. If you feel it is too large, you may purchase a new crate that is a more suitable size or block off a section of the existing crate to (effectively) reduce its size.
Step 3- Remove the crate bedding momentarily.
Generally speaking, dogs prefer to discharge themselves away from their sleeping areas because, eww. This contributes to the effectiveness of crate training. However, some dogs (especially those lounging in an overly large cage) discover that they can ding and clean up the accident with the crate bedding.
This is the ideal answer in your dog’s eyes because she can urinate without spending the rest of the night in a puddle. Therefore, you should cease using the blanket or crate pad until your dog stops peeing in her crate if you see that she is pulling the bedding over the urine. She won’t feel as comfortable in this, but she also won’t feel very uncomfortable. Dogs frequently lie on hard surfaces, including the kitchen floor, so your dog will be fine.
Furthermore, you can resume using the bedding after the crate-peeing issue has been resolved. Of course, before doing this, you must make sure that you’re taking your dog outside as often as possible, rewarding her for using the restroom as directed, and that she’s in good health.
You shouldn’t take away the bedding and put your dog in an unpleasant situation if she is peeing in her crate due to a medical condition, poor bladder control, or unclear training. Your best option is to provide a wider area with a litter box if your dog isn’t able to retain her bladder for very long and is having accidents rather than trying to make the situation more difficult. This is why it’s crucial to recognize the distinction between a capacity (medical or time-span) issue and potty training (understanding) issues!
Step 4- Provide more bathroom breaks for your dog
The majority of dogs who urinate in their crates are pups or young dogs, while some are just little canines. This means that dogs cause most crate training issues with small bladders since pups’ bladders are still developing and because little dogs will always have a smaller fuel tank. Small bladders can’t hold on to urine for very long; they must be relieved frequently. Punishing your dog for urinating in the crate is not a reasonable alternative. It was an accident; your dog wasn’t being spiteful or amusing himself by having an accident.
Frequent dog walks.
This highlights a straightforward and typical issue in your crate-training strategy: your schedule. Simply put, you need to use the restroom more often! Puppies should be able to contain their urine for the number of hours their age in months. A puppy six months old should be able to contain her urine for six hours. You will need to teach your six-month-old that she should hold it; she won’t know this on her own.
Use this as a guide to ensure that you provide your dog with toilet breaks at least this frequently. But remember that this is only a general guideline, and some dogs may benefit from more frequent bathroom breaks. If your dog has trouble controlling his bladder, try giving him twice as many bathroom breaks outside.
As an illustration, we mentioned earlier that a 6-month-old puppy should be able to contain her poop for six hours. Instead, try taking her outside every three hours if she’s having accidents! I advise making a timetable and using your phone’s timers. Start gradually extending the time between visits if this prevents your dog from going potty in the crate. We understand it may not always be simple to allow regular breaks, so you should look into solutions for allowing your dog to take one or two toilet breaks while you’re at work or school (more on this in a minute).
Step 5-Modify Your Expectations
It’s critical to understand what you can reasonably anticipate from your puppy. Don’t anticipate an adolescent Chihuahua to be able to retain her bladder for as long as an adult Labrador can. Remember the rule of thumb of once per hour every month, but this only applies to around 8 hours. Some dogs cannot endure that. I am familiar with many little adult dogs who cannot contain their bladders for more than 5 or 6 hours. You’re setting everyone up for failure if you consistently push your dog past her boundaries.
Step 6- Increase Treats to Strengthen Positive Pee-Pee Habits
When your dog escapes the crate, what should you do? Do you call her back inside for supper after letting her out via the screen door to use the restroom?
If this is the case, there’s a strong probability that your dog still needs to fully get the concept of exchanging her pee for money. It would be best if you praised her when she acts in a desired way (in this case, peeing outside). It would be best if you accompanied your dog outdoors until she urinates, then praise her for a job well done while you’re having toilet problems.
Just be aware that you must give her some premium training goodies immediately. She won’t likely link going outside and receiving a reward if you wait until you’re back inside. Yes, this necessitates bringing snacks anytime you go outside (a handy treat pouch will make this much easier).
If you consistently use these rewards, you might observe that your dog tries to trick you by squatting for goodies. It’s alright. If you start to recognize her deception, she’s picking up on it!But don’t be fooled: Hold off praising her until she truly begins urinating. Potty training is essential, so I still do this with my adult dog. I still prefer to reward my dog for urinating outside, even if I don’t bring snacks around as frequently as I would with a new puppy. This is very useful because I’m teaching my dog to use the restroom whenever I want him to.
Step 7 - Film your dog to check for behavioral issues
Separation anxiety or loneliness discomfort is one of the most alarming causes of a dog peeing in her kennel. To determine whether a dog is experiencing extreme fear that is causing them to urinate, I frequently ask my customers at Journey Dog Training to set up a video camera (you can use your phone, laptop, or a sophisticated dog camera that even shoots out treats). Set up your spy camera and watch your dog while you’re away. Make sure you observe her for more than 30 minutes if she often only has an accident if you’re gone for longer than that. Many people install cameras, as in the video below, to monitor their dog’s activities throughout the day. The behavior of this dog is generally normal. However, some owners might see signs of intense anxiety in their canines.
Here are a few symptoms your dog may exhibit if it's experiencing separation anxiety or isolation distress:
- Crying or barking for more than a few minutes
- Digging or biting at the box
- Panting even though it’s not hot
- Pacing
- Excessively licking herself
If your dog spends more than half of her time doing something other than sleeping or playing with her toys, you should probably talk to a behaviorist. If your dog is too stressed out to play or sleep, she suffers from separation anxiety. The usual side effect of this kind of suffering is crate peeing. Recognize that your dog is not peeing in her crate out of resentment for you. She’s not attempting to retaliate against you or vent her annoyance at being left alone. She might not grasp the rules or be terrified and upset.
Separation anxiety and isolation discomfort are extremely challenging issues that require professional help. Therefore, if you believe your dog has a problem with one of these issues, seek the advice of a qualified dog behavior specialist or a respected, force-free trainer. And this exemplifies one of the most crucial justifications for not penalizing your dog for mishaps: she isn’t doing it on purpose.
Updating Your Crate Desire Quicker Relief?
The process of crate training can be stressful. If your dog does have an accident, it is very nasty and uncomfortable for both of you. I no longer utilize crates while toilet training pups or fostering dogs (I once did). Consider a Puppy Palace in its place. Create a dog-proofed space with a comfortable bed inside a crate, chew toys, water, and a litter box using a huge pet gate (I like the Carlson Pet Products locking yard).
When your dog decides to sleep in the extra-comfy bed within the crate, she will gradually begin to crate-train herself. But she can go to the litter box alone if she needs to go to the bathroom. This eliminates the need for baths, numerous loads of washing, or even getting sick from urinating in her pee. I use grass or pine pellets for the litter box with most of my dogs. The majority of dogs will immediately prefer the absorbent choice.
You can wean your dog off the litter box as she becomes more at ease in your home and as you lavishly treat her for eliminating outside. This usually takes fewer than a few weeks for dogs. If you anticipate mishaps, remodeling the crate is a more humane and useful solution than stubbornly insisting that you and your dog cope with the mess of peeing in the crate!
Consider Management Solutions if All Else Fails
Consider management options or things you can do to lessen your dog’s pee-pee problem if you’ve attempted the above measures but still have trouble getting your dog to quit urinating in her crate. While many of these solutions don’t resolve the underlying cause of dogs peeing in crates, they will lessen your daily cleaning obligations and keep your dog happy. Who wants to return home daily to a sad dog covered in poop?
If any of the following apply, you should consider your choices before putting your dog in a crate:
- You work long hours, and your dog is a small breed or a puppy. Remember that your dog may be unable to hold it for the duration of your absence.
- You think your dog may be experiencing isolation distress or separation anxiety.
- Your dog’s medical condition is the root of the accidents. While she recovers, you might need to consider some alternative possibilities, or the health problems might persist for the rest of her life.
- Nothing else is making a difference in your dog’s crate accidents.
In addition to keeping your dog in her crate all day, several more possibilities exist. For some dogs, some solutions will work better. For instance, if your dog’s crate is too big and she still needs to be toilet trained, hiring a midday dog walker won’t help.
So, the following are some options you have if your dog won’t stop peeing in the crate:
- Sign up your dog for doggie daycare. Doggie daycare will ensure that your pooch gets plenty of exercise, socialization, and bathroom breaks regularly. However, there are drawbacks to doggie daycare. Some doggie daycares are better than others, and they may get pricey. Additionally, it’s not a good choice for incredibly shy dogs, who have a lot of activity, are aggressive, or are reactive. Make sure to compare your options to choose one that suits your needs, budget, and dog.
- Use a doggie playpen and potty pads. Setting up a sturdy potty pad and playpen combo is another choice for dogs who won’t stop peeing in their crates. Teaching your dog to use toilet pads is an excellent alternative if you can’t afford doggie daycare. The main concept is to use the pen to confine your dog to a certain room section and provide her with a convenient bathroom. While your dog now has a proper location to go when you’re away, this method won’t solve the peeing issue.
- Employ a dog walker. It’s challenging to keep up with all the available dog-walking options. I’ve personally used Wag!, Rover, and HikeDoggie, as well as local college and high school students; each dog-walking service has its advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to pick one that works for you and your dog.
These services are excellent for pets who struggle at daycare. Dog walkers can take your dog for walks once or twice a day, offering canines that can’t hold it until you get home for a much-needed pee break.
Conclusion
You should try the ideas mentioned earlier and tricks because stopping a dog from peeing in a crate might be challenging. And if everything else fails, choose one of the management options we’ve offered.