Hello, hope I'm allowed to post here as I have a springer spaniel and not a lab, but I've been reading the forum and seen so much good advice. Murphy, my 8 month old has peed in his crate overnight every night for the last week. I take him out about 10.30pm and get him up at 7am. I've only had him for a month and he was ok the first few weeks. He's fairly reliable in the house, as long as I watch for his cues during the day/evening, and when I leave him in the crate for a couple of hours during the day he stays dry. I've been washing the bedding every day and cleaning the crate with vinegar (simple solution is on order). I have tried restricting access to drinks in the couple of hours before bed, but that hasn't helped either. I'd be hugely grateful for any suggestions.
Hello and welcome from 2 year old Yellow Lab Molly and me. I am sure you have seen that we have spaniels on here already. It must be very frustrating for you, not to say lots of hard work waking up to find a wet crate every morning. Could he have a water infection? You are absolutely right, Simple Solution is what you need to eradicate the smell that says "Pee here", don't forget to leave it to soak for a few minutes to neutralise the smell. I have had a rescue dog and it was fine for the first month and had a blip in behavior at about 4 weeks. I have also observed it in a friends rescue dog. Murphy would have come to you just before Christmas so he would have had a lot to cope with.
Hi and welcome from me and Juno . My thoughts are pretty much the same as Tina's. It may be worth going back to basics and actually taking him out during the night, as you would a young puppy and then gradually extending the time; hopefully some re-training together with Simple Solution will resolve the problem. It may be worth a visit to the vet to rule out an infection but if he's OK during the day I wouldn't think that was the cause.
Thanks very much, Molily and MaccieD. He has had a lot to cope with over the last month, and has managed brilliantly being carted around the country. I'll take him to the vet next week to rule out the water infection, although I think it's unlikely too. I was really hoping that people wouldn't suggest taking him out in the night (I had considered it, but I really love sleeping...) but I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and give it a try for a few days to see if it makes a difference.
Hello, and a warm welcome. Spaniels very welcome! I'd suspect an infection - if he was ok at first, is dry when you are taking him out during the day, and now can't last the night, and he is 8 months....my first action would be to rule out something physical.
Hello and welcome form me too. I second or third the checking out for a urine infection. Might be good to take a sample along with you to the vets and try get a head start. If you have something like an old carry-out container just try popping it under Molly's back end when she starts to squat is the best way of doing it then popping it into a clean jar (unless you happen to have a urine sample bottle!). A jar that has been in the dishwasher is a good option.
Thanks, everyone. I'll speak to the vet on Monday, then get busy with a takeaway container as soon as he pees. It's really reassuring to be able to ask about stuff like this. Murphy is the first dog I've owned as an adult and it's great to get some more experienced perspectives.
Yes, I'd suspect a UTI as well. Did the Vet ask you to bring a first thing in the morning urine sample? I'd just get it ready anyway. The first pee is more concentrated so that's what they usually want to see. Don't refrigerate it unless it's going to hours later in the day before you see the Vet. In the meantime you do need to take Murphy out in the night. Poor guy, he's feeling very uncomfortable and he doesn't want to soil his bed. How it was explained to me by our Vet is that a UTI often "burns" the dog, it hurts. So they try not to pee. And then eventually they've held on so long it's just too long and then they dribble accidents. Another reaction, and a clue, is they pee in different spots all the time. This is easier to see with cats as dogs pee in different spots anyway, usually. The theory is, peeing in one spot hurts/burns, they blame the spot, they try another spot.
Hi everyone, just wanted to update the thread with the results. The vet treated Murphy for a UTI, but after a week it hadn't made any difference, so we figured there was something more psychological going on. A couple of weeks after we got him we moved the crate from the kitchen (right in the middle of the house and under my son's bedroom) to our downstairs bathroom (at the other end of the house, away from all the bedrooms, also a bit of the house we never go into in the evening) as he was a bit barky at night. Because of its location he was only using the crate at night or when we went out. I figured that this was making him dislike his crate, so I started feeding him his meals in there and moved it back into the kitchen so he can go in and out as he pleases all day and he likes to sit in there while I cook or wash up. Immediate problem solved with the crate peeing, from the first night he was back in the kitchen. The barking isn't too dreadful either, just a couple of minutes when we go to bed and are clumping around upstairs above his head, and then a bit in the morning if someone gets up to use the loo before getting up time. I'm hoping he'll grow out of this once he's had a chance to get used to being back in the kitchen. Thanks again for all the help and suggestions.
