Im at the end of my rope with our dog. We rescued her 5 months ago. At the time she was two 3 months old. At least twice a week she poops in her crate. It started after a food change, and that was understandable because she had an upset tummy and diarrhea. I let her out for 20-30 minutes every morning before work and have stopped feeding her until after work. Sometimes she poops in the morning and then usually won't poop in her cage. I suspect it's an anxiety issue, but we've tried everything. We have calming misters, a thunder shirt, we give her stuffed kongs to keep her distracted, she's in obedience training classes... I just can't figure it out. Her cage is small... she can barely lay down but she doesn't mind laying in her own filth. I can't keep doing this... coming home and washing her crate, giving her a bath, etc. anyone have any advice?
I'm sure that's really frustrating (and also that your dog isn't happy about it either). How often is she in her crate and for how long each time?
It will sound counter intuitive but can you try a much, much bigger crate or none at all? She may have learned to poop in the crate and not being able to move around easily could be a factor. Probably you are worried she'll wreck your house but the crate with the door open in a big pen or gated room might help. They can wreck rooms though. Mine didn't but the big pen might be a safer idea. Then you can restart training but this time it's the floor you claim. A trick we used was after cleaning up any accidents ( he was a young puppy, they were accidents) we put a food or water bowl on the spot. Most don't want to eat near their bathroom. We did soon discover that puppy did know not to soil his crate because he always chose a place on the floor well away from the crate. The previous pup did too. Now, don't be surprised if your girl sleeps and eats outside the crate and poops in it but that's a start, it shows you she doesn't want to sleep near her poop.
She's in her crate weekdays for 8-9 hours a day. We make sure she goes immediately before going in and we don't feed her before hand. We've tried feeding her in her crate but that hasn't worked. I'm at the end of my patience with it and I'm afraid we'll have to get rid of her if this doesn't stop
Unfortunately that is much too long for any animal to be confined to a small area. The inability to move properly for that length of time will be causing all kinds of physical issues for her, and the boredom and frustration associated with it will be causing mental issues. Imagine being kept yourself for 8-9 hours in a cage that you could hardly lie down in, with no company and nothing to do. After a few days of this you would not be in very good shape I'd dare say. That's how your dog feels. I'm sorry to be blunt but that's the way it is. I'd say that with your dog the pooping is a sign of an anxiety problem, combined with sheer physical discomfort. Continuing to confine her will not resolve this problem. Instead she needs a huge increase in her physical and mental activity (in the form of training, walks, and human company). Those of use who work tend to use day care and/or dog walkers during the day to help with this. Is that an option for you? If you're unable to make changes to your dog's day so that you can avoid the lengthy confinement then perhaps it is best that your dog goes to another home where they do have the ability to meet her mental and physical needs.
Thank you Oberon for stating the obvious. Please do not confine your dog in a cage for a full day and especially if it is too small.
I'm crying at the thought of the poor dog caged for so long every day? Please find her a new home or she will go mad, like polar bears in a zoo. Mod, delete if inappropriate, thanks.
My dog at 16 months poops 3 times a day (morning, mid day, before bed) - no way she could hold it for the whole day at 8 months You need to arrange for a dog walker/daycare/come home from work/neighbour popping over or something to break up the day for your puppy. You are forcing your dog to have to eliminate in her crate. Your dog should also be able to lay down comfortably in her crate.
So you're at the end of your patience because your dog has to stay in a crate that's basically too small for 8/9 hours and sometimes needs the toilet in that time? That's not an anxiety issue, that's 100% because she's being left too long. She should be left for half that time maximum without anyone coming in and definitely not in a crate. I apologise if his has come across as harsh - but I remember an earlier post in which you said you'd rescued her. She's already come from one bad home - if you aren't prepared to give her the care/love and attention she needs then it's probably best that you find her a suitable alternative.
It is completely unacceptable to keep a puppy, or indeed any dog, in a small crate for any longer than a couple of hours. Your puppy needs interaction, love, exercise, socialization and training, like a toddler would. She will never grow up to be a well-balanced member of your family otherwise, and on the contrary will have serious mental and physical issues. You can turn this around, but to do so you will need to invest more time in your dog yourself, and also put her in daycare or employ a puppy walker for an hour while you are at work. This is the minimum needed to meet her needs and treat her kindly. If you can't do that, then find her a good home that can - and fast, before she develops serious issues.
How awful for your poor puppy she is so unhappy being trapped in a small crate in her own mess on her own all day long. Why rescue her if you are going to treat her this way? Many of us have rescued dogs myself included and they need masses of time, patience, commitment, training and love all the time not just when you can fit her in. My advice is rehome her to someone who will do everything in their power to make her life fulfilled and happy. I am so upset reading this post.
Hi Stephen. Night time is different as the dog's system is in a resting state but when crating a dog during the day crate times need to be for short periods. A small crate isn't a suitable place to leave a dog while you go to work Many dogs are not really able to hold their bowels or bladder for 8 or 9 hours during the day until well over a year old. Some never are. But this problem goes deeper than that, which is why you have had so many concerned replies. I'm sure you have gathered by now, that you are crating your dog for too long. I think that sometimes people get confused over the purpose of a crate, and how to pick the right size for a crate, because that in turn depends on the purpose. For crate training during the day, it's true that crates should be small. But time spent in the crate should also be short. You can find guide times for crating in this article. Older dogs that have had a relapse in house training need to be treated like young puppies for a while, so that they can catch up again For leaving a dog alone all day while you are at work you must provide him with a large pen where he can move around, stretch his legs, roll on his back if he wants to. OR, you must give your dog the freedom of a large room or rooms in your home. If you have to leave a toilet trained adult for more than six hours in an emergency or occasionally, then he must have access to an area where he can empty his bowels or bladder. OR a neighbour or friend, or dog walker must be organised to let him out for toilet purposes. This is the very minimum care required by a dog and does not include the dog's need for companionship, exercise etc. If you have to leave a young dog that is not used to holding his bladder and bowels for six hours, or that has suffered any kind of relapse in toilet training, you must arrange for him to be given access to toilet facilities at much shorter intervals - depending on his needs. What you are asking of a young dog is really not sufficient in terms of providing for your dogs needs, and it is vital that you change the way you are managing him. Either by getting help (paid or voluntary) or by finding a home that can care for him properly I do hope you understand why we are all concerned about your dog, and don't feel too judged. Plenty of people are not aware of a dog's basic needs and need help in learning how to look after their pet. But this problem is not going to go away until you address the underlying issue, and you risk harming your dog physically and mentally by confining him in a very small space for such long periods of time.
To all the negative people saying 8 hours is too long to live you’re pet alone is ridiculous. So I guess you’re not supposed to go work for a living. I’ve had a male 5year old Yorker that NEVER defecated in his crate while I was out. However, I also have a one year old chihuahua/terrier mix female who is potty trained but has been recently going in her crate with me present. She also used to carry her own feces in the crate and I asked the vet about it and it IS a behavioral issue and will be outgrown soon. It is very frustrating because you have to keep cleaning and bathing but it’s something that is just going to have to take time. I do agree that if you’re patience is running thin or if you just don’t have the time to keep going through it then finding the pup a new home is probably what’s best. But, you definitely have to have patience with you’re dog. I’ve also tried to let my female dog out to see if she would be ok out of the crate and that is a definite NO. Not only was my things destroyed but you run the risk of them chewing the wrong thing and getting sick or stomach in knots which is very painful and costly to get fixed so crate is the best option. Very inconsiderate for people to suggest a dog sitter if one couldn’t afford it or TRUST people with you’re let’s because they are LIKE children. It’s a nice thing you rescued the dog but patience is key.
I've seen a number of dogs that could go 8 hrs in the house without a break, but they were full grown and not confined to a crate. They also had accidents occasionally. While we have a fenced yard and a dog door at home, we don't have at our ski cabin. Once in a while our dogs will have to stay in the cabin for 6+ hours, and usually it is OK, but I would not want to do it on a regular basis.
Have a look at the animal welfare act because you are breaching it for at least 3 reasons. *Provide your dog with access to an appropriate place, away from their resting area, which they can use as a toilet area regularly as needed and at least every few hours. *Make sure that any place you leave your dog is large enough to provide, at all times, a comfortable area with effective ventilation and temperature control, and that your dog is able to move around to ensure its comfort, avoiding becoming too hot or too cold. *Do not leave your dog unattended in situations, or for periods of time that are likely to cause them distress or render them unsafe. Please find your dog a new home
I'm sorry but you're wrong. It is totally unreasonable to expect a dog to spend 8 hours a day in a crate. I work full time and have a dog because I can plan my shifts around my partner so the dog is never on his own more than a few hours - and he's not crated in that time. If I couldn't do that I would get a dog sitter. If I couldn't afford that I wouldn't have a dog. I didn't have a dog throughout my 20s,much as I would have loved one, because I wouldn't have been able to meet its needs. You can't keep a dog in a cage overnight and all day and then be surprised when it turns out emotionally unbalanced - and I'd say destroying your house and carrying faeces around are pretty strong signs that she's not coping well.
