Hi all, grateful for any ideas or advice as at this stage not sure what strategy to employ! We have a lovely 15 week old black lab who we got when he was 12 weeks. He is very good about toilet training in the day - only going outside when we let hi outside or on walks. He was sleeping in a small crate for 2 weeks before we got him and apparently was going in about 10:30pm after a pee/poo then could go until 5:30/6 when he would whine to be let out and then have a poo outside. When we got him I changed the crate to a much bigger crate (the last was too small) and no real problems settling him in the crate after the first few days but now the problem is for a while (maybe 10 days or so) he is pooping and peeing in the crate. He whines about 6am so I started setting my alarm to pre-empt this but only once have we come down to find the crate dry. We let him out and often have to wait a while with him outside - its hit and miss if he goes again outside as he's already done it in the crate. After a few threads was worried he will lose the instinct to keep his nest dry but I think he still has that as when he poops he does in one corner away from where he sleeps, not so with the pees though. He was being fed 3 bigger meals and a smaller snack at 9:30pm (suggested by vet to previous owner as he seemed very hungry and growing very fast) - so I dropped the late meal and he feeds at 7:30am, 1pm and 5pm. My question is: I feel like he has no good or bad feedback to stop this and not sure if he is doing it out of not being able to hold on or habit now. I was thinking he should be able to hold on until 6am at least as he did it before but perhaps he is too young? And if so should I be getting up even earlier?? However I can't seem to resettle him in crate after getting up so it would a very early start to each day. Or perhaps what we do in the hours before bed are important? He goes out for a mini walk at 10:30pm round the block and will do pee/poos then but in the several hours before then he go a long time with no toileting. Or perhaps we should get rid of the crate now? I don't really want to get rid of the crate as we don't have a pen and then I would be worried he wouldn't happy with the crate during the day (we seem to getting somewhere with him being happy in it for short periods in the day (less than an hour) if we have to nip out. Phew that was long...sorry just looking for any suggestions. thanks!
5labs thanks so much for your suggestion! have tried it for a couple of nights and there is progress, first morning no poops but a wee and second a dry crate! so i'll carry on like this for now, thank you!
