Puppy Blues

Jax3 · New Pup

Puppy Blues

PawPrint · Smitten by Boxers

How much time is he being left alone?
When you are home, do you spend most of your time with him?

It sounds like he needs alot more one-on-one time with you to figure out what he needs. And if you are leaving him in a penned area at this late age, of course he will have to potty. He can't hold it forever :)

SemisweetVixen · All Grown Up

Sounds to me like you're physically putting him in there, are you not? If he "hates his kennel" as you say, I hate to say it, but you might have to start over from square one - reassuring him that the crate is a good place. Also, now that he's pooped in his crate, it's best to really disinfect it & get the scent out of it as best you can (I've always had good results using vinegar & hot water). My suggestion is make his crate a fun thing.

I know you say you've tried putting treats in there & feeding him in there too - which is good. But you have to be patient. I've always had the best results with crate training by letting the puppy figure things out on his own. I never physically put him inside the crate... but, I do a lot of coaxing. *hehe* And even if he puts one paw in the crate... praise, praise, praise! For the first few times he goes in, after the praising & such, I tend to just leave the door open. I don't close it until the pup's going in willingly & is basically comfortable in there. Then you close the door for small intervals - 5-10 mins. to start. When first doing this, I don't leave the room. Be quiet & observe. And then I'll open the door, invite the pup out - praise, praise, praise - & have a play session (with your situation, I would suggest taking him immediately outside every time you let him out of the crate). If the pup whines when the door is closed, DON'T let him out until he calms down. If you open it during this little "tantrum" this will only inforce the idea that, "if I whine, I'll be let out." Once he's getting comfortable w/short intervals, increase the length of time slowly. 20 mins-30 mins-1 hour. With these longer intervals, I start leaving the room. When I get to the hour mark, I'll usually go outside as if I'm leaving for the day. Dogs really don't have any concept of time - 1 hour is just the same as 4. Again, if he whines at all, ignore him - don't let him out until he calms down.

And as Christina has asked - how long is he alone throughout the day? Do you feed him first thing in the morning? If so, I suggest getting up an hour earlier maybe. Feed him & then take him out (more than once). I've also had good luck with splitting up the food. I'll feed my dog a portion of his daily serving in the morning & then the rest in the early evening. And if you're gone for more than a few hours at a time, I suggest not giving him *edible* treats before you leave. This will only add to the problem.

Good luck w/everything... w/a little bit of work, it's really quite the easy fix.

-- Edited by SemisweetVixen at 06:19, 2007-03-05

BluStorm · Grand Champion

I had the same problem with Autumn she would poop in her kennel and push it out the sides and get it all over.. and she would only be in there like half hour and had gone out before going in... At first I would be irritated but then I realized she is going because of anxiety. She would just throw a fit and hated her kennel.. she still is not supper thrilled with being in the kennel but she does not have the anxiety about it any more... First thing I did was I went and got some of those throw kind of blankets not very expensive and easy to wash (using a cup of pinesol in the wash usually help with the smell I use the orange scented one). Second I went and got her toys that I could easily wash.. a hard rubber bone and rubber ball, a kong.. things I could wash the poo off of easily.. ok then I would take her outside and let her go and bring her back in and to get her to go in her kennel I would put some of the cheese in a can on my finger and get her to go in the kennel to lick it off ( I know this is not the best stuff to feed them but it works and I only gave her a little till she would start to go in on her own.). Then I would shut the door and giver her a treat. She would throw a fit and I would stay in the room and tell her No No calm down.. and if she really started wailing I would squat down in front of the kennel and tell her no and give her a little cheese and tell her to lay down.. after she would calm down I would leave the room and if she remained calm I would let her out and take her outside again then bring her back in and leave the kennel door open but not put her inside and just let her roam around the kitchen. After a bit I just put my hand in the kennel and she would go in still gave her the treat. But she kept up the crapping in the kennel for about 3 weeks and it was a pain but I just kept working with her and I would put her in the kitchen with the kennel and closed the baby gate and she started going in and out of the kennel on her own to get her toys and loved to pull her blanket out and lay on it... and now it is just tap on the top and she goes in all on her own... and she quit pooping in the kennel... she is now 4 and a half months so it took a couple months to get her to this point. But never yell or spank them for having an accident in the kennel it will just make the anxiety worse. I just say things like oh what did you do.... and tell her no.. but that is it. I didn't have this problem with Sierra.. she was about 6 months old when I got the Kennel for her and I started putting her in there because she was getting destructive and chewing up my things.. she would see me with the rolled up magazine I swatted her with it twice in and she is afraid of it now, and that was all it took.. and she would run for the kennel.. I never pull then out of the kennel or scolded them in there kennels.. that is there safe area.....

SemisweetVixen · All Grown Up

Totally agree w/the "safe area" remark! The more they come to terms with knowing their crate is a good place, the better. :)

-- Edited by SemisweetVixen at 03:21, 2007-03-07

Jonney · All Grown Up

A lot of great advice has been posted.

If you work outside the home I know it limits how much time you can devote to crate acclimation. But every bit you can, will be beneficial.

Here are a few more ideas...

1) Vary the amount of time AND times of day, you use the crate. Dogs are extremely routine oriented. Once a dog with anxiety figures out what time of day it can depend on you leaving for a long period...it's anxiety builds even before it gets crated. So crate for 5 minutes when you get the mail, 10 minutes when you weed the flowers or do dishes, 15 minutes while you take a bath etc etc. Do not speak to the dog while crated or even make eye contact.

2) If it is possible to have someone let your dog out a couple times during the day (assuming here you are away from home during work hours), that would be a good thing.

3) How soon after feeding are you crating for a long period? My Caesar is 'something goes in, Caesar goes out', regular. Our Sarah on the other hand, is not that way. Try feeding as early as possible before crating. If this *is what you are doing, you may want to reduce the morning ration, adding more to the evening ration.

4) Placing the dog into the crate should be as calm and matter of fact as possible.

5) When you get home or are ready to let the dog out, calmly walk around the room doing mundane things without acknowledging the dog for a few moments. Don't greet the dog or make a party about releasing him, either. The more excited you get, the more excited the dog will get. The goal is to teach the dog that the crate is not a big deal. Once the dog is *outside, then have a fun fest.

6) If the crate is too large it may be encouraging him to soil. For crate training, the space should be large enough for the dog to stand, turn around, and lay down comfortably. You may consider blocking off excess space if you can do so safely; you don't want a leg caught while you are gone (or get a smaller crate if needed). Once the dog is trained then it can have extra space.

I have to commend you for sticking with this dog and not giving up. I know what you are going through is gross and very stressful.

Here are some links you may find helpful...
Crates
Crate Training-G.Thomas
Crate Q & A's
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety and Behaviors
Separation Anxiety; How to Handle
Separation Anxiety Humane Soc.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs