# Crate Training/House Breaking



## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

I adopted a six year old former showdog champion from a breeder last July. I had some initial problems with accidents in house and in crate. Everything seemed to work out after a couple of months. The dog is great. My only issue was I felt bad when I left her alone. So, I adopted another Havanese from the same breeder a week ago. She is 11 months old and much more active than my other Havanese. I am having a huge problem with her as far as peeing and pooping in the house. I was told that she was housebroken. As a result I am keeping both dogs in my kitchen which has a tile floor so its not difficult to clean up. She sleeps in a crate (as she has always done) but I'm waking up to the smell of poop. Her former owner used to take the dogs out at 5am so she seems to wake up then or earlier and I wake up and try to get her outside before she poops in the crate. I was successful one morning out of eight. On that morning, I took her out, she pooped and then I brought her back to the crate. Well, an hour later, she pooped again in the crate.

I don't know what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome to the forum. Not sure whether the breeder was exagerating the house trained part or not. Possible the new environment has caused things to get thrown off course. I would try to go back to square one. Here's an article that's good. http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-housetrain-your-dog.aspx


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm surprised she is going in her crate. Most dogs, especially ones that are supposed to be housebroken, won't go in their crate. Can you set up an xpen in the kitchen? She needs a smaller space with access to a potty pad. Put her crate with door open, water, toys, and pee pad in the x pen. The other dog can also be in the kitchen with her. When you can't watch her closely, she should always be in the x pen. I would treat hare as a puppy who is not housebroken. If she was really huusebroken, she will catch on quickly and you can give her more space. I'd be shoked if the breeder lied to you, because she is 6 years old, I would hope she would be housebroken!


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## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

*Going In House*

The dog that is pooping in the house is the 11 moth old. The six year old is fine.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Opps, my mistake. Well, she is still a puppy! I am sure she is just out of her element. I would still go back tot he basics. I bet she will catch on quickly once she acclimates to your routine.


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## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

*Response Pooping in House and Crate*

Thanks. Just not sure what to do in the short-term in regard to the morning (or late night) pooping in crate...


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

That's what I was suggesting with the x pen. You can also try a larger crate. Put a litterbox in the back of the crate and her bed in the front. I did that for my guys as pups. They would use the liter box in an emergency. The medium crate works well.

Also, you could try putting her crate next to you bed. Put a bell on her collar. When she wakes up, you will hear the bell and can take her out. Make sure you are giving her plenty of praise when she does her business outside.

I hope this helps. I know frustrating a dog that's not housebroken can be. Stick with it and it will click for her soon!


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## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

I have her crate next to my bed and I guess by the time I hear her she has already pooped. What kind of litter box are you referring to? Do they make them for dogs?

I am giving her a lot of praise when she goes outside. I'll persevere.

I usually feed her at 5:00pm so last night I figured maybe if I feed her a little later, she won't have to go between 4:00am - 5am. It didn't work...

Thanks for all your help.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Yes, they do. You can get them at Petsmart, Petco etc. You can use doggy liter, newspaper or pee pad. I used pee pads. Put a piece of her poo on it, so she has a scent to go to. I hope she will gravitate to the liter box rather than her bed. Before bed, put her in the crate. Then put a few small treats on her bed. Most dogs won't do their business where they eat/sleep. Hopefully, this will get her to use the liter box if necessary. 

When I was training my guys to a particular room, I would sprinkle the room with treats. This way they went out the dog door to do their business. If I ever found an accident, I would clean it up well and then put a treat there. I'm not sure if this is the way to stop accidents, but it worked for me


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## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

I'll give it a try. She just pooped in the kitchen and I caught her in the act. I picked her up (didn't yell) and took her outside. She didn't do anything outside but I think she knew she shouldn't have done what she did...


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Kar said:


> I'll give it a try. She just pooped in the kitchen and I caught her in the act. I picked her up (didn't yell) and took her outside. She didn't do anything outside but I think she knew she shouldn't have done what she did...


I know this isn't positive reinforcement, but next time you catch her in the act say, no outside! Then do what you did, carry her outside and say, poo poo outside.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I'm going back to square one too. It's tough though because Jinx will pee in his crate if he wants to. There have been good stretches of a few days, but there hasn't been a week since we got Jinx that he hasn't gone in the house. Today, he's gone three times! He will pee or poop outside and then come in and do it again in no time at all. I'm really getting frustrated. Additionally, he hasn't met a sock he hasn't completely obliterated! We all try not to leave them around, but if he can find one, it's history. Along with straps of any kind (bras, sweatpant drawstrings, etc). Jinx turned a year in December. I certainly thought we'd be over this by now. Both my husband and I are home all day, so there really shouldn't be these problems.


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## Kar (Feb 10, 2013)

I'm extremely frustrated. I was so happy when I heard her rustling around in her crate at 5am and her crate was clean. I scooped her up and took her outside (other Hav follows) and she pooped. I was thrilled. It was short lived because within a few hours she had pooped three times in the kitchen where I keep them because it has a tile floor. During that time, I took her out several times and nothing...she waits until she's back in the house. I caught her in the act twice, picked her up and brought her outside but so far she doesn't seem to be getting it...


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## smiley65 (Dec 27, 2012)

I'm so new as my pup is not quite 9 weeks old, BUT, I did notice that she is a double pee-er...so every time I take her outside to pee, she goes once, gets excited, and if I wait a minute and let her sniff more she goes again! This happens every time. Maybe if your give her more time she'll get it all out?


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Yikes. I feel both your pain.... I wish I had more advice.

Why is she pooping so much? May I ask what you are feeding? The lower quality foods will make dogs poop more. If you are feeding low quality food a high quality dog food would help. My guys poop once maybe twice daily.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Kar,
Do you have a separate pee pee and poo poo command? I find it helpful. Dogs can learn to poop on command.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

ivyagogo said:


> I'm going back to square one too. It's tough though because Jinx will pee in his crate if he wants to. There have been good stretches of a few days, but there hasn't been a week since we got Jinx that he hasn't gone in the house. Today, he's gone three times! He will pee or poop outside and then come in and do it again in no time at all. I'm really getting frustrated. Additionally, he hasn't met a sock he hasn't completely obliterated! We all try not to leave them around, but if he can find one, it's history. Along with straps of any kind (bras, sweatpant drawstrings, etc). Jinx turned a year in December. I certainly thought we'd be over this by now. Both my husband and I are home all day, so there really shouldn't be these problems.


How much free run does he get? My guys were confined to one room of my house until they could be trusted 100%. So that meant, 1 year in my family room. If they were ever out of that room, that meant I was watching them like a hawk. It's a pain in the butt, but a year of it is so worth approx 15 years of being worry free


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## Tia (Nov 28, 2012)

ohhh it sounds terribly frustrating. I lucked out with Doug. He only had two poo accidents inside the house since we got him, he just tends to go outside. When he went inside it was due to lack of access. I was going to say the same thing about the quantity of number 2's. That seems like an awful lot.... Doug since we brought him home goes three times a day. Once in the morning at around 7am, in the afternoon around 4pm and after dinner aroudn 7pm. Sometimes he will only go twice a day.


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