# Peeing in crate



## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

Twice now Millie has peed in her crate. Both times we were gone. We have left her four times in two weeks . Twice for two hours and twice for two and a half hours. She is twelve weeks old today. My questions are: Is two and a half hours too long? Or can peeing in her crate be a sign of separation anxiety. She doesn't seem anxious when we leave. She is watching us as we leave though and very aware that we are leaving.
She sleeps from 10:30 til 7:00 every night. We take her outside and play with her for as long as she will let us before we go. We make sure she pees before we go.We give her a Kong smeared with peanut butter before we go. It's always empty when we get back.
Any advice would be wonderful!
Thanks again!
P.s. We leave her in a crate with the doors closed when we go away. She seems to really like her crate when we are home.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

2-3 hours isn't too long for a 12 week puppy. General rule of thumb is month +1. (ie for 3 month old puppy they can be left for an absolute maximum of 4 hours).

It might be that the crate is a bit too large and the puppy just peed in a corner of the crate. Other thing is that you might not have totally got ridden of all the "pee smell" from the crate. You need to use an enzymatic cleaner specifically for pee and toss the bedding that was in there away and use a clean blanket. Make sure the dog has peed before you leave next time and don't let them drink too much water. Don't put too much peanut butter in the kong (it's full of sugar, salt and fat and will make them thirsty), a tiny amount will be just fine (1/4tsp is the most i would ever give small puppy).


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

Tuss said:


> 2-3 hours isn't too long for a 12 week puppy. General rule of thumb is month +1. (ie for 3 month old puppy they can be left for an absolute maximum of 4 hours).
> 
> It might be that the crate is a bit too large and the puppy just peed in a corner of the crate. Other thing is that you might not have totally got ridden of all the "pee smell" from the crate. You need to use an enzymatic cleaner specifically for pee and toss the bedding that was in there away and use a clean blanket. Make sure the dog has peed before you leave next time and don't let them drink too much water. Don't put too much peanut butter in the kong (it's full of sugar, salt and fat and will make them thirsty), a tiny amount will be just fine (1/4tsp is the most i would ever give small puppy).


We have a divider in her crate. She just fits in it when she is sprawled out. She peed on two totally different blankets. We cleaned out her crate both times with nature's miracle advanced formula spray. We take her water away half of an hour before we go and take her pee 10 minutes before.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

Hmmm, Could you set up a camera to record what happens after you leave to see if she seems stressed?

You could also set up an Xpen outside her crate with a pee pad if you're worried that she needs a place to go. You don't want her to get in the habit of going in the crate.


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

Tuss said:


> Hmmm, Could you set up a camera to record what happens after you leave to see if she seems stressed?
> 
> You could also set up an Xpen outside her crate with a pee pad if you're worried that she needs a place to go. You don't want her to get in the habit of going in the crate.


That's exactly what I'm worried about. A habit forming. Can a dog at twelve weeks still be trained to go inside. Her breeder had her trained on wood shavings in a homemade litter box.


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

Sarahdee said:


> We have a divider in her crate. She just fits in it when she is sprawled out. She peed on two totally different blankets. We cleaned out her crate both times with nature's miracle advanced formula spray. We take her water away half of an hour before we go and take her pee 10 minutes before.[/
> 
> I would take out the blankets and any cloth crate liners. My trainer suggested that, and my (then) puppy never peed in his crate again. I know it doesn't look comfy, but it worked.


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

LJS58 said:


> Sarahdee said:
> 
> 
> > We have a divider in her crate. She just fits in it when she is sprawled out. She peed on two totally different blankets. We cleaned out her crate both times with nature's miracle advanced formula spray. We take her water away half of an hour before we go and take her pee 10 minutes before.[/
> ...


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

Nope, I never have a blanket. I know it looks uncomfy, but it completely fixed the problem forever. I thought that he needed a blanket, but he really didn't, and it was actually causing the problem. My trainer explained that when the blanket was in he didn't have the potential of having to stand in his own pee (because the blanket absorbed it) , so he went ahead and relieved himself. I took the blanket out, and he never peed in his crate again. That was two years ago. I guess the potential for standing in your own pee was a really good deterrant ;-).


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

LJS58 said:


> Nope, I never have a blanket. I know it looks uncomfy, but it completely fixed the problem forever. I thought that he needed a blanket, but he really didn't, and it was actually causing the problem. My trainer explained that when the blanket was in he didn't have the potential of having to stand in his own pee (because the blanket absorbed it) , so he went ahead and relieved himself. I took the blanket out, and he never peed in his crate again. That was two years ago. I guess the potential for standing in your own pee was a really good deterrant ;-).


Part of me wants to try this and part of me feels mean to do it.


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

I understand. I felt the same way, but he never missed the blanket, and I haven't missed the pee .


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

Tuss said:


> Hmmm, Could you set up a camera to record what happens after you leave to see if she seems stressed?
> 
> You could also set up an Xpen outside her crate with a pee pad if you're worried that she needs a place to go. You don't want her to get in the habit of going in the crate.


Im looking into buying an ex pen and indoor potty, do you think she can be trained to go outside most days and inside the few days a week we are gone?
I don't want to spend all of this extra money if i'm doomed to fail.


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

So, I decided to buy a ex-pen and a rascal dog. I found a really good deal on a Midwest expen. We figured if she will take to an indoor potty,it will help us to be more relaxed when we have to be away for a few hours.


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Don't worry about taking the blanket out. My Charlie much prefers the hard surface to lie on. If I put a towel or blanket in his crate he just digs it out again.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

2 1/2 hous should be fine. Maybe you can set up a camera to see if she is anxious when your gone. I used my laptop before. If you have an iPhone, there's an app called icam.

When my guys were pups, I always wanted them to have an emergency option. So I kept them in an xpen with bed, water, toys and pee pad. With one of my guys I had to line the entire floor with pee pads. Slowly taking them away until there was just one. He wasn't used to pee pads. Anyway, it didn't hurt the housebreaking process at all. It was good for them and peace of mind for me! My guys are 100 percent housebroken even though I started with an indoor option. They even go outside in a blizzard and pouring rain!!


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

lfung5 said:


> 2 1/2 hous should be fine. Maybe you can set up a camera to see if she is anxious when your gone. I used my laptop before. If you have an iPhone, there's an app called icam.
> 
> When my guys were pups, I always wanted them to have an emergency option. So I kept them in an xpen with bed, water, toys and pee pad. With one of my guys I had to line the entire floor with pee pads. Slowly taking them away until there was just one. He wasn't used to pee pads. Anyway, it didn't hurt the housebreaking process at all. It was good for them and peace of mind for me! My guys are 100 percent housebroken even though I started with an indoor option. They even go outside in a blizzard and pouring rain!!


This is so reassuring. I actually bought a Midwest exercise pen last night and tha rascal dog. When we go out, we always feel rushed to get home. We would love to be able to leave her once in a while without worrying. I just hope she does well with it.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

If you keep a bed in there and she pees on it, leave treats and food on her bed when you leave. Pups usually won't pee or poo where they sleep and eat. Do what I did and line the bottom with the pads. Get her used to going on them. I'm not sure what a rascal dog is I will google it now


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Ah, ok. If she doesn't use the rascal dog also line with pee pads. You can also put one of her poops on rascal dog so it clicks for her.

Don't worry, she will get it soon


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

lfung5 said:


> Ah, ok. If she doesn't use the rascal dog also line with pee pads. You can also put one of her poops on rascal dog so it clicks for her.
> 
> Don't worry, she will get it soon


Thanks! I'm going to try the grate first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try to use pee pads or pine pellets.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sarahdee said:


> Thanks! I'm going to try the grate first and if that doesn't work I'm going to try to use pee pads or pine pellets.


Although Kodi was used to litter boxes, he'd never gone on a grate, like the Rascal Dog. I was wondering how he'd adapt. Their attractant (which they send along with the litter box) worked GREAT!!! He immediately figured out that this was a place he could potty. Of course we then made a really big deal of what a wonderful dog he was!


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

krandall said:


> Although Kodi was used to litter boxes, he'd never gone on a grate, like the Rascal Dog. I was wondering how he'd adapt. Their attractant (which they send along with the litter box) worked GREAT!!! He immediately figured out that this was a place he could potty. Of course we then made a really big deal of what a wonderful dog he was!


She loves freeze dried liver so we will give her that when she goes on it. She's actually doing really well outside. She has a pee accident every three days or so. It's usually because she just went outside and needed to pee again ten minutes later. I'm actually really excited to try an indoor option. I'm really only needing it when we are gone but hoping she runs to it when we don't get her signal that she has to go. 
She's such a good girl and so smart! I think she'll figure it all out. We are so glad we picked a havanese. We've only had her for two weeks and love her so much already.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sarahdee said:


> She loves freeze dried liver so we will give her that when she goes on it. She's actually doing really well outside. She has a pee accident every three days or so. It's usually because she just went outside and needed to pee again ten minutes later. I'm actually really excited to try an indoor option. I'm really only needing it when we are gone but hoping she runs to it when we don't get her signal that she has to go.
> She's such a good girl and so smart! I think she'll figure it all out. We are so glad we picked a havanese. We've only had her for two weeks and love her so much already.


My breeder has said that the puppy owners they have who have the most accidents are those that do not have an indoor potty option, and try to insist on "outdoors only". Most of them, and Kodi fit this to a "T", sooner or later decide that they PREFER going outside, and then, if you want to maintain that indoor option (we do, because we live in an area with long, snowy winters) you have to really work to keep them interested in that !


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## Sarahdee (Apr 5, 2012)

krandall said:


> My breeder has said that the puppy owners they have who have the most accidents are those that do not have an indoor potty option, and try to insist on "outdoors only". Most of them, and Kodi fit this to a "T", sooner or later decide that they PREFER going outside, and then, if you want to maintain that indoor option (we do, because we live in an area with long, snowy winters) you have to really work to keep them interested in that !


Thanks for the encouragment! We live in Ontario so we have long cold winters also.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I had a lot of problems with Cuba peeing on her bedding till I just removed it altogether. She has a rascal litter box, and uses it if it's awful weather and I haven't let her out - she prefers outside; but still every so often she'll pee somewhere totally inappropriate, like on a throw on the sofa, or in the middle of the kitchen floor. I'm assuming it's only if I've taken my eye off her and left it too long between trips outside, but it is SO annoying!! She's ten months old now. Does anyone have a view as to when this should stop? The accidents are very, very rare - maybe once in two or three weeks - but all the same I think I'm doing something wrong somewhere. She only has access to the whole room (we have a rather 'open plan' house) when I or my husband are there to keep an eye on things. Otherwise she is in a penned off part of the kitchen, or in her ex pen at night. Even in the relatively small penned off kitchen area she sometimes pees on the floor rather than in the litter box; other times she's perfectly good at going in the box. She absolutely never seems to need her litter box at night now, and waits for me to come and take her out in the morning, sometimes obviously bursting to go, but holding on nonetheless. So the occasional accidents are hard to make sense of, really....maybe it's just expecting too much, even of a ten-month-old, to be totally accident free??


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