# Dog pees in crate but not in house



## maisypie (Mar 22, 2013)

Hi, so my husband and I are at a loss as what to do with our dog. She is a 16 month old golden doodle that if left alone too long will eat everything. Our dilemma is that we stopped crating her about 2 months ago because she was peeing in it everyday and developed a rash on her belly from it. So we tried leaving her out in one room. This worked for awhile, she never peed, however she ate a lot of things. After this we were worried about her choking or eating something poisonous so we went back to crating her. So far she has peed everyday again. She is crated for 5-6 hours (she sleeps with us at night) We are just wondering why she was able to hold it all day when she was out of the crate but cannot hold it when she is in the crate?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

if the crate still smells like pee she may think it's ok to go. Have you cleaned it with an enzyme cleaner like natures miracles?


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

I'm sorry you are going through this, it is one of the hardest habits to change, but it can usually be fixed given enough time and commitment.

How long have you had your dog? What do you know of her background before you got her? When did she start having accidents in the crate? I am asking because puppies that come from environments that were not kept clean or from pet stores often lose the instinct for keeping their space clean. Every time they have to relieve themselves in their crate it erodes that instinct a little bit. The other cause is when puppies or even an older dog is kept in a crate for a time period that is longer than they can hold it.

Your first stop should be a trip to the vet to rule out any physical causes. Bladder infection, crystals, any condition that would cause her to drink a lot, spay incontinence, etc should be checked out. Also, is it possible that she is suffering from separation anxiety? Doesn't really sound like it from your description though. Just thought I'd mention it because dogs with separation axiety often have accidents due to the stress they feel.

If no physical cause is found, it seems like she has decided that this crate is the right place to go. What I would try is getting a different crate and starting over with crate training. If you have a wire crate, you might try a plastic crate, and vice versa. That will help her realize that this is not the same kind of space. If you can, set it up in a different location. Now, the key to re-training with this crate is to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE under the sun to avoid her ever having an accident in there. When you first set this crate up, she will not be allowed in the crate except at meal times. Toss her kibble all over the floor of the crate. As soon as she is done, shut the crate door again. You are trying to convince her that this crate is not a toilet, but instead a giant food bowl. Hopefully she has not lost the instinct to not go where she eats. Do this for about two weeks. 

Then you will start having her stay in the crate for only short periods of time, and only when you are home. Very short. Ten minutes to start maybe. Gradually build up time. Very gradually. If you increase the time too quickly and she does have an accident, you have taken a HUGE step backwards. After she can be in the crate for a couple hours when you are home, try leaving her in the crate while you leave the house for about 10-15 minutes. Gradually increase time that you can leave. Once you start being gone for more than a short time, start picking up her water about 45 minutes before you leave. Oh, and no bed or anything absorbent in the crate. And don't keep water in the crate. 

Now, what to do with her while you have to go to work? She can't stay in the new crate for a long time, maybe three months to be safe. I am not a big fan of leaving dogs outside, but in this kind of situation it may be an option. Especially if it is possible to put up a dog run in a safe area of the yard (away from fence line etc) Another option is to get a grate for the bottom of her current crate. They are designed to keep the dog up off the bottom, and if she does pee in there at least she will stay dry.

Good luck, and be patient. This is a tough problem to fix. It's a real pain, but compare a few months of work to the next 10 or 12 years of this dog's life. It is definitely worth the investment of time to have a dog that is properly crate trained for the next decade.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Samshine gave great advice. 
For whatever reason, she's decided the crate is an acceptable bathroom, and so, it's not really doing it's job of keeping her safe and encouraging her to hold it. If the crate isn't working, I'd ditch the crate. You can start over, as samshine recommended with a new crate, or you could try a tall ex-pen. Or, even work on puppy proofing a room (maybe a laundry room, or small bathroom). It might be a hassle to move stuff out of the room, and put stuff away in cabinets or containers. But, right now the crate isn't working, she thinks it's an acceptable bathroom, so using a puppy proofed room is an option. Also, if you do use a room, I'd recommend NOT shutting the door. Shutting the door can be really isolating to a dog, and that can make them anxious, and anxiety sometimes causes more destructive behavior. You can, instead, use a baby gate, even two baby gates stacked on top of each other to make a taller barricade. That way, she can see out.


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