# Puppy Potty Training - Lays Down in Pee



## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

Hi - I know there are already 100 threads on potty training, but of course I feel that mine is unique 

My Siberian Husky is now 13 weeks old. We've been crate training her since 8 weeks old. Lately, she's been getting better about holding her poop, but she never even tries to hold her pee. I will take her out everytime and make sure she pees before putting her in, and not even 2 hours in the crate, she pees. And the part that bothers me is that it doesn't bother her. I come to let her out and she's laying in her pee, relaxed, like its nothing. I assume this behavior is mostly because we got her from a petshop, but how do I break her of this habit. 

I think I'm following all the rules - the crate just fits her laying down, I let her go outside everytime before putting her in the crate, we praise like crazy when she goes outside. 

Please help. I need a new idea to try.

Thanks


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

Does she have a blanket in the bottom of her crate? Both mine stopped peeing in the crate when I took out the blanket.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

We used to have a blanket in there, but we have had it out for a few weeks now. She never liked the blanket.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Your crate schedule might be off a tad. Puppies need to relieve themselves about every hour and asking for two hours, especially if she's awake that long, might be too long.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

Really? I used to come let her out twice during the day (3 hour intervals), and once in the middle of night (4 hour intervals). My vet said to only let her out once during the day (5 hour interval), and don't let her out at all in the middle of night (8 hours). She said she should be able to hold it for 5 hours during the day, and she should be able to hold it overnight. You think that's a bit too much for her at such a young age? 

Do pups hold their poop easier than pee? Because she _almost_ never poops in her crate.


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

is it at night or during the day? My puppy is almost 5 months and I still take her out every hour or so, but at night she has been staying dry in the kennel all night since her second night here (10-12 weeks old)

Edited* dogs are better at the poop because its usually after they eat. My dogs poop with in a half an hour of each meal


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

How big is the crate? Maggie will pee in any crate that is too big. We had to put her in one that was barely big enough for her to turn around in and then she wouldnt pee. Now her crate is barley big enough to stand but she can turn and lie down with room to spare.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

She pees in it during the day and at night. Her crate is very tiny. I'd say its almost too small for her, but I read over and over to make sure it's only big enough to turn around and lay down in.

If I just need to be more patient, then I'm fine with that. It just bothers me that it seems that sleeping in her pee doesn't bother her at all. You've never seen a dog so relaxed laying in her own urine.


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

No this isnt patients at thirteen weeks she shouldnt be peeing in her crate if its the right size...if anything she should be holding it at night or whining to come out. Its not like peeing in the house, dogs dont usually pee where they sleep.

How much time is she in the crate and how do you potty train during the day? I have heard this happens with petstore puppys. I dont have experience with it but I would assume you have to retrain them to enjoy peeing outside more than the crate...just like training to not pee in the house. Take more potty trips out, so she doesnt have to go in the crate and always treat with something good.


** Maggie didnt mind laying in her pee either...it didnt bother her at all but she stopped after we changed crates and took out the blankets. She was/is hard to house train...she is 1.5 and is just getting it now and we have had her for a year.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

This used to be our schedule until the vet told us to change it.

5:30am - out of crate
6:40am - in crate
10:20am - out of crate
10:40am - in crate
2:20pm - out of crate
2:40pm - in crate
5:20pm - out of crate
9:30pm - in crate
2:30am - out of crate
2:35am - in crate

Currently, we are doing this (as told by the vet)
5:30am - out of crate
6:40am - in crate
12:20am - out of crate
12:40am - in crate
5:20pm - out of crate
9:30pm - in crate

I thought those times were a bit extreme, but the vet told us it shouldn't be a problem.


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

My Belle used to poop in her crate then lay in it all the time. She grew out of it.


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

is there a reason the puppy has to be in the crate so much? I dont like the vets schedule at all . I stay at home all day and only crate my dogs when I am out or if I can not watch them but that is rare. They dont have access to the bedrooms for chewing reasons and our living room and kitchen are all one room. If you can I would suggest tethering the puppy to you and taking it outside alot more to pee. I think if it spends less time in the crate it might not pee in there, but if it was a petstore puppy and peed where it slept it might be associating that to spending so much time in its crate...its probably not so much it doesnt bother it, it just might not know any different.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

My wife and I work from 7-5. So we originally planned both of our lunches around going home to let the dog out for some time. The reason the vet told us to use this schedule is so that we can force the dog to build up her "holding strength". The vet thought that if we let her out too often, then she would never learn to hold it.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Bladder control/muscle development isn't strong until about 6 months of age and even then, it's not real good. Untrained adult dogs (not trained to hold their bladders) relieve themselves about every 90 minutes....that is, if they're awake. That's why we suggest every hour to get ahead of that curve...more so with puppies.

When dogs are asleep, they aren't 'holding it'....the body functions just shut down/slow down dramatically and they can sleep through the night without having to go.
Of course, that depends on the amount of water, food and exercise before bedtime.

Dogs are pretty meticulous about not laying in their own waste but, with repeated exposure they can learn to accept it. In those cases, the crate has to be eliminated and another type of confinement like an x-pen or small room has to be used.


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## MarcusDolby (Feb 3, 2010)

Sounds like she's in the crate too often. During the day when you work is understandable, but when you're at home, take her out more and play with her. Take her to the pad often and see if she pees. It sounds like you're already doing this too. 

And at 13 weeks, about 3 months, she can only hold it for 4 hours. I'd have a simple rule of never keeping her in there more than 4 hours if possible. 3 would be even better.


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

TooneyDogs said:


> Bladder control/muscle development isn't strong until about 6 months of age and even then, it's not real good. Untrained adult dogs (not trained to hold their bladders) relieve themselves about every 90 minutes....that is, if they're awake. That's why we suggest every hour to get ahead of that curve...more so with puppies.
> 
> When dogs are asleep, they aren't 'holding it'....the body functions just shut down/slow down dramatically and they can sleep through the night without having to go.
> Of course, that depends on the amount of water, food and exercise before bedtime.
> ...


Yes but when we have had to leave our puppy for a few hours she hasnt peed in her crate...even when we first got her at 10-12 weeks. I could drop my kids off at preschool do some shopping while waiting to picke them up and be gone for about 3.5 hours and she wouldnt pee. 

I think this puppy has just not learned that you dont pee where you sleep, maybe because it was used to being in a cage. I dont know how to fix this but I would guess leaving it in the crate for so long wont help. I would try taking it out as often as you can and giving high value treats for peeing where you want her to pee and maybe putting her somewhere else during the day?

For some reason your last bit wasnt there when I read the post but it was when I quoted LOL


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

When you say x-pen, is that like a playpen for dogs? So you think we need to ditch the crate training idea and switch to x-pen?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Yes. Sometimes, just giving more room to avoid those soiled areas can help.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Pet store puppies have become accustomed to soiling their crates. Poor things. This can be very difficult to fix and I second Tooney's idea of a larger crate or expen with papers or a pad for those times when you cannot get home to let her out. Make sure though that you show her to use the pads/paper so that she understands she doesn't have to lay in it..this means watching closely, putting her on the pad and rewarding her there too. Otherwise, be sure to highly reward all outside pees and don't leave her in the crate as much as you have. 

Your vet is just plain wrong. Expecting a puppy who doesn't have full body control AND has already learned to go in the crate (which is self rewarding..peeing is a RELIEF) to be "forced" to hold their bladder is quite simply bad advice, bordering on irresponsible.


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## kawisser (Mar 16, 2010)

Her crate is big enough (if I expand it) to put a pad in there, in addition to plenty of room for her to sleep. Doesn't this just encourage her to pee in her crate though?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

The pad is just to help prevent spreading/having to lay in it. But, you're right about inadvertantly teaching her to indoor potty by using them...it's a trade-off between bathing her,cleaning the kennel and doing the outside training. 

Some people start with pads and gradually move them towards the outside potty area.
Personally, I just let my pups go on the floor (ceramic tile) in the laundry room back door without pads. In an emergency, that's where they end up going as adults.


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