# My dog is peeing her crate every night!



## irishtapbeauty (Jun 21, 2013)

Thanks for checking out my problem. :wave: Please read my entire situation before you start commenting random suggestions and general information about puppy pads and UTIs.. here me out. 
My dog, Ava, is an 8 month old malamute, the size of a small horse! :llama: For about a month now, she has been peeing in her crate almost every night. I believe this is a behavioral problem and she could be trained out of it, I just dont know how to help her figure it out. Everyone says dogs wont pee in the place they sleep, but she has no problem with it. I let her out several times before bed, all the way up to about midnight, and I wake up at 8 just to let her out. But most of the time she has already peed long ago and rolled in it, and by the morning she is just sticky and smells like the back end of a goat. Im getting really sick of washing the dog and the crate every day! :frusty: I cant even give her a blanket anymore because she almost undoubtedly will pee in there. 
Now to dismiss some of the obvious problems that it sounds like I have: 
I cut off her water before bedtime so she wont need to pee all night. I have moved this cut off time earlier and earlier, trying to help, but it doesnt seem to. Most of the time she doesnt get water past 2pm. One day I gave her a large amount of water with breakfast, and no more water the rest of the day. She has dinner about 4pm and plenty of time to empty her system, but that day she still peed her crate. So (since that experiment didnt work) I try not to be cruel by giving her no water, and I give her some later in the day now, but never after about 3. Doesn't help. And she isnt dehydrated, just because I can see someone criticizing that already. She gets plenty of water every day, even if some days its earlyish, and I regularly do the neck skin test.

Her crate is the right size. She can walk in, turn around, lay down, mostly stand up (with her head down). I have thought about getting her a smaller one but she looks so cramped already I dont want to force her to lay down all night. It just seems like maybe if she had to, she wouldnt pee in it all the time.

Now for her behavior. She was rescued from a puppymill type environment. She was about 6-8 weeks old, in a house covered in feces like some nightmarish hoarders episode. That hasn't seemed to affect her so far. I trained her out of her scared, shy attitude. She has been a typical, mischievous puppy, training well with most things. When she was teeny, I walked her about every 3 hours and she got housebroken and crate trained. As she got older, I walked her less often throughout the night, and she never had any issues. Around 4/5 months, she was able to hold it all night. An occasional accident, but progressively trained and nearly perfect. She grows a lot, and now that she's about waist height I got her a bigger crate. She did good for about a month, but then she just like stopped caring. For about the past month-month 1/2, she had more and more accidents and just started peeing all over the crate every night. 

The kitchen is her dog-safe zone. She roams the house when I have time to watch her and teach her what not to chew (like the cat).. but the kitchen is closed off and tiled so if Im home working or gone for a few hours, I can leave her in there. She almost never has accidents in the house anymore, even if I leave her in the kitchen for up to 5/6 hours, but every night she pees her crate. Even sometimes if shes in her crate for a couple hours, she pees in there randomly. Its not an infection, becuase like I just said, she can hold it if Im home and shes in the kitchen all day, or if shes left in the kitchen when I leave, but if I put her in the crate or if its overnight, she'll pee in it. Im thinking maybe because shes not a baby anymore, she doesnt need to sleep in the crate. Tonight Im going to try letting her sleep in the kitchen to see if theres an accident. Its just so bizarre to me that she can hold it when she wants to, but she seems to not want to anymore.

I try communicating with her. She knows the words "go pee" when she does it outside. And she knows "in your bed" to get inside her crate. When she pees in there, I point to it and tell her "go pee, in your bed NO". She looks like she knows what I mean! But she also gives me an attitude. I swear, shes like a toddler. She lays down and slumps over on one side, puts her nose down and stares up at me with that teenager look, and she grumbles! :hand: Unbelievable, her attitude! But she does that to me when she pees in her crate (among other situations of attitude) like shes defending it. 

This is a concern because I cant leave her in her crate anymore, but like I said, I just decided today that maybe she doesnt need it. I am going to let her sleep in the kitchen tonight and I hope she does well. No chewing anything, inspecting the cabinets, licking the garbage, or accidents... But if she does, and she needs to sleep in her crate again, how am I supposed to teach her to not pee in there? She was almost trained a month ago and then she quit! I think she developed a bad attitude. One last thing, just to back up my attitude hypothesis and add to the whole info... She was in the kitchen the other day, just went out about an hour ago, and she peed on the floor. Not even half of what I know she can hold, just left me a nice puddle. I smacked her on the nose and told her no and cleaned it up and she hasnt done it again. But that was just like a random defiance. She never goes in the house anymore. Why is she suddenly reverse crate-training, and leaving me a little "I went because I can" in the kitchen?! Again to say its not an infection, this was about 3 days ago. I think if she had a medical problem, she'd be having more accidents than just at night.


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## Lupen (Jun 17, 2013)

You sure she doesn't have a medical issue? Like a urinary tract infection that could cause her to not be able to hold her pee?

Also, I find the fact you don't let her have water after two pm ... Absurd. Dogs should have clean, fresh water throughout the day. Even if she isn't actually dehydrated, water is vital. Imagine you not drinking at all throughout the day?

As long as she goes pee throughout the day, and right before bed, water isn't going to cause a problem. Taking it away maybe two or three hours before bedtime is fine, but not two pm. Not in my opinion, anyways.

If this isn't a medical problem and is purely behavioral, then its simply the fact you haven't potty trained her. When she's not in the crate, you should be taking her out first thing in the morning, regularly throughout the day and right before bed. Reward her when she goes. When she has accidents, say a stern no then immediately put her outside. 

Also, never, ever hit your dog. Ever. Not even a "smack on the nose". A stern no and placing of the dog outside suffices.

I definitely would take her in for a vet check up before doing anything, though.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

I'm very new to dog training and working on potty training as well. But I wonder if you're confusing her a bit. You say she knows "go pee" and "in your crate" and you're saying "go pee, in your crate". I know you said you're adding a NO to that, but even I'M confused about what you want reading that command.

Other than that, I'm sure other people have suggestions, too. But no water after 2 or 3 seems a little extreme. Maybe you need to be taking her out in the middle of the night again to keep her from peeing.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Effisia said:


> I'm very new to dog training and working on potty training as well. But I wonder if you're confusing her a bit. You say she knows "go pee" and "in your crate" and you're saying "go pee, in your crate". I know you said you're adding a NO to that, but even I'M confused about what you want reading that command.
> 
> Other than that, I'm sure other people have suggestions, too. But no water after 2 or 3 seems a little extreme. Maybe you need to be taking her out in the middle of the night again to keep her from peeing.


If I were a dog hearing "go pee, in your crate NO" I would be thinking that you want me to pee in the crate then your just being a meanie and getting mad randomly at me so I shouldn't trust you.

Also please don't hit you dog, that's just asking for trouble.


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## TRDmom (Mar 3, 2013)

A couple questions about the crate:

1. Is it wire or plastic (like an airline crate)?

2. Was the crate purchased new or used?

3. Do you clean the crate with something like Nature's Miracle (that removes the urine enzymes) after EACH time she pees in it?


Since you said she has been crate trained in the past, the kennel environment that she was born into should not be coming into play (that most likely would have always been with her and not suddenly appear now). How early are you waking up to let her out? One of my dogs has to get out by 5/6am so she doesn't pee in the house (even if she's taken out as late as 10pm the night before). Is Ava spayed?

I couple recommendations I have are:

Get a session with a behaviorist (not a trainer). Depending on where you are located, it may be about $60-80 an hour. What you really need is an assessment. Coordinate a time with the behaviorist to observe what is going on (probably in the morning) and to speak with you about what your daily routine is like and how your pup is acting. Remember, seek out a behaviorist rather than a trainer. While there are those who do both, a "trainer" is more concerned with sit/stay, while a "behaviorist" looks more at the thought process of why the dog is behaving a certain way (more psychological). The difference is kind of like a school teacher vs. a school counselor. 

Also, its never a bad idea to have vet do an exam/ urinalysis. A good behaviorist would probably ask if you've already done that.


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## irishtapbeauty (Jun 21, 2013)

Thank you TRDmom, I appreciate your suggestions


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## irishtapbeauty (Jun 21, 2013)

Thanks Effisia for the suggestions. I only told her that command today, I couldnt think of anything else she would understand. I know its confusing, I just thought if I said no she wouldnt know what it was about. I have thought about taking her out in the middle of the night again, but when I tried it she had already peed her crate by like 2/3am. She just seems to be done trying to hold it in there. Im going to hope a night in the kitchen helps her hold it


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## irishtapbeauty (Jun 21, 2013)

Lupen, She IS able to hold her pee. She can hold it all day when shes inside. She wont hold it in her crate. 

I know no water after 2 is pretty strict but water all day is out of the question. She gets 2-3 full bowls every day, she has more than enough water. But when I give it to her in the evening, she floods her bed. Im talking the lower sides of the plastic are filled an inch with pee after 2 hours of being put to bed. She does this whenever she gets water after 5ish(even thought I walk her at least 4 more times before bed. She pees every time!). So I do give her water sometimes more around 3 or 4 but if she has an early start to her day, I give the final bowl a little earlier. I can't let her have free access to all the water she wants, like some dogs. Even if its in the earlier part of the day, because she will literally not stop drinking. I have tried. She went straight through 2 HUGE bowls of water. She licks the dew off the grass, she just loves water. I have to restrict her. 

I do take her out first thing in the morning, the dog pees before I do. And I said I take her out before bed. And any day Im home she goes out every few hours even if she just plays. When Im not home, I walk her as often as I can. No accidents unless shes left in her crate. I reward her when she goes outside. Thats how she got house broken, and she was crate trained, she just recently reverted. She has to get fixed soon so I will have a vet see her but I really dont think she has any medical problem.


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## Lupen (Jun 17, 2013)

I doubt this is the case, but its worth mentioning..

Some medical issues can cause dogs to drink more water. Higher protein or higher quality foods too, if I'm not mistaken.

I have three dogs that are able to free-drink from a bowl of water. I have one in the house and one outside. I do add a bit of canned food to their food as well, so they get some moisture from there. But generally, all three dogs put together drink about two to two and a half bowls and that's it. 

I know diabetes is one of the medical issues that can cause excessive drinking (and peeing), not sure on others though. Regardless, its better safe than sorry. If it was me Id probably take her into a vet, just for peace of mind.


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## irishtapbeauty (Jun 21, 2013)

Thank you for that info. I will ask the vet when i see her


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

That does sound like an excessive amount of urine. I would also suggest a visit to the vets.

Where is the crate? If it's not already next to your bed, where the nightstand would be, I would put it there. If she is giving any signals that she needs to go out, you need to be able to hear her. Dog often don't want to make a mess when they feel like they are in our territory, so being so close to where you sleep might help.

The most useful thing I can suggest is to start feeding her in the crate. Most dogs have an instinct not to soil their bed, but as you can see that instinct can sometimes be lost by being raised in a dirty environment. However, your dog may still have her instinct not to soil where she eats. Just toss her kibble all over the floor of the (clean) crate. You want her to start thinking of it as a giant food bowl and not a toilet. To make this even more successful, I would get a new crate, or at least a new crate pan if you have a wire crate. Plastic holds odors and it is just not possible to completely remove the smell so that a dog can't smell it. If you get a new crate, keep this one only for feeding times for a few days to increase the chances of success. So that she already associates it with food before sleeping in it. Then you absolutely need to have the crate by your bed at least until this habit is completely broken with no chances of backsliding. (couple months) Just like people, dogs get on a certain time table and if she's used to going at some point after bedtime she's going to get the urge to go. It's important for you to be able to hear her and take her out. 

Good luck.


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## blenderpie (Oct 5, 2012)

I have a puppy who peed in her crate, too. It started out as a UTI and then she figured "well, I guess this is an okay place to go." The only thing you cab do is break that habit. No half-a$$ing it or the problem will continue. 

You have to take her outside before she gets a chance to go in her crate and finding that sweet spot can be hard. My puppy was much younger when she went through this, so hopefully you get more sleep than I did. I started by waking up every two hours and would still find pee. I kept going down in ten minute intervals and ended up finding out that by taking her out every hour and a half, I could catch her before she went. I gradually started increasing that time by five minutes. If she went, I knew I went too quickly. I was a zombie for a few weeks, but it worked and I didn't have to clean up pee anymore.


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