Help with my 5month old pup and crating/peeing

[Nipnlap]

I have a five month old Labradoodle. He is doing really well with house training and only has accidents when we screw up and aren't paying attention to his cues. He has hated his crate from day one but I felt it was important so I've been working with him. I fed him in the crate, made sure their wasn't too much room, gave him a special treat that he only gets in his crate. I eventually brought the crate into my bedroom after many sleepless nights and he has slept much better at night. He gets up once or twice to pee and goes right back to his crate to sleep. During the day he typically is in his crate for about two hours in the morning and then is usually out of his crate the rest of the day. During those two hours he does not pee in the crate although i believe he does whine for a while when i leave. Once or twice a week he'll spend some time in the crate in the early afternoon and is fine. The problem is when we have an activity in the evening. Anytime we are gone during the evening hours he pees in his crate. I always give him exercise before we go out and make sure he's gone potty. So I'm not understanding why he does this when I know he can hold it for the two or three hours we are gone. Any suggestions on what we can do to help out little guy? Thanks!

[deepnite10]

welcome to the site..

as our doodles grow up we ve all got a hump that seems just very difficult to get over..otherwise its just bliss..

i have a 15 yr old saluki that still pees when left alone in a room, as when a service person is fixing something in the house..and when the wife is alone with her..

first it could be just seperation anxiety..she has nt gotten use to idea that when you leave, that you won t return..then there s the need of attention..Though the dogs are far from being puppies
they have not had the opportunity to spend extended seperations from us..

when my saluki pees in a closed room..im imagining she s saying *i want some company..or with the wife *pay attention to me*..

both are behavioral problems that can be addressed easily..with your vet., trainer or further discussion..

since i spend alot of time with the dogs..i rarely encounter these problems and have nt seen a huge need to address the problem..

with 4 dogs, sometimes 5 dogs in the house..they all accept me as the alpha..but, the saluki..though she does follow after me..when the wife is home she really want s to follow after her while the others will come to me..

[Nipnlap]

Thanks. I was kind of thinking it might be some type of separation anxiety. Guess we'll see how he progresses. Thanks for your help.

[deepnite10]

maybe my dogs living enviorment is unique..they re never alone..either im there and when im gone there s strong alpha that takes over..so the dogs never feel neglected..they pretty much have the run of the house when left to their own..

but, dogs alone may exhibit seperation anixety..though there no obedience problems..they ll suffer a loneliness just as child would..unless a child is used to the idea that your going to leave the room, go outside to do chores..they re going to me more assured if they can see or hear your presense..

i would nt just crate him if your going to leave the house..let him know that the crate is a safe place of comfort even when your home..is used to crate Toby when the vaccum was on..now when i clean he goes upstairs to the place where the crate used to be and just lay there till he know s im done..

main thing is to let them know that the crate is just not some place they have to be in if your going to leave them..they re going to think its more of a punishment that reward..

[lindamarie]

He gets up once or twice to pee and goes right back to his crate to sleep.

Do you take water away at a certain time like at least a few hours before you go to bed? At 5 months, the dood should be able to hold on and not go outside duing the night. I think the standard rule for holding it is 1 hour per month old. Yet, if you take the water away and make sure he pees before bed, he should be able to go through a good 8 hrs.
I know.....you didn't even ask this question, but I was just wondering. It's hard on you to get up every night.

As far as the crate urinating, it does seem to show signs of separation anxiety OR once again.....how soon after drinking water is he put in there?
Although dogs should always have fresh water available, sometimes when you're leaving you have to limit it and make sure he pees.
At 5 months, your doodle should be able to wait a good 5 hours, so it does seem like he's "getting even" or is nervous, lonely etc.

This will all change.......it's temporary and soon you'll be just fine.

[Nipnlap]

Yes, lindamarie, it is hard on me to get up every night! It just dawned on me last night actually before i read your post that he should be able to go at least five hours because of his age. he's had some diahrea problems so I'm afraid he has to go during the night, which he usually does go poo at three in the morning. How do I change that? I'll definitely start ignoring the crying and see how long he can go. Indo limit his water intake after 7:30 but I don't really do that when I go out in the evening because I don't want to limit it twice!

Deepnite10, I was also thinking that yesterday too. That I need to put him in the crate when I am home and leave the room. How would I start that? Put him in there and just come back into the room every few minutes? His crate is in our bedroom because he wasnt sleeping at night downstairs by himself. So his crate is not in a central location.

Thanks so much for you help!!

[deepnite10]

i stop d using the crate after he was potty trained..its just my style that the dogs have the free roam of the house..knowing that there are some area that are off limits..

i actually had to remove the crate from the house cuz Toby became so attached to it..he cried on the first couple hrs. after i put him in..he saw me and wanted to be with me..so i put a blanket over the front of the crate so he could nt see me..and left the tv on and he just calmed down..

and taking him out every hr. to potty kept seperation anxiety from setting in..

YES..this is a great place to get information..all of the dogs have so much in common..and yet they don t always repond the same to training..everyone has a story to share..and if one solution does nt work another will..

[deepnite10]

lindamarie is correct about not feeding or giving them water for a couple hrs.actually it was 3 hrs for Toby befor it was time for bed..after a few days this action signals them also, that its near bed time for everyone..

and about 30 to 40 mins. befor actually going to bed there s that final trip outside to potty..i loved the fact it was so cold and wet at the time..Toby hated being out in that kind of weather so it took only a few trips outside for him to get the idea that if he did potty, he was nt going to get to come back inside..of course i was out there with him too..