How can I get my puppy not to poop in her crate? I feel she is doing it on purpose....?

Question

She is fine if she is with me ..she never poops on the couch or the floor or in my bed..only in her crate!!! It is very frustrating...she is doing so well with house breaking but when I put her in her crate it is like she panics and then poops. I dunno if it is anxiety or what. She even does it if I am in the room with her. I dunno what to do.

Answer 1

Did you purchase your puppy at a pet store? If so, it is more then likely that she developed this habit during her stay there. Dogs that are sold in pet stores are basically forced to "do their business" where they eat and sleep, which goes against what a dog really wants to do. So now she may have it in her mind that that is where she is to go.

If you catch her in the act, sternly tell her "no" and move her outside or wherever you're trying to train her to go. Don't discipline her if you don't catch her in the act though.

It may take some time, but eventually she will clue in! Good luck!

Answer 2

I had the same exact problem - I tried the t-shirt thing, did not work. she pooped on it. I decided to leave the crate training until she's a little older. She's so good with all of the rest of the training except this. I took the door off the crate, and put a completely new blanket in there (brand new from the store) and periodically I'll toss some of her favorite toys in there for her to find. Last night was the first time she went in and actually laid down - I was soooo happy! She didn't stay there long, but at least she was submissive.
So, perhaps your puppy will do the same. I wouldn't worry about enforcing the crate if she's doing okay without it.

Answer 3

Have you tried the bell on the door knob trick? Tie a bell on the door that you use to take the dog outside. Every time you take her out, jingle or ring the bell and say let's go potty. After a period of time, maybe a month or less, the dog will go to the door and ring the bell. Be sure the bell is on a long enough string so the dog can reach it. Also you may be leaving her in the crate too long if she is pooping in there. Most dogs won't go in their crates unless they absolutely have to. If the crate is too big for the dog, that may be part of the problem too. Good luck with the potty training and remember to be patient and kind with the little puppy.

Answer 4

I've been through the thrill and mess of several puppies, I'll put here a bit of what I know. I know they are not supposed to poop in their 'bedroom' which is the crate. Apparently pup thinks the crate is outside. For one thing you have to take a pup out to do their business every 15 minutes at first, right after they drink, right after they get a bite, right after they play rough with you...if you're a TV watcher, every commercial.

I would line the crate with newspapers. Lots of layers, just remove the top few with the mess, leaving some below that still have the scent of poop. The crate should be near the door that the pup is supposed to be going out to do the business. Then over the course of a couple weeks, gradually move the papers bit by bit, closer to the door, then out the door, then pup will be pooping on paper even outside. And always say exactly the same words, you pick them, I say, 'go potty, go potty,' over and over. Eventually my pups just pee on command... Also until he is potty trained he should ALways be on leash in the house, always at your side or in the crate. And lastly, get some treats, something really good, I take hotdogs, cut them up in little bits, put in fridge in ziplock, give it to pup only when he does the pooping correctly.

Good luck, it is so worth it to have a doggy friend.

Answer 5

It's unlikely that she's really doing it on purpose; most likely she sees the crate as a scary place to be. Even if she IS doing it on purpose, it's to communicate to you in the only way she can that she is afraid of the crate!

So, the solution is to help her get over her fear of the crate.

First of all, you need to make the crate a positive, welcoming "safe haven" for your puppy. Start by cleaning it thoroughly, so it doesn't smell of her, her fear, her poop, or any other animal that might've ever been in it. Put something soft in it that smells like you -- maybe a soft shirt you've worn recently (that you don't mind losing permanently, she's still likely to make mistakes!)

Next, set the crate near you with the door open. You want her to be able to go in and out freely (when she talks herself into doing so). Put some yummy food in the crate - a bit of cut up meat, or whatever her favorite treat is.

Never, ever scold her when she's in the crate, even if she has made a mistake. You want this to be her safe haven. Praise her and show her love when she shows interest in the crate.

If possible, don't ever close the crate when she's inside it, until she's overcome her fear thoroughly and sees the crate as a good place.

Remember, training is best accomplished by rewarding good behavoir and ignoring bad behavoir. Once she's no longer afraid of the crate, IF she still likes to use it as a bathroom (unlikely), you can start telling her No! and putting her on her puppy pads or taking her outside whenever she goes there -- just as I assume you did when you housetrained her.

Answer 6

We have a large breed dog and when we got him as a puppy we just decided to buy a crate that he could he grow into. The belief is that dogs won't use the bathroom in the place that they sleep. The crate should be like a den for your puppy, a place that's her own and makes her feel safe and comfortable. So with the crate we bought, we were able to section off the crate to give him just enough room to turn around in and lay down, as our trainer advised. This way he was confined to a space with enough room for him to sleep in and not have access to other areas of his crate where he could use the bathroom. As he grew we increased his space until now he fills it out. If you are able, limiting the space in her crate will keep her from using the bathroom in it.

Answer 7

Try putting her in the crate at short periods. Put her in for three or four minutes and immediatly taake her outdoors. Try again and extend the time in the crate by about five minutes or so. When she doesnt poop in the crate, give her a treat when she comes out, but if she poops, no treat and bad girl.

Answer 8

The crate may be too large. A dog shouldn't be pooping in the crate if they feel comfortable with it.

You may want to start over with small intervals of her being in the crate. Give her treats foe behaving well in the crate and give her lots of toys and lots of praise!

Answer 9

BEEN THERE, CLEAN UP AFTER IT! ;)

Sounds like your dog has separation anxiety. This may sound silly but here's what you do. Take an old t-shirt that you don't care about and sleep in it one night. The next day put the tshirt on the dog when you put it in the kennel. Make sure to tie it so that it stays on and can't get wrapped around and hurt the dog. This keeps your scent next to the dog which is comforting. When you get home, let your dog out and praise him/her for being good. DON'T use the kennel as a punishment. It needs to be looked at as her/his place in the home where he/she can be alone and safe.

I know this sounds strange but it worked for me and now my greyhound LOVES her kennel.

Good luck. :)

Answer 10

Geez I hate crates!! I really do!
Please, put yourself in the bathtub with the shower doors shut and stay in there for however many hours you are leaving your poor puppy in there for.
And a puppies emotional and attachment type needs are very moldable now...
So let your puppy know that you love her and ditch the crate and have her learn by being by your side....like she should be.
Unless you have to go to work, in that case you probably shouldn't have gotten a puppy if you have to leave it in a crate.
Really, if you have to put your new baby best friend in the whole wide world in a crate then you are too busy to have her.
Sorry for the reality..