Any tips on how to prevent 4 month old puppy from urinating in crate?

Question

The puppy is in the crate for about 8-9 hours each day and some days she holds it and other days she refuses. I'm told by the vet, she should not be urinating in the crate at that age, even from that number of hours, and should already have learned to hold it rather than laying in her own urine.

I don't put water in the crate and try to prevent her from drinking heavily in the AM before crating her. Nothing is put in the crate (no towels, etc.) and the crate is not too large, maybe on the too small side.

Any thoughts or suggestions on how we can break this bad habit? Getting tired of bathing her all the time. Our 3 yr. old dog (same breed - English Cocker Spaniel) never had this problem.

Most of you people are so judgemental and believe that I'm actually being cruel to our puppy, when in fact the vet and our breeder say it is not unrealistic.

The breeder is an AKC registered breeder and shows her dogs for a living. Believe me when I say she wouldn't have given us the dogs had she thought we were cruel to them.

However, my wife and I do have jobs 1-1.5 hours roundtrip, so somedays a trip to the house is impossible. First off, I hear of people doing this to their puppies quite often and for your information I do let her out over lunch once or twice per week. We are now trying to train her to hold it. She is just having a few more issues than the other. This is not animal cruelty. Trust me, these dogs get a ton of love/affection.

As for the water, she gets water when she wants it when she is out, it isn't available in the crate b/c I don't want her to play with it.

Thanks to those who actually attempted to help, and to the others, thanks for nothing.

Answer 1

8-9 hours is a little long for a young dog but it's not unreasonable (I've known two occasions where dogs were asked to hold themselves for twelve hours). When house-breaking (I also use a crate) my dogs, I make sure not to give them more water than what's required to take the edge off their thirst one to two hours before crating. A very good idea is to take the dog out and supervise to make sure it relieves itself (even if this means you have to stand there and tell the dog to 'Go Potty' for fifteen mintues).

After that, put it in a crate that allows it just enough room to turn around and lay down. Dogs who are given plenty of room to stretch out will just as often sleep in a ball (it's the equivalent of a human sleeping on their side as opposed to their back)-- I've seen it literally THOUSANDS of times in both a kennel and in roomy crates. If you give the dog enough room to stretch out from the start, it will mess the crate regularly. As the dog's reliablility improves, increase the amount of space it has to sleep until six months of no-mess, at which point you can change the sleeping arrangements however you like. After twelve months with no accidents, your dog is house-broken.

If this doesn't work: your dog may have bladder control issues, especially considering that she's pure-bred.

And take this from a fellow dog-lover, breeder, and professional dog handler: you're not being cruel by insisting that the dog follows your rules. People who have those notions let their pets run the house and they tend to clean up a lot of messes and only too often, they get mauled because they don't give the dog any restrictions.

Good luck!

Answer 2

From my experience with my wifes welsh springer spaniel. We have crated her since she was three months old. She would urinate in her crate. The way that we solved the problem was to not offer her water unless she ate or had been outside running around. But always had her go poop and pee before coming in. The way we acomplished that was to pick a word to say ever time she went poop or pee. Ever time she goes at the time. Then when its time to go in side or up for the night. We would take her out and say the word and she would go right thier in front of us. That way we could crate her for long hours. like for work or we are just out on the town. Are method has worked for us so well thier have been times when we go out and dont come home till the next morning and she has not urinated in the crate. Thats about a total of 15 hours in the crate. Its been working for the last two years. So good luck.

On the other hand are you sure that she is urinating while you are gone. Young dogs are known to urinate when excited. So maybe when you are coming home you are exciting her. if thats the case when you get home just open the crate and let her outside without saying a word or touching her.

Answer 3

Why on earth did you get a puppy if you knew it was going to be crated for 8-9 hours per day. Your puppy can not hold it that long and shouldn't have to try. That's like telling a 2 year old he has to hold it for that long. You should consider yourself lucky and your dog is wonderful if he ever managed to hold it that long.
Water should never not be offered. You are not giving your puppy water for 8-9 hours of the day and keeping him in a crate that you admit is maybe on the too small side for that same time frame during the day.
Take a second and think about life from your puppies point of view. I think you will realise that life in general from his standpoint, pretty much sucks. How would you like to be locked in a small closet at noon(without any water)at noon and not letting you out till 8 or 9 at night? I don't think you would be very happy about life in general so why care if your'e laying in pee?

Answer 4

For a 4 month old puppy that is to long in a crate. Its not recommended to crate a puppy longer then 4 hours at a time.
For a totally housebroken adult 8-9 hours is a bit on the long side as well.
I have 2 dogs and have never crated either longer then 5 hours. Since the age of about 1 year they can be left alone in the house,without making messes or destroying things, for as long as 8 hours.

Answer 5

First of all...change Vets!!! He or she is dead wrong!...a little 4 month old pup cannot "hold it' for 8 to 9 hours! I can't even hold it for 8 to 9 hours...that's the worst advice I have ever heard a Vet give..shame on them! You also need to take some responsibility here too.... that is way too long to keep a pup of that age confined to a crate! Puppies that age need to "go potty" approximately every 3 to 4 hours until they develop some bladder control.If you must confine your pup when you are not home, that's fine, but see if you can have some one let her out at 3 to 4 hour intervals .Also, you must keep water in her crate, even at night. She also must have a larger crate where she can move around a bit.. or an X-pen, where she can have much more room but still be safe..She should consider the crate or pen, her safe haven, not a torture chamber.

Answer 6

I'm not sure who told you that they should be able to hold it for that long, but that is a pretty long time to hold it. My guess is that she isn't doing it on purpose but some days she can't make it. Age is the only thing that will help with this.

Also, 8-9 hours is a long time to spend in a crate. Can you not work out some other way to keep her? A large fenced in area in the backyard during the day? Or come home on your lunch breaks?

she MUST have water in the crate. Fresh water needs to be offered all day!

Answer 7

I had the same problem! My female is now about 8 months old, but she always used to pee in her crate, and it made me so mad!! But 1st of all, 8-9 hours is too long, I don't know why your vet would tell you it isn't, it is!! You are not supposed to leave her in there for more than 5 hours at that age!! 5 months old- 6 hours(max), 6 months- 7 hours (max), etc, My vet had told me this and I do a lot of research on my dogs, daily! My boyfriend and I both work full-time, 9-5, so I know it can be nearly impossible to help the situation, but my boyfriend comes home on his lunch break to let the dogs out, and if it weren't for him doing that, I don't know what we'd do! You should see if you can get someone to let her out around lunch time, I bet it would help!! The only other thing I can advise is to monitor what she eats!! My female puppy eats anything she can find, anything!! And this can cause a bladder infection, making it extremely hard for her to hold it, its a bit painful and you can't blame her! Try giving her some cranberry juice to flush out any infection she could have and see if this helps. Good Luck

Answer 8

alright, most people have the right idea. for a puppy as young as that, she cant hold it that long. maybe get a slight size up on the crate, but they should be only big enough for your dog to turn around in. try and get her to drink water and urinating before you put her in the crate. put a towel on the bottem of it, so its more comfey. (and when she does urinate it will help clean up the mess XD) age will help this problem. but sometimes not. my dog is half cocker spaniel and still urinates in the crate. but find a room or place that she wont urinate and leave her in there.

Answer 9

8-9 hours is not an acceptable time for a puppy to "hold it".

Because one dog was able to do it does not mean that all dogs and breeds are able to do this.

And no water in the crate? That's downright horrible.

If you cannot properly take care of your animals, give them to somebody who will. Or read a GD book for christ sake.

Wtf is wrong with people?

Answer 10

first of all I like to slap that vet in the head second why is this dog created up for 8 to 9 hrs.are you nuts in the head you can get locked up for crultie to animals if some one turns you in let the dog out put news papers in and start taking the dog out side to learn to pee out side and find a new vet he sounds like a fool and to read 8 to 9 hours with no water your on a path to kill this puppie 4 mos. old it's still a puppie you ain't right in the head