How do I stop my dog from peeing in his kennel?

Question

My dog is 2 years old and housebroken, but if I put a blanket, towel or pillow in his kennel, he pees on it. Simple solution would be to not give him a towel, but I heard dogs were suppose to have some sort of padding so they don't have to lay on the hard ground. The vet said he doesn't have anything wrong with him and I only leave him in there 2 to 3 hours at a time, which isn't too long. I feed him in his kennel b/c I thought that might help, but it hasn't.

Answer 1

Some dogs prefer sleeping on a hard surface. Leave the blanket out; he'll be fine. You can try reintroducing something soft in a few months and see what happens.

Answer 2

Actually it is very hard to say if any of the above solution suggestions will actually help the problem. I have dealt with may dogs in my time with this problem, and dogs (not common knoledge to most people with the idea of "mans best friend") are very messy animals. They find pride in rolling in thier own feces and urine....and the more sought after dead animal carcass and garbage. He just wants his own smell to be in his space. Thats what it soulds like to me. The more you clean it, the more he will urinate/deficate in his area. And another solution you could use for the towel/blanket, try not washing it with soap. The smell of the soap is offencive to him, and he wants to neutralize this offence, with the scent of him, which he probably conciders the most beautiful smell in the world.

Most dogs will just mark this territory once, or twice, to let everyone else know to stay away from it. if he is urinating in there constantly though thinking it is his bathroom, you might have to re-potty train him. But this still might not eliminate him urinating in his crate forever. Like i said, he wants to smell like him, and thats the best way he knows how.

As for padding. It is not necissary. Thier bodies are built differently from ours: meanning they are equipt for laying on harder surfaces. Although in the wild, thier wolf cousins will line thier dens and sleeping areas with dead grass and leaves, so i dont suggest making your pup lie on the hard plastic base.

And if you feed him in the kennel, it confuses him as to what the exact purpose of the kennel is (it now being a place of food and treats, rather than a place of sleep and quiet attitude). This could put a stump on any other training you are doing, or risk the training you have done with him in the past for the kennel. (Dogs, dont care if urine or fecal mattar contaminates thier food, so this will not make him think twice about peeing on his bed)

Answer 3

Try reducing the amount of area that the dog has to roam around the cage. There should be just enough room for the dog to lay down. Chances are that a dog is not going to make a mess in the cage if they have to be right next to it for an extended amount of time.

Answer 4

The simple solution will work the best just do not put towels or blankets in the crate. The dog will be fine without them plus less mess to clean.

Answer 5

Usually dogs will not mess in their "space" unless that instinct have been over-ridden by trauma, bad training, or a health issue.

Some males "mark" their space by urinating on or around it, especially if there are other dogs in the household.

Some dogs, too, get stressed when confined to a crate and urinate spontaneously.

To help your dog, make sure that the crate is never used as a "punishment", and give the dog ample opportunity to empty his bowels / bladder BEFORE confining him to the crate.