Peeing in Crate

Question
Hi. I have a new beagle puppy and she is about 5 months old now.   She still seems to be peeing in her crate regularly even though she is let out frequently.   Should a dog of that age be able to have better control over her bladder or do I need to let her out more frequently.  It seems she can't be left in there more than an hour or two without going.  I'm worried she thinks its the "norm" and will continue to do it.   I have two older male beagles and have considered buying one of those larger play pen areas for them to sleep in because I've heard that other dogs can help correct that behavior.  Your thoughts?  Do you think she might have a bladder control issue or urinary infection or something or am I just overreacting?

Answer
Hi, Keith,

You could have a couple of issues going on. One is that the crate is too big. It should only be big enough for her lie down, and maybe turn around in. Anything bigger and the pup can eliminate in one corner and sleep in the other.

If she's been spayed it could be related to the surgical procedure. There's actual a syndrome called spay-related incontinence. This is very unlikely because it usually affects dogs as they get older, not while they're still puppies.

The other possibility is that she's simply a beagle. They take longer to housebreak than other breeds.

Also, any kind of punishment, scolding, "rubbing the dog's nose in it," etc., can set the housebreaking process back considerably.

My feeling is that the crate might be too big. Let me know if that's the case.

LCK