crate training/house training

Question
How do i crate train my boxer, we have been working on this for months now. she is approximatley 6 months old and will go in her crate but she will use the bathroom in the crate, wether i have a divider in there or not. We make sure she;doesn't goes outside before we put her in there and has exercise, it doesn't matter if she is in the crate for a half hour or 6 hrs. I'm at a loss on what to do and i cannot leave her out because as soon as i leave she eats and chews anything she can reach and she will pee on my couch. What do i do??

Answer
Hi Lindsay,
I certainly do feel for you and your problem with your puppy.  I recently fostered an 11 week old boxer pup, and while she was much younger the problems were just as frustrating, unfortunately there is no quick fix, and lots of time and training will be needed to fix the issue at hand.

At this point especially it will be more difficult for you as it has been a few months and she is still used to soiling her crate and household. A major reason for house training accidents that many people overlook is boredom. Dogs who are bored often drink large amounts of water and have to go more often than you might think. If you notice your dog drinking a lot, be sure to take him out more often, and provide plenty of toys and other distractions to eliminate boredom.

Boredom is the root cause of many dog behavior problems, not just house training issues. Chewing and other destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation anxiety. Another reason crate training may fail is if your boxer is not properly introduced to her crate. In some cases dogs can react to the crate as if it is a prison or a punishment. Signs of anxiety, such as whining, chewing and excessive barking might occur as a result. It is so important for your boxer to feel secure in his crate, and to think of it as a home and not a cage.  Just because your boxer will go into her cage does not mean she enjoys it.

At this point i would use positive reinforcement basically start over with her training.  Until she is fully housetrained, she will still have accidents.  If you catch her in the act tell her a firm "no" and pick her up an place her outside and tell her to go there.  When she does go outside praise her and give her a treat.  With time she will learn that when she goes outside she gets rewarded.  No dog wants to soil in their crate/sleeping area but boredom and anxiety and improper training can cause them to.  Pick a training regime and stick to it, despite any slip ups along the way.  If after consistent training she still refuses to learn to go outside you should look deeper into separation anxiety as she could be relieving herself due to the stress of your departure.