German Shepherds night crate training

Question
We have an 8 month old female german shepherd.  She is trained, but lately at night she has been messing her crate.  Doesn't poop every night, but at least 2-3 times per week.  Any suggestions on how to get her out of this habit.  She also jumps up on me and won't listen to my "no", but will listen to my husband.

Answer
I would have the vet check her.  If she isn't spayed, you can expect all sorts of aberrant behavior as her first season approaches.  

You need to let her know you outrank her.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Consistently is very important in correcting jumping and other problems. Quickly correcting him each and every time he jumps on somebody is very important. He must never get the affection he wants. A number of things have been used. One of the most gentle is to grab his front paws and hold him up. The traditional knee to the chest or step on his paws are fading from use. As part of the the trend away from negative methods, just step backwards leaving his front feet to fall to the floor. After a few tries, the dog may just stand there looking confused.