Boxer puppy

Question
I have a boxer puppy 10 weeks old and we are trying to crate her slowly. She
goes in willingly during the day and already sleeps through the night and
wakes sometimes to go pee but then goes back in the crate and sleeps
through. We are thrilled but the problem we have is when we crate her during
the day and leave. We have tried a few times and have been gone no longer
then 1 hour she poops in her crate. The crate is not too big or small. I make
sure that she has gone the the bathroom and that she is ready to nap after a
big walk. I get the feeling she is not happy and wants us to know it. What can
I do to change this behavior?

Answer
Hi Janine,

It's great your puppy is being such a good student about crate training!

The problem with her having accidents in the crate during the day might be the length of time you're leaving her in the crate. Puppies under 4 months of age have little bladder or bowel control. Puppies under 3 months have even less.

The standard crating duration guidelines for puppies are:

9-10 Weeks - Crate approx. 30-60 minutes
11-14 Weeks - Crate approx. 1-3 hours
15-16 Weeks - Crate approx. 3-4 hours
17 + Weeks - Crate approx. 4+ (6 hours maximum)

A good rule of thumb is that the maximum number of hours a dog should remain in the crate is its age in months plus one. For instance, a 2-month-old puppy should never be crated more than 3 hours without a bathroom break.

Until your puppy is a little older, and can "hold it" a little longer, maybe set your puppy up in a part of a room (with the help of a child gate or two) and lay a thick layer of newspaper over the floor of entire containment area. Continue to crate your puppy when you're at home, and during the over night.
Another option would be to have a friend or family member come home at some point during the day to take your puppy outside.

You can read more about crate training here:

http://life.familyeducation.com/dogs/pets/45659.html

Hope that helps!
Patti