Bladder Issue

Question
QUESTION: I have a Chinese Crested that is about 1 year old.  We've only had him for about 2 months and for the most part, he is house-broken.  He rarely goes in the house when he is playing or just lying around.  The problem comes when he is in his kennel.  Four or five times over the last week or two, he has peed in his "box" and gotten covered with urine.  I have heard that a dog will not go to the bathroom in "their space."  He doesn't drink much water, so this is a worrisome problem.  The vet says that he is healthy.  My wife and I are at a loss of what to do with him.  Thank you for your help.

ANSWER: Allen, how big is his 'box,' and where is it located? Where did you get him from? Is there any bedding/food/water in the box with him? How long is he in there?

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QUESTION: We have two "boxes".  One is big and open and the other is a small travel kennel.  We have tried both and he has peed in both at one time or another.  He was given to us by my Mother-in-law after she only had him a couple of weeks.  He was given to her by a couple that breeds Chinese Cresteds and said that they couldn't sell him b/c he's a powder puff.  I don't know how true all that is but he is a loving an sweet dog.  We do not put anything in the kennel with him.  He stays in the kennel from around 7:00am until 3:00pm every day and he also sleeps in there at night.  We take him out at least 5 times a day when we're home and he'll go 2 weeks or so with no problems.  Then, all of a sudden, he starts peeing in it again.  We watch his water intake and try to keep it down but he still has these bad spells.

Answer
When is he peeing in the crate? Is it while you are at home or away? Do you know how long he's in the crate before he pees in it? Do you think it has anything to do with stress/anxiety? Have you tried leaving a radio or TV on for him? Giving him something to keep him occupied while he's in the crate? Using an exercise pen with the crate inside to teach him that he must come OUT of the crate to go potty (as detailed on my house training page)? Since this is so sporadic, you may have to try the x-pen solution, or purchase a grate of some kind to put in the crate so if he pees, it goes through the slots and he isn't sitting in it.