soiling the crate

Question
We have had our puppy now for just over 2 months and he is a schnoodle who is almost 5 months now.  Since day one, he has been placed in his crate at night without any problems.  Now in the last week, he has peed twice in his crate, and this has NEVER been a problem even when he was younger.  Can you help me to please figure out why this has just started happening out of the blue and how I would correct this behaviour.  I am really desperate as otherwise he is a good dog and knows to "go potty" outdoors.

Answer
I see many similar questions, but have never had the problem.  Much of what I read says it won't happen.  Step 1 is a visit to the vet.  You can't train a dog out of a physical problem.  

Exactly what goes on in those furry little heads is hard to say.  Could you be convinced he is doing it deliberately to protest being crated? If so, it certainly is effective isn't it?  You can defeat it with a rack.  Skip the
bedding.  At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
hazards.  A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
accidents or intentionals. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper.

He may be challenging you for top dog status.  The 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/