Crate Trainnig

Question
Thank you for you reply.  We were told that if she has to much room in her crate, she would be more likely to go in the crate.  So we sectioned off enough room for her to lay in.  And yes, she does go on her bedding.  She is only two and 1/2 months old.  As she gets older, we have the option of giving her more room in her crate.  I got her from a breeder in Tennesee.  She kept her inside, but did not get to work with her a lot on potty training.  
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Followup To
Question -
I recently got a Siberian Husky.  She is great. My boyfriend and I got her two weeks ago.  I've been feeding her Purina 1- Puppy Chow.  I feed her once in the moring for 15 min. Once at lunch for 15min and once in the evening for about 30 min. I usually take her out about 45 minutes after she eats.  She is starting to grasp the idea that she needs to go outside to use the potty. She is an inside dog.  I only have to crate her up when I go to work. She has a small section to lay in (enough room to lay down, and turn around).  She constanly goes "#2" in her crate.  I let her out in the mornings to use the potty(I go out with her).  Some mornings she poops, other's she doesn't.  Either way, she poops in her crate.  I leave her in her crate for about 4 hours. I come home for lunch at the same time everyday to take her out and feed her.  With out fail, she 'goes' in the crate.  It is very frustrating.  We praise her and give her a treat when she does 'go' outside.  We keep toys in her crate so she has something to play with.  I'm not sure how to break this habit.  Can you help???

Krista
Answer -
Hi, Krista, and congrats on your puppy! I am a little confused by what you said about her crate. You said, "She has a small section to lay in (enough room to lay down, and turn around)." Is she going #2 ON her bedding, or is the crate large enough to accomodate her when she is full grown?

Where did you and your boyfriend get her? That may also play a role in deciding how to go about solving the problem of her messing in her crate.

How old is she now? As a general rule, puppies can hold their bladder for about as many hours as they are months old (for example, if she is 4 months old, she should be taken out to pee at least every 4 hours), and they go #2 within 20min. of eating.

You may want to start taking her out sooner after she eats, and make SURE she pees AND goes #2, and that she FINISHES! Sometimes puppies get distracted and do not finish, and when they are no longer distracted, they will finish. When you take her out to use the bathroom, be as boring as you possibly can. Take her out to the designated potty area and just stand there. You should preferably have her on a 4 or 6 foot leash so she cannot wander too far. Do not talk to her, look at her, or move from the spot you stop in. If you can, pick a spot where there are no bushes or anything to get her attention. Stand there until she goes to the bathroom. She will probably pee first; when she is through, then lavish the praise on her. Tell her what a good girl she is in a high-pitched, happy tone of voice, and at that point you can move around a bit. Walking stimulates the bowels, so it's ok to play with her for a minute or two after she pees. Stick to just a minute or two, though, and then go to the designated potty area and be boring again until she goes #2. Wait until after she's completely finished, and then praise her and play again before taking her inside.  


You may want to consider changing her food. Purina products are notorious for causing loose stools. A few better-quality foods to consider include:

Nutro Natural Choice
Solid Gold
Wellness
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
Nature's Recipe
Premium Edge

If you cannot get any of these foods in your area, or if you have a question about any foods that you have seen on the shelves in your area, please let me know.

And don't forget to get back to me with the answers to MY questions! I look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Kristen


Answer
Thanks for getting back to me. Ok, so it's NOT that she has too much room in her crate and that's why she's going potty in there. Again, I'm thinking you just need to keep her on a schedule, take her out within 20 minutes of her eating, and make sure she goes #1 and #2 and finishes before you take her back in. 99% of the time, when puppies soil their bedding over and over again, it is because they were not kept in clean conditions before the new owners got them. Instinct tells them not to use the bathroom on their bedding, but if their area isn't kept clean, they soon learn that it's no use, and will start to use the bathroom wherever they happen to be. Puppies that are kept in a constantly clean environment do not have this problem. Now, please don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to badmouth your breeder or anything. I'm just simply letting you know one of the causes for the problem you're having.

Shelter puppies and pet store puppies are two more examples. A lot of times, shelters are under-staffed and the dogs are forced to go in their cages because there aren't enough people to keep them on a good schedule. Puppies in pet stores come from "puppy mills." Puppy mills are places where someone usually keeps many different breeds of dogs, and breeds them over and over just to make money off the puppies. These places could care less what dogs they breed, and so, rather than breeding only the very best examples of the breed, they breed dogs that are less than suitable for breeding. This is why there are so many health and genetic problems proliferating amongst dog breeds nowadays - it's because of indescriminate breeding practices with no regard for the dogs - with all the emphasis on making money instead of improving the breed. Do a search for puppy mill on www.google.com or www.yahoo.com to learn more.


I think all of the advice I gave in my original response still holds true. I still think a food change will help as well. And again, if there's anything else you'd like to add, or ask, please feel free!

Kristen