[chantell10]

:rolleyes: So, I have a 3 1/2 month old pitt bull mix puppy, Maddox. I have had him since he was 8 weeks, so about a month and a half. I got him from the local animal shelter. He has had a crate since the first day, but for about the first week, he slept in my bed with me. I realized that for potty training sake, he should be sleeping in the crate. Whether in my bed or in his crate he NEVER poops at night and he can go about 7 hours. I caught him peeing only once when I ignored his whines for too long. At one point, he had two separate areas for pooping and sleeping, with a low divider so he can get over, and puppy pads. He would run all through the poop, get it all over the place, and then tear his puppy pad to shreds. I leave him in there with toys. I even have this one toy that is his favorite (it is a VERY loud squeaky toy) that I will only give him when I leave (so that I don't have to listen to it and he has fun with it). However, every time I leave him in the crate he poops in it. Though he sometimes has to be in there for 5-6 hours, that is rare and he poops in it no matter what the duration of his confinement. He will poop right before he gets in his crate, I will leave for 2 hours, and he will have pooped in it by the time I return. He does seem to like the crate however. He will go in there without having to be carried when he is tired and even when he knows that I am leaving (and trust me, he has figured that out). I have changed its size, cleaned it, moved it, and put all new stuff in it. The vet recommended that I begin to feed him in there, and that has also proved fruitless. Yesterday, I cleaned poop off his dish. A friend of mine told me to leave an article of my clothing in there so he can smell me. I did, even though his crate is in my bedroom and he peed on my shirt!
He goes to the door and scratches when out in the rest of the house, but as soon as I leave, he poops in the crate. I know that he is very attached to me, and this has been another problem. He refuses to poop in front of anyone else when taken outside. I am single, so I am his main source of companionship. He has only pooped outside for my roommate once, though she has stopped letting him out altogether I think and just waits for me to get home. I feel as though I have read everything, taken all advice, and found no solution. If anyone knows of anything that I can do other than be patient, please let me know. I can be patient if I think that he will eventually grow out of it, but only if I think that there is a light at the end of this long poopy tunnel.

[labman]

Exactly what goes on in those furry little heads is hard to say. If you do a Search here, you will find several old threads about bowel movements in a crate. Could you be convinced he is doing it deliberately to protest being crated? If so, it certainly is effective isn't it? Many ''experts'' say no way.

I think the first step is to eliminate the bedding. You might try wood shavings instead. If you do, let me know how it works. Racks do well with small puppies and urine, but often stools stay on top.

Having a good pack structure reduces such problems. 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/. As top dog, you have the right to crate him. It is his place to wait quietly for your return. At his age, keep sessions short, a few minutes for several repetitions. Steal a few minutes several times a day, and in a month people will be marveling what a good little puppy. It is easier to convince the public that the puppy quietly setting at your heel isn't a threat than one that is bouncing at the end of a leash. The public holds some breeds to a higher standard, logical or not.

Watch the squeaky toy. Even now he could easily tear it apart.
The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into
Pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
There to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
Close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
Pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
Chewers such as Labs. What is safe greatly depends on the individual dog. Another way top keep him busy in the crate is a Kong filled with peanut butter. Depending on how food motivated he is, he may stay busy licking it out for hours. Extend the time by freezing it.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
Lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
Foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
Them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
Carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Along with these steps, he should decide a clean crate is nicer. Try not to let it upset you. Just quietly clean him and the crate up. It is hard to hide your emotions from a dog. Just focus on the good times with him. The more upset you are, the better it worked.

[clukkes]

HI,
I have a pitbull mix myself. Huey! Granite I only had him in my arms for about 3 years. He is my husbands dog which he has had him for about 7 1/2 years now. I would be patient and teach him that pooping in the crate is not acceptable... You have to teach him that... he only does it because you are leaving him. My dog poops on the floor when I go to work because he is mad I am leaving him. Since your dog is still a puppy it is a learning game for him. Just keep telling him that you don't poop in your crate.

What is your pitbull mixed with?

[chantell10]

Labman, I have read all of the other posts on pooping in crates, which has helped in at least that I know that I am not alone. My sister and husband have a 1yr old purebred chocolate lab from a breeder and she tried to convince me that he was 'unnaturally' pooping in his crate because he was a pound puppy. I have also read a lot of your replies, which has been helpful (especially because I did not know about the rawhide thing). I have a puppy kong thing somewhere (who knows where that Maddox has hidden it). I will definitely put some pbutter in it. You said to freeze it in one post too, didn't you?
I think that he might be doing this in protest of being crated. Either that or he simply cannot comprehend 'holding it' yet. I am not sure that it is the latter because he will hold it in the car for hours because he loves to be in the car with me. (Then again, I can also watch for clues when he is in the car). After a few days, such as today, when I have more time to spend with him, he does better. I learned very quickly that spanking him is not the answer, as a small tap caused him to refuse to poop in front of me outside for 2 days.
I have definitely become very aware of the bias against pitt bulls in our society since I got him, so I am very sensitive to any aggressive behavior and try to correct it immediately.
Clukkes, Maddox was an owner surrender from a lab mix mom. (But shelters tend to label a lot of things 'lab-mixes' I know).

Thank you both so much for your replies. I will keep practicing my patience.

[clukkes]

Mine also is mixed with lab...

Very good with kids...

[labman]

Yeah, freezing the Kong is a common technique.

One other thing I forgot. Thanks to both of you for adopting mixes. I have visited our local shelter looking for dogs to rescue for the dog guide school. It tears me up knowing so many of the nice dogs will be killed for lack of caring people.

[clukkes]

I will always adopt from shelters!!

[chantell10]

Ditto. He is a fantastic puppy (except for the pooping of course :rolleyes: )