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    luvmydoxie86's Avatar
    luvmydoxie86 Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jan 18, 2006, 10:16 AM
    Why does my Dachshund poop in his crate?
    I have a 8 month old puppy (Bailey) that is perfect in every way except that he poops in his crate. He never has accidents in the house. He sleeps with us at night, all night with no problems. When we go to visit his brother that DOES NOT go in his crate, Bailey holds it all day while they are crated next to each other. He went for a whole week without going in his crate while we were visiting, but as soon as we got home he started doing it again.
    He goes potty before and after he is crated. There have been several times that I was only gone 30 min. and he pooped while I was gone.

    I do not know what to do with him.
    Please help.:confused:
    labman's Avatar
    labman Posts: 10,580, Reputation: 551
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    #2

    Jan 18, 2006, 11:07 AM
    That is a question that keeps coming up. I have learned nothing since giving the answer below to somebody else a few weeks ago. My conclusion is that it is the dog's way of protesting being left in the crate by itself.

    It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy
    Wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
    Household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home,
    Other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The
    Only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be
    Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
    Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
    Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
    Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
    Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
    In a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
    A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

    Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
    Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
    Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

    Likely it will cry the first few nights in the crate. I have never had much
    Luck with the old clock or radio tricks. What I do is lay down by the crate
    Like I was going to sleep there. Usually a puppy may fuss a little, but then
    Settle down and go to sleep. Once it is asleep, you can get up and go to bed. I don't know if the lying down trick will work in this case or not. I can't say whether the dog has a bowel movement to protest being left in the crate or it is just because of the stress of being left alone. I read the smaller crate makes a big difference in some cases, but neither I nor some others see much difference. One thing that can make a big difference is a rack in the crate. They are more effective for keeping a puppy up out of urine, but stools do fall through too. Clean up is much easier if the puppy hasn't laid down in it. Racks are available with the crates, or you can make one out of closely spaced wire closet shelves.

    You need to stand your ground on the crate. If she wins the battle of the crate, you can expect more challenges. Do not make the mistake of not obedience training her. Small dogs need it as much or more than larger dogs. Otherwise they can turn into 4 legged Napoleons. 10 weeks is much too early for class, but not training. Keep sessions short, only a few repetitions at a time. 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/.

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