Help! I have a 1 year old male (neutered) Boston Terrier who started pooping and peeing in his cage. I take him out every couple hours, and just before bed time. He has to sleep in his crate at night because he eats anyhing and everything if not supervised. His crate is the perfect size, and he has been crate trained since puppyhood, but just the past few weeks, he won't hold it. What's going on? Can anyone help?? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

It could be a matter of challenging you for leadership as he ages. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. 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 Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete (http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/) For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss (http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm)

It is strange, neither I nor the many people I know that have dogs or the people that write books have ever heard of it, but there are several questions a week here about it, and sometimes ones on another site. See https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/ma...te-136806.html I really don't have an answer, and nobody else seems to either. Dogs will eliminate under stress. I think the stress of being confined and left alone causes it. Read through the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802 as I suggest in the other thread. Laying down by the crate before leaving may work. The peanut butter in the Kong may help. Walking around outside to stimulate bowel movements might help, but they always seem to have more when they need it. Go ahead with the leadership exercises I included in my other answer. You could try covering the crate with something he couldn't pull in and shred. That would make it more den like reducing the stress of being exposed in an open cage. Leave some opening to see out of. It should also help to contain the mess.
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