I have a 5 month old Amstaff that I've had for about 1 1/2 months. I am 8 months pregnant and am home all the time. I think my puppy has gotten a little to used to being around me all the time. I want to go back to work after the baby so I decided to buy the dog a crate to start training him to be in there when no one is home. He is very good about going potty outside and never having accidents in the house when someone is home but no matter what will go both pee and poop if we leave him here alone, even if it's for an hour and let him out before we leave. He'll go in his crate then get it all over him, and I can't seem to get him not too. I really need this problem solved before I go back to work because I don't want to come home everyday with having to give the dog a bath and cleaning the whole crate( which is about a 1-2 hour job). Please help!

I see many similar questions here and in other forums. Some experts disagree, but I think it is a way of protesting being left alone. Dogs are social animals, wanting to be a part of a pack like wolves. At 5 months, he may think it is time to start going out hunting with the adults. 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/. You really need to have a good pack order established before the baby comes, so he accepts it as another pack member to be protected. Dominate adults have the right to add new pack members, and the rest of the pack accepts them. If you neuter him soon, it should help too.

Between establishing your right to leave him alone, and finding out all it accomplishes is making life miserable for him, I think if you continue the crate, he will accept it before long. Let him do without bedding. Instead fit the crate with a rack. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. The rack will at least keep him dry. In all but the coldest weather, the best way to deal with a fouled crate is to haul it outside and hose it off. Stand on end to dry, and that miserable job is done. Maybe put him outside until he dries a little, and then give him a good brushing. When he sees punishing himself as something you cope with and not working, he should give up.

I had a similar experience with my puppy when we tried to crate train him. No matter what - he would go in the crate when left alone along with constant barking. Our vet told us that it was most likely caused by anxiety because he was also used to being with us constantly. We no longer use the crate because it just really wasn't working. To reduce anxiety when we do leave, the vet suggested that the puppy not be able to see us leave the house. You may wanty to try facing the crate away from the door and not giving him too much attention before leaving or when you return. I hope this helps! If it doesn't get better soon or gets worse you should see your vet. Our puppy started vomiting while we were gone too - he is now on medication for separation anxiety and is doing much better!

Is there another place you can contain the dog when you leave the house? Put a gate across the kitchen doorway or something like that? I personally would never put a dog in a cage (crates as others refer to them). I live alone and need my dog for protection and should it be caged and someone tried to break in what would be the point of having a watch dog in the first place? A burglar would laught their heads off seeing a big dog locked in a cage. A lot of people like cages (crates) I do not. They seem to work well for wild animals at a zoo and pet birds.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestional blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.

Hi
I had posted a question a while back about my puppy going to the bathroom in her crate, too. Everything that I've done to this point only helps for a few days, then she's right back to her old ways. I've switched her food, gotten her on a good feeding schedule, and have even created a "dog room" for her and my other dog to share so she is never alone. We've left the radio on, lights on, etc. and nothing has solved the problem. She is crate trained, but I also tried leaving her in the bathroom during the day - she shredded the toilet paper, tissues, trash, and smeared poop all over the walls and floor. What a MESS!! Have also tried just leaving her in the dog room with the other dog, but she still finds things to chew up. So, she's back to her crate while alone. I am going to try the DAP diffusors (like Feliway for cats, but this is for dogs) - it's supposed to help calm anxious dogs and help with their behavior problems such as going to the bathroom inside. I love Feliway, so I'm hoping this helps. We also have a PhD dog behaviorist in the area, and I'm planning on getting her out for a home consult soon. If I can't get this resolved, she's going to have to find a new home! It is very frustrating having to scrub a crate (and the walls and floor around it) and bathe a dog every day!
Sorry for the news of my bad experience, but it seems there isn't anything easy (or cheap) to do to help with this problem!
Good Luck

First of all don't get an animal if you are expecting them to be perfect and never have any problems! Just like your own children, they can get upset or just have some problems that you have trouble correcting. You are an IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNER if you get an animal and return it, and you should never get one again. DON'T GET ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE if you are not ready for the responsibility!

Back to the question at hand:
My little dog was having separation problems and would pee and poop in his crate while I was at work. I came home to find him a mess! It was disgusting, always having to clean him and clean the crate. I tried the safe room, everything! What I finally ended up doing was adopting another dog. A friend for him. Now my little dog has a little sister and doesn't feel the separation anxiety so much. As a result, the crate is now clean and I no longer hear the crying and whining in the crates. My 2 dogs absolutely love each other!

Please check the dates on posts, the OP has only posted once which was the original question and hasn't returned since 2004