Our vizsla is 13 weeks old and we are having a really hard time with him pooping/peeing in his crate. He is in his crate while we are at work and he always has a peeing accident in his cage by the time we get home and more recently now is pooping in his crate. We have the wire crate and also have a divider in it, but it doesn't seem to help him in the fact that he shouldn't go to the bathroom there. He usually freaks out so bad that he is walking all around it, getting it on himself and stomping in onto the bottom of the crate. He is also crying so bad that his gruff is soaking wet.

He is doing good with the potty training when he is outside of the crate, but we are having such a hard time with coming home to a mess we don't know what else to do. He is in puppy kindergarten, however its not helping with the crate training! Please help!

Just exactly how long is he being caged each day? I asked that as sneeringly as I could because it sounds like the kid is suffering from separation anxiety. 13 weeks is awfully young to be cooped up for an extended period. Is there a way to arrange for him to be in a yard with a shelter while you work? Ideally a fenced yard with access to a garage or doghouse would let him be a puppy while you're gone.

Hi, here is a response that I've written from another post, but I feel so bad for your pup, I just had to respond:

I have a 4 month old Yorkie Mix that I tried crate training and it didn't work. I got him at 8 weeks old and After a couple of days of finding poop in the crate and him lying on it, I decided to do it another way. I knew the pup was raised in a baby playpen so he did everything in the same confined place such eat, poop, play, etc... I think this kind of screwed up his natural instincts of not pooping where he sleeps. At night when I couldn't keep a close eye on him, I had him in a confined area with a litter pan lined with a wee wee pad. This kind of worked out because he kept his blanket clean and used the pan at night when I'm sleeping. When they are so little, they have to go often and cannot hold it more than a couple of hours at a time. He is now 4 months old, can hold it all night and sleeps at the foot of my bed.

Basically your puppy is still very young and his bladder is small. It is unrealistic to expect him to hold it all day while you are at work for an average 8-9 hr day? I've read somewhere that a puppy doesn't have full control until he is about 4 months old. Try have someone come home at least at lunchtime to take him out to relieve himself. I eventually used an indoor dog potty grid system lined with wee wee pad (you can use newspaper) which I pup took on to right away. No wet paws & he can't chew the pads.

Even though it is all the rage with experts, I don't believe crate training is for everyone, just one of many different methods.

Have you tried giving the dog run of a room in the house? A laundry or kitchen area?
Then you can train your dog to use puppy pads.

How long are you at work for?
Puppies want to play, not be confined in a crate for hours.

I know this sounds repetitive because I've said it before but consistency and routine are key, but the biggest understanding is that you have a little pup that is still going through brain development and some success with training comes with patience and time. Pups need to be taken out very often especially when trying to crate train, this allows them the routine and consistency to understand that... ok I'm in here and when I get out I go outside and go potty. But, in crate training it needs to be very often and consistent that they are taken outside. You'll find that even in a confined area like a bathroom, laundry room or kitchen that the pup will still step in it, that's because again, the brain development is still key. Most get so bored and with that comes nervousness and anxiety when your gone for so long that they start pacing, make sure there are plenty of distractions for them. Also, if there is a food and water source there will be a release of that also. Good luck