[ridge3124]

Hi! I recently got my new puppy!! (almost 3 weeks ago) He is a 14 week old boston terrier I bought from a breeder. At first when we got him (jax) home everything was great!! He was clam and relaxed, he even knew kind of where to go potty. So over the last 3 weeks we have been crate training jax. He is usually such a good boy. He is kind of hyper, but I didn't expect anything less from a puppy! He was doing great on his wee-wee pad training. We started pad training because we are in the city and did not want to take him out until he finished all his shots/vacinations. He was doing so well, even running from other rooms in the apt. to where his pads were to go potty. But lately this all changed. We do crate him at night. The crate is right next to the bed where we sleep so he doestn feel alone. The first few nights he slept through the night with no problems, but now its different. We make sure he urinates and has a BM before we put him in the crate for the night, but it doesn't seem to matter. At first he started getting up at about 3-330 am and whining to be let out to go potty, which I thought at 14 weeks he should be able to make it through the night. Now I wake up at 3am to him already having pooped in his crate. We don't put him to bed until about 11pm and he poops before he goes to bed! ITs driving us crazy, having to get up at 3am and clean out his crate and clean him! Also my fiancée comes home at lunch to let him out and feed him and play with him, and now he's coming home at noon to Jax having pooped in his crate then too! We just don't know what to do!! He has had his vet check up and was given a Clean bill of health and told he was a great puppy!! I just don't want this to be a habit and I don't know what else to do!! PLEASE HELP!! Thank you!!

[Chery]

Could it be that you changed a routine and he might be confused? Sometimes, when people take time off and stay at home the first few weeks, the pets are used to them being around more. And, when the job calls, the pets are confused and might think they are being left alone too much.
While he's still young, may I suggest some time with a trainer to establish routines for Jax too.

Good luck, and please keep us informed on how you are doing.

[ridge3124]

No our scheduals with him have pretty much remaied the same since we got him. We are planning on starting Tranning/puppy kindergarten with him soon. (@ petco) Its just frustrating trying to figure out why he continues to do this, I called the vet and she said he will "out grow it".

[valinors_sorrow]

The first thing that comes to mind for me is the crate is too big for him. Puppies have a natural inclination not to poop where they sleep. The crate I used was able to be sectioned off so as my puppy grew, so did the space she had.

Food and water in the morning and evening, followed by some exercise that will help trigger him to do his business before he goes the crate. The other thing is to praise him heavily when he goes properly.

The only other thing I can think of is (if possible) to try and get your schedule adjusted around his pooping schedule... in effect get ahead of Jax to regain control and then ease him into a different schedule.

I hope that helps and congrats on the new puppy.

[ridge3124]

I think the crate is the rite size. It is a larger one but I can make it smaller with a piece that moves inside. Right now I have it so he can comfortable stand up, turn around and lay out to sleep. That's how its been since he came home with us.

**Last night though he did not poop his crate. He did wake up at 3:30am to be let out to poop, but did not do it in his crate. Which he got big praise for! Hopefully we will see when we get home from work what's going on today. ((Crossing fingers))!! **