Crating

[Cheryl S]

Hi, our 18mth old dog has been crated over night only from being tiny, he has run of the house during the day an doesn’t do any mess in the house. In the last wk we’ve changed his bed from a crate to a den (still with a roof etc so it’s cosy an a hideaway) he loves this, but at night he has started weeing an pooing in the kitchen, he can last a strange long amount of time lol so he can do it. He goes for both before bedtime so I know he shouldn’t need to go in the night. Any advice ????

 

[JoanneF]

Advice for any change to toileting is usually to get a vet check to make sure it isn't medical rather than behavioural.

I take it you are seeing him toilet on his last trip before bed? Do make sure to praise and reward (immediately so he knows it is for the toilet and not for anything else). Also never scold or even sigh crossly for indoor accidents - that can make dogs anxious as they think you are annoyed at them toileting as opposed to toileting in the house so they seek or create opportunities to toilet in your absence - like when you are in bed. Just clean up with an enzymatic cleaner and leave the cleaner down for ten minutes before you wipe it up to give it time to work properly.

After that I see two options. You could try bringing back the crate in case the change has upset him. I take it you kept the same bedding? If you do bring back the crate but want to have him ultimately move to the den, when you take the crate away again don't wash the bedding etc so he has less change in the transition.

The other thing you could do is get up in the night to take him out before he toilets (sorry). If you are getting up at 3.00 am do that for a few nights then change to 3.20 for a few nights, then 3.40 etc until he is holding all night again.

 

[Caro Perry]

Was he locked in the crate at night or was the door left open so he could roam about? If he's been used to being confined, maybe a half way house of crate but door open might help before getting rid of it entirely

 

[Cheryl S]

Was he locked in the crate at night or was the door left open so he could roam about? If he's been used to being confined, maybe a half way house of crate but door open might help before getting rid of it entirely

It was always locked but before I changed his bed I left the door open to get him used to it so he could come out if he wanted to, notbsure if he ever did or not, he never did anything if he did come out.