I'm totally Befuddled! Need some help Please!

shushopn

shushopn

I Feel Pretty!
O.G.
Jan 13, 2006
5,955
2
#1
Ok, so we've had my puppy Gucci for about 5 1/2 weeks now and she's absolutely wonderful. She is a Black and tan Coon Hound mix and is 4 1/2 months old. I put her in her crate whenever I go out. She doesn't like to go in it any other time then when I have a stuffed Kong to go in there w/ her. She has slept on a blanket next to my bed since about the 3rd day we had her and never has accidents or even has to go out until I wake up in the morning. She goes to the bathroom outside though she has only signalled to us on her own once or twice to take her out.

I know she has seperation anxiety when I leave b/c even when the rest of the family is home and I go out she scratches on the door for a long time to try to find me. I never make a big deal about leaving. I've had dogs all my life and the last one I also crate trained w/out incident.

Here's the thing - whenever I leave her in the crate I come home to find her legs, feet and tail all wet. Sometimes there are a few drops of water in there but no big puddles. I'm assuming she's peeing in there. It really makes no sense though b/c I always make sure I've taken her out, and I always clean her crate w/ Nature's Miracle just in case there's some pee scent. Even when I have left her w/ a white towel in there it is always all chewed up and wet but it doesn't look yellow like pee. I just don't get it! She holds it literally from 10pm at nite until 6 am or 8pm on the w/e's! Dogs don't like to go to the bathroom where they are hanging out for crying out loud! We have made sure all along that the crate is sized just enough for her to turn around comfortably and no bigger. Part of me wonders if she is chewing on herself out of frustration, but that is too weird.
Our video camera is broken otherwise I would have taped her.
I just don't know what's going on or what else I can do about it.

Any suggestions?
 
#2
I have never crated a dog (I'm not sure it's even that common here in Australia?) but it certainly sounds like she hates it...and is going to 'let you know' in every way possible. Is your back yard secure? Is it an option to leave her outside with a nice bone to gnaw on whilst you are out? If she spends most of her time with you, she might be seeing the crate as a punishment (please forgive me, I'm not familiar with them but it doesn't sound very pleasant). Weird as it sounds, it does appear that she is chewing out of frustration. If there was a way she could stay outside, I think she would be a much happier doggie. I'm sorry I'm not much help, just throwing some thoughts around. Good luck.
 
#3
^hey dallas, crate training is actually a very well-accepted and popular form of training for dogs here in the United States. It's not cruel or punishment at all! The dogs see their crates as their "den" and as a safe place for when they don't want to be bothered. =)

As for you shu, have you smelled you dog's legs/feet/tail? Probably unnecessary but wanted to ask. =p

Would it be possible that Gucci has a UTI? When Suri (the puggle) was younger, she used to piddle every so often because of it. =(

Hope you figure it out soon!
 
#4
^hey dallas, crate training is actually a very well-accepted and popular form of training for dogs here in the United States. It's not cruel or punishment at all! The dogs see their crates as their "den" and as a safe place for when they don't want to be bothered. =)
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I did not say it was cruel. I did not say it was a punishment. If you re-read my reply you will see that I said: "she might be seeing the crate as a punishment (please forgive me, I'm not familiar with them but it doesn't sound very pleasant)". Surely it could be a possibility for a young dog? I did not mention the word cruel. As for dogs seeing their crates as a den and a safe place, well obviously, at the moment this particular dog does not. As I already stated, I was just throwing some thoughts around.:smile:
 
#5
Crate-training is a wonderful method of raising a dog-as is mentioned before, dogs have a den instinct, and consider their crates a safe place. I live on 160 acres in the middle of NOWHERE-but I don't let my adult dogs roam when I'm out either. You may consider a vet visit-puppies commonly have cystitis and/or vaginitis. Good luck! (I like Coonhounds too!)
 
#6
Thanx for the input guys but if she had some kind of urinary infection would'nt it show up at nite as well? I don't know...She goes pretty regularly outside and seems to hold it otherwise.

Lanie - I've sniffed my pups wet parts but I'm so used to the smell I cna't even tell if it's pee or not!

Hey dallas - I agree that she may not be loving her crate...unfortunately our yard isn't fenced in. No one was trying to attack your comments hon. They were just trying to explain crate training a bit.
 
#7
Couple of things that might help you out....

1) Dog needs at least 1/2 walk before she gets in her crate. If you aren't walking her in the morning, start. This will considerably reduce her anxiety.

2) Put treats and toys in her crate when she is out of it. At night when she is out and you are eating dinner, pop a treat in there and encourage her to go get it w/o closing the door. This will give her a positive association with her "Doggy Den" (as we call it).

3) Let her walk into her crate, don't put her in there. This will take a little training with a training collar, but with treats in there and practice, it should all be a very positive experience. We say to our dog "Let's go in your doggie den" and give her lots of praise when she does...

3) Take her for a walk immediately after you let her out. This will also reduced all that stored anxiety.

Since she is a puppy, she might just be so excited when you get home that she wets herself. If this is the case, when you get home, do not rush over to the crate, rather put your things down, go through the mail and then let her out. This will teach her some discipline that she needs to calm down before she comes out... preventing the excited pee pee

I hope this helps! We just had to go back to the basics with our 2 year old husky/lab mix (avatar) and are crate training again. And w/in one week she is doing so well. I think it is all because we are throwing treats in there are random times. It works great.
 
#8
i second the possibility of excited pee pee. if your dog doesn't pee inside at any other time, it sounds like she's just happy and excited to see you. try to teach her some patience, like tabbyco mentioned.
 
#9
Also, try having her spend some time in the crate when you are home too so she doesn't associate it with you leaving only. Elphaba is 12 weeks and spends lots of time in the crate. She whines for just a minute when I put her in, only if I'm IN the room still. Then she goes to sleep. She never whines when I put her in to go upstairs to bed (yes I keep the crate on another floor and she's still silent) or leave the house.
 
#10
You might want to try some doggie training pants. Sounds funny but it seriously works quite well with any Greyhounds that give us trouble. It might work for your girl as well. Dogs HATE to have wet on them and after peeing once in those training pants (if that's what she's doing) she won't do it again. Eventually you can phase them out. There is nothing wrong with crate training as long as the dog is not left in there 24/7 and has proper care, love and attention. I use a crate for every foster Greyhound that comes through my home. Some hate it and some are okay with it but all experience it as part of their training. Good luck.
 
#11
All great suggestions, many of which I have been doing.

Tabbyco- i do all those things and even take her to a dog park later in the day when i'm done working.

As for the training pants she seems to love to have pee all over herself if that;s what it is.
 
#12
I don't mean to hijack (apologies shushopn) but I have a question about crate training. It is a genuine question and not intended to stir up any trouble. I've never put a dog in a crate and as I said earlier I don't know if it's at all common here in Australia, so my question is: Is it just used whilst an owner is out or at bedtime to keep the dog safe or out of mischief? I'm curious because when I go out my dogs either stay in the back yard, or if it's cold/raining, sleep on their beds in the laundry.:smile:
 
#13
No worries Dallas!

Crate training is a really popular and well accepted method of housebreaking/training your dog. Since dogs love small den-like spaces a crate serves as a retreat for the dog as well as a place that the dog can be kept when it can't be properly supervised. When housebreaking is an issue, dogs don't like to go to the bathroom where they sleep or eat so having your pup in a crate helps to train it to hold itself longer (unless you're my weird-ass dog and prefer to pee all over yourself and hold it everywhere else). You can change the size of the crate as the dog grows b/c you only want there to be enough space for the dog to turn around and lay down comfortably. If the crate is too big the dog will sleep in one half and go to the bathroom in the other which defeats the purpose. The crate door should be open all day so the dog can go in whenever it needs a break or wishes to not be bothered w/ anything. Also during the first 2 years when your dog is in the terrible teen period it helps to keep them out of mischief.

My last dog was crate trained as a pup and then at about 2 years of age I no longer needed the crate b/c she was trustworthy around the home and outgrew her inappropriate behaviors (like chewing on the furniture). Some dogs keep there crate forever as a den and place of safety which is great also.

I've had dogs all my life and as a child crate training wasn't as widely used, but it's success as a training tool has made it a common practice now for pet owners.
 
#14
dallas said:
I don't mean to hijack (apologies shushopn) but I have a question about crate training. It is a genuine question and not intended to stir up any trouble. I've never put a dog in a crate and as I said earlier I don't know if it's at all common here in Australia, so my question is: Is it just used whilst an owner is out or at bedtime to keep the dog safe or out of mischief? I'm curious because when I go out my dogs either stay in the back yard, or if it's cold/raining, sleep on their beds in the laundry.:smile:
Click to expand...

To answer your question really depends on the dog. My LAST dog was trained so quickly within 6 months the crate was gone -she was one of few dogs who just ALWAYS hated the crate. I've had other dogs who couldn't be trusted when I was out so they were always in the crate when we weren't home. Once housebroken they were only in the crate (by our choice) when we were gone or in bed. They would go into the crate on their own to nap. But before being housebroken the puppy needs to spend a lot of time in the crate even when you are home.

My current puppy spends the day in the crate when I'm at work, and sleeps through the night in the crate. The hours I'm home, we go out, she eats, we play for a while, go for a walk, and she goes back in the crate for an hour (longer if she falls asleep). We repeat this throughout the day. It keeps her from eliminating in the house, teachers her to hold it, and that she goes when we go outside - where we always head straight to after the crate. Eventually as she becomes housebroken she won't need to be in the crate when I'm home, but as she grows to love it and it becomes her home she will go in on her own to nap.

We're not quite at the point where she'll walk into the crate on her own yet, but we're getting pretty close (and its been like 3.5 weeks only). If I put her front two paws in the crate and say "bed" she walks in and sits down.
 
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