Crate Training for 5 weeks, still having accidents
Submitted by BullyLover on March 2, 2012 - 11:53amHello,
We have a 13 week old bulldog puppy who we've had since he was 8 weeks old, and we are struggling with getting our puppy to not pee in his crate. Since both my husband and I work full time, we have no choice but to start crate training him right away. We have a large crate, but it has a divider and we've given him the recommended space for a puppy (enough room to sit, stand and turn around.) We initally started with a towel in the crate so he had something to curl up in, but he would just pee on it and we ended up doing endless loads of wash for his towels. After a week and 1/2 of the towels, we tried putting just a standard pillow with a pillowcase in there, and he was more confortable and was sleeping more, but was still having accidents.
I leave for work at 7AM and put him in his crate, I go home on lunch to feed him and let him out around 11:30AM and sometimes he was having accidents, sometimes not. Then he is in his crate from Noon until about 4:00PM when my husband comes home from work, and he was continuing to have accidents. At night he was barking to go out multiple times, sometimes he needed to pee others, he just wanted to get out of the crate. We got him into the habit of going out only once in the middle of the night and that seemed to be going well. We had kept the pillow in his crate and he was down to 1 accident a day, which was from when I left until my husband came home. And we were still taking him out once during the night.
We went to the vet last week and asked him for suggestions, he said to remove all bedding, until he learns to stop going in his crate, once he is accident free for a week or so it is pretty save to give him back his bedding. We started on Monday with no bedding in his crate at all and he's still peeing in his crate, more frequently actually. With nothing in his crate at night he continues to bark, and whine, then he will be quiet for a while and then start up again. The other night he got so worked up he actually ended up making himself sick. I feel like having no bedding in his crate at all has taken us 10 steps backwards. Some days are better than others, but it's almost been and week and I'm not sure if we should stick it out to break him of the habit now or if anyone has any other suggestions on what to do that would be very helpful, we are just confused and frustrated.
A question
When you were at your vet's did you have your pup tested for a possible UTI? That could potentially be part of the problem. I agree with removing the bedding from the crate until you've established a routine and there are no more accidents.
Have you considered that perhaps your pup is in the crate too much and possibly acting out? I know some dogs loathe being crated, but don't mind being kept in a room (like your kitchen or laundry room where the flooring is easy to clean) and you use baby gates to keep them contained. It might be worth trying that option for a few days to see if that helps.
I'm sure others will have more specific questions and suggestions, but those are the two things that came to mind for me. Good luck!
Shannon and Winston :)
My swimming bully buddy!
sounds like he just can't hold it that long
There is some type of formula based on how old a puppy is to how long they can hold it - it might only be 3 hours, and the pup is there for 4 hours. and accident.
He might be acting out - but I would say its more of a puppy stage than anything else. We got Gizmo at 8 months...so.. we were beyond that point in growing etc
Last steps taken May 26, 2014 -- Been rolling along ever since . . . .
Exactly. Expecting too much 4.5 hours.
Its one hour per every month old they are. He can't wait 4 1/2 hours.
They said that they can hold it for one hour per every month old
they are. So at 13 weeks he can go maybe 2-3 hours. And you are making him wait 4. Be patient. He will get it, it just takes time and it WILL get better.
Make sure when he does go out you make a big deal, high pitched happy voice and a super tasty treat EVERY single time so he knows its what you want him to do and always bring him to the same spot.
Do not give him back his bedding. And if you hear him whining ignore him as long as you know he's just been out.
Good luck!
Thanks!
Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
Here are a few answers to your questions:
- We did not have him tested for a UTI, I did think of that, but he doesn't have accidents outside of his crate and his urine doesn't smell funny.
- I don't necessarily think he's acting out either, we just figured it was typical puppy behavior. People have told us that bulldogs and be stuborn at times. :)
- Our plan is to eventually keep in gated off in an area, but we thought he was too young for that now, and we wanted to get him crate trained for bedtime.
- We've heard of the 1 hr/month rule, but the Vet said he should be getting used to holding it by now. He told us that with me letting him out at lunch time, he should be able to hold it. I know all puppies are different, he could just need some more time to learn as well as develop.
But here is the kicker -- I just got back from letting him out a little while ago and - no accidents!
I think we just need to be more patient...but would still like to hear your suggestions.
Exercise Pen was a lifesaver...
for us. Both my boyfriend and I work during the day so we attached an exercise pen to the crate so he would have the ability to move outside of the crate and do his business on the paper within the pen. He is also able to play with his toys and drink water. Now that Rugby is 4 1/2 months we crate him for certain time periods but never more than 3 hours during the day (he lasts about 6 hours at night before he needs to come to go to the bathroom). Everyone has their way of doing things, but the pen seriously prevented a lot of anxiety for us.
He's Just a Puppy
I think your expectations are a little high. If the breeder did not start him with any kind of potty training then he is a good 4 weeks behind. I personally think forcing a puppy into a tiny pen for 4 hours and then making them lay in their pee if they have to go is a little abusive. I have never understood this method. Certainly goes against positive reinforcement training IMO.
Bulldogs tend to are big bed wetters. Most breeders raise bullie puppies on cloth bedding. They need it to get up on their feet. So they learn to potty on cloth.
Raising a puppy is hard work and it takes time and patience and yes extra laundry. He will eventually get it. But he is too young to hold it that long now. Just give him some time, stay consistent and when he has an accident don't punish him. It is likely your fault, you missed the signs.
With Kohl I used a crate and ex-pen. I used baby crib mattress pads on the floor under his bed and blanket and also provided a little area with papers so if he needed to potty he could. I can't remember when he stopped having little peepee accidents, but he had a few of them. I never had a problem with him pooping during the day. I was typically gone 10 hours and came home at noon to take him out up until he was 6 months. At 6 months I stopped the noon time visit. Both him and MacKenzie bark to go outside.
Here was Kohl's Setup
Everyone liked his puppy pen.
Oh I remember all the
Oh I remember all the laundry!!! I also was told about the 1 hour per month rule, but didn't find it quite accurate. Molly had lots of pee accidents in her crate and eventually I also gated her off instead with her crate in the gates too so she could go in to sleep. For some reason, the accidents quickly decreased. Papers never worked for her because I'd come home to what looked like a snow storm of shredded wee wee pads! Be patient for some reason it will just click one day..similar to potty training kids too!