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Our 4 month old Coton du Tulear poops in his crate every time we leave the house
Max poops in his crate every time we leave the house for more than 30 minutes. At the most he is left alone for 3 hours. He uses his pad while we are at home with only a few accidents (about 10% of the time). We have tried the following things to help change the behavior:
1) Putting him in a smaller crate – however this just meant that he got poop smeared into his fur every time we left
2) Putting him a larger crate with a pad on one side – he plays with the poop or eats it. Over the last few days he has begun to get it in his fur in the larger crate as well.
NOTE: he sleeps in the crate at night and goes into the crate without hesitation, and he has never soiled his crate at night.
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Max
on Oct 7th 2009
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in Behavior & Training
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Answers
I sometimes do the same thing when my mama leaves me. Usually it's because I was just not quite ready to do my business before she left and, if she takes me outside before leaving, I'm just too interested in all the wonderful smells. I'm 3 months old and, like you, I'm still learning and Mama is still figuring out my natural rhythems (sp?).
Do you free feed? If so, putting your pup on a schedule might help. There's also a trick obedience people sometimes use before going in the ring because pooping there gets you DQ'd. My mama hasn't used it yet with me but it's called "matching." What you do is take a paper match and insert it part way into the rectum (like taking a temperature). When the dog expells the match, he'll poop if he needs to go. My birth Grandpapa says it doesn't hurt and works pretty well. Oh and be sure to clean up the crate with a good enzyme cleaner.
Guest 465209
answered on 10/8/09.
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Pooping can also be a sign of separation anxiety. Does he exhibit any other signs that he might be anxious about your leaving? Understanding the reason behind the behavior can go a long way toward helping you fix it.
Rusty
answered on 10/8/09.
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A really long walk before leaving and no food for an hour before might help. Be sure the kennel isn’t too big as well. You don’t want him to designate a “potty end” in the crate.
Matching sounds like one of those practices that give show people a bad name.
It is barbaric. A shortcut used by people who value winning more then both their dog and sportsmanship.
How would you like to have something stuffed up your……..well, you get my drift.
(snip)My mama hasn't used it yet with me but it's called "matching." What you do is take a paper match and insert it part way into the rectum (like taking a temperature). When the dog expells the match, he'll poop if he needs to go. (snip)
Fritz
answered on 10/8/09.
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He is still baby, regular exercise before you leave may help speed up the belly to eliminate waste, in fact a brisk fast walk will make them go faster.
see if that works.
Then try to not feed him prior to going, that can increase bowel movements.
I say more exercise at the times you leave in the morning or whatnot will help him.
Also wash out the crate with Natures miracle to increase the chance the smell is not trapped in the plastic fibers of the crate.
You might have to let it soak in it while you read or watch t.v. That might help some good luck.
Dieta
answered on 10/8/09.
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Matching is absolutely NOT an answer for a simple housebreaking issue! It is a cruel, barbaric practice once used for show dogs whose owners were too lazy to properly exercise them before showing them. Sticking a match up the dogs butt works because the sulfur in the match burns like crazy, causing the poor dog to do anything he can to eliminate that burning pain. If someone is too lazy to spend the time walking a dog twice a day, then I feel they need to rethink owning a dog... dogs are not robots who poop and pee on command, they are living, breathing beings who poop and pee when the timing is right... it is up to us owners to allow them enough opportunity to get things moving the way nature intended.
Toto, CD, RN, CGC
answered on 10/9/09.
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Puppy pads are a bad idea.
They teach your dog to go against their natural instinct and poo/pee in their home.
Act like your dog is a puppy and take her outside on a leash every half hour. Use a command such as "hurry up" and when she goes outside treat her as soon as she finishes. When you put her in the crate leave her in for 30 min then take her out to go the washroom. Until she learns. If she has an accident in the house try to catch her in the act they imediatly take her outside. DO NOT SCOLD.Just pick her up and say outside.
Guest 274409
answered on 10/10/09.
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