Peeing In Beds And Crate

[minimax]

My 4 month old (desexed) boy has a charming habit of peeing in his crate, on his "day bed" and in my other dogs bed.

I've only had him for a few weeks, so I'm trying to break his old bad habits and train him into new habits but I'm lost as to how to do that. As a general rule I don't scold for peeing in the wrong spot when it comes to toilet training, but I'm thinking there isn't any other way for him to get the hint that it's the wrong thing to do?

I could close off his crate so he can't access it, but that sort of defeats the purpose of his crate, and it's not teaching him not to go in there to pee. I feed him in his crate, he happily takes toys and treats into his crate, and he still goes in there specifically to pee.

He's not peeing in there when locked in, he's peeing in there when he has a choice of a pee pad, which he will poop on and sometimes pee on - but he prefers to pee in the crate or on a dog bed.

Apart from locking away all the dog beds so he can't access them (which I normally do, but it's a short term solution, not a long term one) - how can I go about teaching him the appropriate/inappropriate places for peeing?

If I put him outside he will pee straight away, which is great and I'm using that to teach him to pee on command, so hopefully that will help eventually.

Please none of the "let him out more often" stuff - he will often come inside after peeing and pee in my other dogs bed, it's like he saves some specially for that :p

Edited August 13, 2012 by minimax

[Tassie]

For whn you're home, you could try the 'umbilical cord' method - use a light line, long enough to be practical and for him to have some freedom - to attch him to you as you go about the house. This means you would/should-maybe be able to spot him heading for somewhere to pee inappropriately - then you can interrupt him (with a verbal sound like Uh-uh and/or picking him up and take him outside (for preference) or to an approved pee spot, and do the praise thing you've been doing. Or if you can't be with him, I think I'd be using a playpen to confine him - with paper or pee pad in one side, and a bed of some sort in the other - so he can't keep using the crates to pee in. And only let him have access to his crate when you can directly supervise. It does seem pretty weird on his part - but in practical terms, I'd reckon you need to do something to interrupt the association he's built up that crates are the place to pee.

Thinking out loud - I've never used pee pads with my dogs - but wondering if it might be an idea to change to newspaper or cat litter - so there' a clear distinction between that and bedding of any kind. The pee pads I've seen could be mistaken for a crate mat.

[minimax]

I think the problem is he is used to a playpen, so he's used to peeing and sleeping and eating in the same area so therefor the natural distinction dogs have to not pee where they sleep has been blurred and doesn't exist for him.

The other problem I have is that I'm used to female puppies who squat to pee, and when he pee'e he just stands normally and I can't actually tell he's peeing until it's too late or I hear the trickling noise! He also doesn't seem to have anything he does before he pee's, whereas my 10 month old female sniffs in a circle before she pee's, so I could always tell and pick her up and take her out, but he just stops mid-stride and does a wee.

He poops on pee pads, and he had pee pads in his play pen at his previous home so he knows what they are for, I think he's just being a cheeky brat. The umbilical line method would probably work - he's my shadow anyway and doesn't tend to go far from me (his nickname is velcro )

[Tassie]

LOL - it's always nice when they circle or do something like that. :) (My big BC boy is very deliberate about pooing - finds a nice bush or high spot, and turns around a few times before settling into the business - whereas my girl will sometimes almost drop a poo on the run, so to speak.

Yes - I'm sure you're right - he doesn't really get the distinction. I'd certainly have no worries about interrupting him if you do see him/hear him - you can just scoop him up - - which sometimes will stop the flow - then you can put him outside and tell him he's wonderful when he pees there. If he were mine, I think I'd still be inclined to transition from pee pads to something else - I'd start by putting the pee pad down on newspaper or litter tray, and then gradually reduce it in size.

Another thought I had was that there could be some residual odour which he can smell in the inappropriate palces he pees - so I'd be giving everything a really thorough clean or wash with an enzymatic cleaner specially designed for the purpose. Probably a few washes and air drying in the sunshine would help to make sure there is nothing to tempt him back.

Oh, and although it's not always true, I have found boys to be a bit slower to toilet train than girls - wide generalisation, I know :D .