# crate training



## debs0712 (May 21, 2005)

I am having trouble with my new little baby, Gaby's, crate training. During the day I take her outside every few hours and she is doing great. Usually she spends a couple of hours every day in the crate just to get used to it and give me some time off. I am having a problem with the nights. We have a small crate which is about 16x8 inches. I go to bed early and I take her out at 10pm and put her in the crate. Then my husband takes her out again around 1am BUT she is pooping in her crate overnight.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to break this habit???


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

How old is you baby? What time do you get up in the morning to take her out?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. Set your alarm and take her out again during the night (like 3 am). 

2. Feed her a bit earlier in the evening and just a small snack (like a biscuit) before bed. Or, if you are feeding her earlier, move it back later. It might be with the timing there she just has to poop at that time. Altering meal time might help with the schedule.


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## sunnydays (Apr 18, 2005)

The first couple of weeks with Coco, she would whine in the middle of the night and we would let her out and she would start go to the bathroom. Then she would go back to sleep. After awhile, she slept through the whole night.


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## debs0712 (May 21, 2005)

She is 10 weeks old. I feed her at 5:15pm and I do not feed her before bed time. I really do not want to get up at 3am to take her out and our vet said that she can go not more than 6 hours in the crate. I take her out at 6:15am.

Not sure what to do??


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

We don't crate train, so I can't help you there...sorry.
But, make REALLY sure that you are cleaning the crate with an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle when she does poo in it. That way it helps take the smell away and helps deter her from wanting to go there again.

I tried crate training my lab, and it didn't work. She would just pee/poo on herself...so I didn't even try it with Brink. He is wee pad trained.









Good luck!


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## Chelsey (Dec 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by JMM_@May 24 2005, 12:09 PM
> *1. Set your alarm and take her out again during the night (like 3 am).
> 
> 2. Feed her a bit earlier in the evening and just a small snack (like a biscuit) before bed. Or, if you are feeding her earlier, move it back later. It might be with the timing there she just has to poop at that time. Altering meal time might help with the schedule.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=64769*


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We had the same problem with chelsey... this really does helped. For us we have to feed her later. like 9:00 p,m We let her out 15 - 20 min after and then again before bed time ,for us that is like 1:00am. 
Most of the time now ,she makes it through the night. Other option is to make the crate very small as well. We have the smallest cat crate. We had to make a box from small wood pieces and put it in side her crate. she had just enough from to fit inside laying down. We did that for a month our too, it really helped as well. At first we tried a cardbord box but she chewed it up.







chelsey is a lot better now. but still has small accident once in a while. She no longer has the box in her crate.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

JMM is correct, your pup needs to go out in the middle of the night. It really doesn't last very long though...Maybe you could try having your husband take her out a bit later...say at 1:30 a.m. and see if she'll poop at that time. Then you could gradually work your way backwards until it is your bed time. In the mean time, use lots of old towels instead of fancy blankets...we covered the pup's bed in a zippered pillow case to protect it from midnight accidents. I think within 4 weeks, the night time accidents stopped. Because your pup is so young, don't expect too much just yet. It will only get you frustrated. Just take heart in that it doesn't last forever. She will get it, just stick to the schedule and she'll come along.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Chelsey_@May 24 2005, 12:10 PM
> *Other option is to make the crate very small as well.  We have the smallest cat crate.  We had to make a box from small wood pieces and put it in side her crate.  she had just enough from to fit inside laying down.  We did that for a month our too, it really helped as well.  At first we tried a cardbord box but she chewed it up.
> 
> 
> ...


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This is really important. If she has too much space she will decide that one area is the sleeping area and the other side is her potty area. So if she only has enough space to lay down she will not (in theory) go potty there. I would try this for awhile and then increase her space a little at a time.


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## debs0712 (May 21, 2005)

Thanks so much for the great ideas!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

> _Originally posted by debs0712_@May 24 2005, 12:01 PM
> *She is 10 weeks old.  I feed her at 5:15pm and I do not feed her before bed time.  I really do not want to get up at 3am to take her out and our vet said that she can go not more than 6 hours in the crate.  I take her out at 6:15am.
> 
> Not sure what to do??
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=64806*


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Feed her later in the evening (8 pm?). That way she won't need to poo for a few more hours.


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## debs0712 (May 21, 2005)

Gaby has been doing very well now with her crate training. She no longer soils it but when is it safe to make the crate bigger again? It is a cat crate so it isn't big to begin with and I made it smaller by putting some Tupperware inside it.

It has been pouring here in Montreal for the last 4 days and Gaby doesn't like it at all. She looks at me like I am crazy when I take her outside in the rain but out we go.


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## Chelsey (Dec 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by debs0712_@Jun 17 2005, 01:03 PM
> *Gaby has been doing very well now with her crate training.  She no longer soils it but when is it safe to make the crate bigger again?  It is a cat crate so it isn't big to begin with and I made it smaller by putting some Tupperware inside it.
> 
> It has been pouring here in Montreal for the last 4 days and Gaby doesn't like it at all.  She looks at me like I am crazy when I take her outside in the rain but out we go.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=73410*


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this is just from experiece with our puppy chelsey. I would say keep the crate small for a long as you can. If she starts growing then add a little bit more space. chelsey broke the box we made in her crate and the moment I removed the little box inside she pooped again. Now she is 10 months and still has this issue and she has grown a fair bit, no room for a box in her crate anymore. She wil still poop in there if we don't get to her in time. She just happens to be one of those puppies that does not care that she poops were she sleeps and eats.. She also has a attachment bowl in her crate for food as well. I would say to avoid this keep is small until she is 95% trained.

Chelsey is really good outside her crate she will use the wee wee pad or wizdog.


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