Puppy messing in crate -please help!!

[toastandjam2020]

Hi all

We have a new pup, been with us just over a week now and we're crate training, however he HATES it when we leave him. We eased him in, made it a nice place to be, feed him in there and he's happy to be closed in there when we're in the room however as soon as we leave he goes nuts! I've never heard puppy crying like it! The first few nights it was all night, to be expected, and the last few nights he's fried for about 20 mins and then stopped which is great but every single night he's pooing in his bed! I'm taking him out for his last poo and pee 5 hours after his dinner and he poops every time but then he poops again overnight, actually in his bed, not even on the puppy pad next to the bed (he wees on the pad). He then has another poo when he goes out in the morning.

Today I tried to leave him in the locked crate once and leave the room ( he had just fallen asleep on the floor (never takes himself off to sleep into his crate on his own accord but he's happy if we place him in there). He could hear us in the next room and as soon as we left the room the howling started. 10 mins later we could smell poo, went in and he's pooed in the bed again! He'd been out to have his post lunch poo and hour earlier so it's clearly anxiety!
What can I do!!!? I don't want him to be so stressed, I want him to be happy and comfortable but I can't give into him, he can't be left to roam without a crate, he'd cause absolute destruction!!

Anybody had experience with this?! What can we do?!

Can you play pen off a section of the kitchen for him so he isn't feeling so trapped?

I've never crate trained, but how long are you leaving him locked in?

What's his background? How old is he?

You've only had him a week - ask yourself are you expecting too much of him too soon?

Would he settle and be less likely to soil at night if you had the crate in your room, and then as he adjusts to the new house, you could move it further away from your bedroom?

Bless him, sounds like the poor thing is stressed out. I agree with seeing if it’s possible to have him with you but in his crate so he can get used to it. Or can one of you sleep downstairs to be near him? He must be stressed on his own and you don’t want him to build a bad association with the crate if it’s something you intend on using long term.

@sillysmiles at first we put him in a pen overnight so he wouldn't feel so trapped, but he hated that too and jumped it!!

Also, all night is a long time for a puppy to hold it in. In my experience most puppies need taking out to the toilet in the night.

Sorry, posted too soon!

I slept in the room with him the first couple of nights and then tried to leave him. I don't want him in our room as I fear he'll never want to leave and want him to get used to his permanent surroundings. I could stay back down with him but I don't want him to get used to that?

He's in there for 3 hours overnight before i let him out for a pee and then another 3 hours until the morning.

You will need to go back to sleeping with him for a while. You could do so downstairs or have him in your room. This will not mean you have to do it for ever - it will actually make him less stressed and he will settle quicker.

You can not rush this and you have to go at his pace. Have him close enough that you can touch him if he is upset. If he whines a lot take him out on the lead for a wee and back in again with as little interaction as possible.

It is best not to leave a puppy at all in the first 7 days as this can increase stress and make it harder for them to learn to be on their own.

I would try and stay with him for the next week or have someone with him at all times.

During the day use times when you go to the loo to begin to get him used to being on his own. Let him follow you and then scatter food outside of the door, close the door (do what you have to do) and then return to him. Over time you can increase the time you leave him BUT do not rush this as you will have a bigger issue to deal with later on down the line.

He is pooing in his crate because he is stressed as he gets less stressed and more secure because he is more confident he will stop soiling his crate.

Just out of interest what breed is he?

Thank you @PollyRoulson that's really good advice and I'm going to try that from this evening, I just want him to be happy and settled I know it takes time, he's a Labrador. We had a lab before and didn't have any issues with her at all, settled first night but I know we were extremely lucky!

I knew it would be a gundog

Gundogs puppies are more likely to have separation anxiety than many dogs. Big theoretical study on this. However if treated appropriately it does not carry onto adult hood just go slow and this too will soon pass

Thanks @PollyRoulson I knew you wouldn't be surprised by his breed! . I'll follow your advice, wish me luck! Thanks again

Hes probably soiling his crate due to anxiety. It's very scary for them to go from being with their mum and littermates to being alone. I've never crate trained my dogs so I don't have much advice apart from maybe start by leaving him for literally 5-10 seconds, and if he doesn't cry he gets a treat, and you can build up from there until he can be left for one minute, then two, then five, then 10 etc etc.

Can we see a pic?

Hi OP, we crate trained but we did it over a looong period of time. She slept in there as small pup but we had a wider pen blocking her in with puppy pad etc so if she needed to go she could do this away from where she slept.

Once we knew she felt happy and safe in her crate we started shutting the door, but only for ten mins at a time then slowly increased this. She’s happy in her crate but these days only really goes in when we eat or the kids are p-ing her off 😂.

My puppy used to poo in his crate every night and he would only be in it for 5/6 hrs.
Once he got more toilet trained in the daytime he grew out of it and would hold it till the morning (well 5am I would get up and let him out but I’d rather get up early and let him out instead of clean poo up in the crate!)
Once he was reliably clean overnight I stopped using the crate and he would sleep for longer.

He's still a tiny baby. At night, sleep downstairs with him till he's not crying anymore - you can move your mat slowly away from the crate.
In the day you need to build the time up really slowly. I start by popping them in when they are sound asleep, then in for 30s when I'm in and out of the room, and then build it up very slowly.
I'm not a fan of puppy pads in crates as it mixes the association. Mine just have vet bed in the crate and are taken out to toilet as necessary in the night

Hi all,

Thanks so much for your replies. All really helpful!

I slept down with him last night and he didn't make a sound, or poo or even pee! Will continue and work on the day time too and see how he goes. I wouldn't use the crate if it wasn't for not being comfortable with him having free reign... he's into everything already... including wires so only safe to crate him until he's a bit older.

Thanks again, will carry on! :)