peeing in crate - no signals!

2437 Views 14 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Jac, Jan 12, 2006

krisapp

Discussion Starter · Jan 12, 2006

i've searched the old messages trying to find the answer to this question, but no luck. we just got our labradoodle (maggie) this weekend. she is 8 weeks old and just a total love. we're doing well with the potty training, but the past two nights she has peed in her crate without whining or barking or scratching to come out.

we take her water up at 7pm and she gets walked around 10:30. we have a baby monitor set up so we hear her in the middle of the night if she needs to go out (and i'm a very light sleeper). i heard her stir (no whining...just moving around in her crate) last night around 2:30am and rushed downstairs to take her out. she'd already peed! i still took her out and she just dribbled a little bit.

this morning, she woke up at 6:30am and when i went to take her out of her crate, she'd peed again.

any ideas? should i just be setting an alarm and getting her up whether i hear or not? i don't want her to get in the habit of getting up in the middle of the night just because she's used to it, but i don't want her peeing in her crate.

thanks!
kristin
http://goldscher.smugmug.com

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Tinaweena

· #2 · Jan 12, 2006

Yup for a week or two I'd be setting an alarm. I'd rather have a dog in the habit of getting up to go outside, than getting in the habit of messing the crate.
When you do take her out...that's all you do, no petting, no snack, no talking (except a bit of "good girl" while she's peeing) then back in bed for sleep.

Abba Dabba

· #3 · Jan 12, 2006

Related to your post- we used the words "Outside Potty" and "Good Outside Potty" with Abbie. She picked them up super quick and at 18 months, she still knows them! We had some trouble with Abbie peeing in the crate too- be patient, seems like your doing a great job! Congrats on your new addition to your family!!! You're going to be addicted!!!!!!!!!! :lol: Can't wait to see pictures!

Susie and Abbie

krisapp

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 12, 2006

thanks! i'll try that (i'll try *anything* right now)

Abba Dabba

· #5 · Jan 12, 2006

I feel your frustration!! The first day with Abbie, I think that we had 11 accidents!! :roll: Everytime that you put her out, say "outside potty" or "potty outside" in a high pitched voice then when she does her business, say"good outside potty!" and give her a treat. Abbie still goes to the treat closet when she comes in! Trust me, these babies are smart!- They catch on very quickly!!! :lol:

Susie and Abbie

krisapp

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 12, 2006

thanks, susan! it's good to hear that you can go from having 11 accidents in a day to being potty trained

we have her on a schedule and she is really good about pooping outside and peeing outside during the day. it's just the past two nights...the other thing is that she's on an antibiotic for a very minor skin irritation on her belly. the vet said she wouldn't normally need an antibiotic for it, but since she's so young and doesn't have all her shots yet, she wanted to be safe.

i'm wondering if the antibiotic is contributing to the accidents somehow??

(i have a few pictures posted on our website: http://goldscher.smugmug.com)

kristin

Abba Dabba

· #7 · Jan 12, 2006

Kristin- I just realized that we are close- we are in Alexandria! Finally, a Doodle near us!! Yeah!! :lol:

Oh my goodness- I can not tell you about the first few nights with Abbie. We were exhausted!! We don't have kids yet, but I certainly will know what it's like having a new baby after having a puppy!! Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it!! I'm sure that the antibiotics could have something to do with it, but it is good that she is on the medicine. That first day that Abbie was home, I felt like ALL I was doing was cleaning up pee and poop! I would take her out of her crate, put her outside and she would go to the bathroom so I thought it was safe to have her out to play with. Well, that little stinker would pee or poop on the carpet 10 minutes later!! It was never ending!! Trust me, the "outside potty" words work! She was going to the door and scratching about a week or two into being at our house.

I looked at her pictures!! Too cute!! So are the kids!!! :lol:

Susie and Abbie

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krisapp

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 12, 2006

hello neighbor!

yes, having a dog is definitely like having a kid...you'll be well prepared (if having a dog doesn't scare you from having them)

what color is abbie? do you have pictures? i've been scouring the F1 pictures trying to find other pups who look like maggie...kind of scruffy and more lab looking.

Abba Dabba

· #9 · Jan 12, 2006

You're funny!

Here is the link to Abbie's pictures....

http://labradoodle-dogs.net/gallery/thu ... arch=abbie

She looked a lot like Maggie as a puppy. It's amazing to watch them grow into their scruff. You'll see some of Abbie's baby pictures too! She's 18 months now.

Jac

· #10 · Jan 12, 2006

Good morning Kristin!
Welcome to the forum. Maggie is adorable! I have a puppy in my current litter that looks just like her! Very cute! (Go to the photo albums on this site and you will see a huge variety of F1 pictures...they are really cute!)
Oh, my goodness! You are neighbors to Susie and Abbie!!! Yayyyyy!!! Susie has been dying for doodle company! I suspect that you and Maggie will have a wonderful mentor in Susie and Abbie too.
I don't think I have ever met a dog lover like Susie. She will be a big help to you...
Hey, Susie, now you can have a doodle romp! Cool!!
About the crate and peeing...is the crate too large for her? It should be blocked off if it is. She needs just enough room to move around comfortably.
Also...I think that your problem is that you are so far away from her you can't get to her when she wakes up. Puppies are funny, the very first thing they do when they wake up is potty! They don't think about it, they just do it. So, if she has a comfie place to potty she will just naturally get up and go.
Since she isn't giving signals, you might want to wake her up and take her out until she gets the idea. Then she should wake you up somehow, when she wants to go. They are creatures of habit.
Be sure to clean up her potty area in the crate...remove the scent.
Also, when my puppies were small, I put a puppy pad in the crate for them. Don't worry, they still learn to go potty outside...but when the inevitable accident happens, it happens in a controlled area, easy to clean up. (Many people fear that using puppy pads makes them think it is okay to potty inside, I disagree. My experience has been that they only use the pad if they can't hold it.)

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Abba Dabba

· #11 · Jan 12, 2006

you are too sweet Jac!! :lol:

krisapp

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 12, 2006

abbie is beautiful! you're right, she did look like maggie as a puppy. i love abbie's coat so i hope that maggie gets that same wavy, longer look.

krisapp

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 12, 2006

thanks, jac! i was looking at her crate just now and i think it might be too big. we have a large crate with the divider in it, but there is still room for maggie to lie on one side and pee on the other. is there any way to divide the divided portion? :?

Abba Dabba

· #14 · Jan 12, 2006

Oh thank you! Abbie is a doll- the love of our lives!! It is amazing how they look so different from when they are puppies! I'm sure Maggie will get the same scruffy look like Abba Dabba has! She is such a mess! :lol:

Jac

· #15 · Jan 12, 2006

We put a small travel crate inside the wire crate when our puppies were small. The travel crate took up the space nicely. (But still, Maggie will probably potty outside the travel crate when she really needs to go...it just won't be a preference for her.)

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