To Crate Or Not To Crate?

[Guest Ledalia]

Does anyone crate their greyhound(s)? We have had our dog for just over three months. I am a graduate student and we adopted him right after the school semester ended. My schedule has been pretty flexible this summer so I have had the time to try to get him used to a bathroom schedule. Unfortunately I have not been very successful. He still has accidents at least once or twice a week, but sometimes even a couple times a day. By accidents I mean #2. Sometimes the accidents are understandable, like when he gave himself a stomach ache by eating half the box of his peanut butter treats in the middle of the night (I still have no idea how he was able to reach them on our shelf), but usually it's a solid stool with no signs of issues. He always goes in the sunroom which is located right by the front door so it's not in random locations around the house, at least. Lately the best way to prevent accidents has been to take him out in the middle of the day for a bathroom break. Now that school is starting soon I will not have the ability to work around his schedule... I need him to work around mine (if this is possible). I really don't want to come home to accidents every single day. I was wondering if crating him during the day would help. If anyone has advice on how to deal with accidents, I would love to hear it!

[TheFullHouse]

If he's had the run of the place for 3 months, crating him now may cause some issues. Can you try and schedule his potty breaks now so that he doesn't need to go out in the middle of the day? I don't know your feeding schedule but sometimes adjusting that will enable him to last through the day without having to go.

[GeorgeofNE]

Have you taken a stool sample to the vet? Before I attributed this to behavior, I'd rule out medical.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

I would try to time his poops LoL Figure out how long it takes for him to need to poop after eating, then move his feeding times so he poops when you're home.

 

Crating is possible, but it can be difficult to move from total freedom to crating. My greyhound doesn't crate because she has a problem with small spaces. Most of my other dogs are crated during the day.

[Guest JarBear]

I second taking in a sample to make sure there are no problems. Another thing you might try is blocking off the area where he is going. He may be developing a bad habit and thinking that area is now his bathroom since his scent is there.

[Guest Ledalia]

My husband wanted me to add that he habitually squeezes himself into small spaces and corners while at rest. Could this mean he misses the security of a crate/kennel?

[MaryJane]

How often are you taking him out? Usually when you first get a dog you need to take them out

 

1. every time they wake up

2. after playing

3. after eating

4. at least every 2 to 4 hours

 

You only have to do this until they catch on that they need to eliminate outside. Note, you also need to use a word or phrase to associate that is what you want them to do and make sure to praise. In good cases, you can get a dog trained within a few days to a week and then gradually increase the time they are left alone and in some cases, they MIGHT be able to go all day (8 hours). From what you said (and maybe I misinterpreted) it sounds like the dog has not yet been housebroken and you are expecting him to hold it all day. If this is the case, you need to start from scratch and get him housebroken ... and even if he is housebroken, you may still need to get a dog walker for a mid-day break.

[cleptogrey]

it never hurts to just erect the crate, put in a clean soft comforter and see what happens. when ever i have a crate up there is a que to get in. the crate can be put away from months on end, out it comes, in they go. i like to make sure it's a friendly place so when i visit family i just stick them in it(or shall i say they run in) and go out for dinner.

Edited August 3, 2011 by cleptogrey

[greyhead]

If it's a sunroom without rugs, I'd say your boy is being very considerate in his choice of locale. And he's getting as close to outside as he can without help. Sounds like he wants to be a good boy. Hope you can get it figured out soon.

Edited August 3, 2011 by greyhead

[Guest goofyfoot1]

Hope this helps.When we got Buster, he was not crated fot the first month and a half. we just did not have a crate and then got one from a friend of ours.

But only used it for two months. left him in the crate 2 to 4 hours at a time and soon as we got home he was out and we walked to the yard to take care of things. only one accident in the den. somehow he got over the gate got to the cat food and went to town hard and soft food. and he marked each room in the house. but after that all is well..

but the crate comes every now and then he just walks in on his own.

Hope this helps.

[Guest Ledalia]

Mary Jane - I have been working very hard on his housetraining for the last three months. The problem is that even if I'm only gone for a few hours (2-3) he is still having accidents even with very frequent bathroom breaks - a schedule much like the one you described with an additional nice walk included. Again, not all the time but enough that it's an issue we would like to work on. I'm concerned because once school starts I will be gone for a normal work day (8 hours) and I wondered if a crate might help him while I'm gone. I've heard that dogs typically won't soil their crates.

 

greyhead - Unfortunately the sunroom is carpeted. But you are right, he does seem to make an effort to get as close to outside as possible, which means that it's clear he recognizes outdoors is the appropriate place to go.

 

Some of these comments have made me re-think his feeding schedule (when he wakes up and at 7 pm) and shutting the door to the sunroom. (We already do that but he is able to open the glass door - we have a solid door behind it that is always left open so I will try closing that) Thanks for the tips!

 

Hope this helps.When we got Buster, he was not crated fot the first month and a half. we just did not have a crate and then got one from a friend of ours.

But only used it for two months. left him in the crate 2 to 4 hours at a time and soon as we got home he was out and we walked to the yard to take care of things. only one accident in the den. somehow he got over the gate got to the cat food and went to town hard and soft food. and he marked each room in the house. but after that all is well..

but the crate comes every now and then he just walks in on his own.

Hope this helps.

 

We have four cats and I know that Odin likes to snack on their food. I've started putting their food up where he can't reach it when we leave the house. We are considering just buying a crate and trying it out. If it doesn't work, that's fine, but at least we will have one if we need to take him somewhere like a friend's house with us for the night.

[arandomchic]

A couple thoughts....

 

My girl usually poops TWICE in the morning on her walks. Once almost right away, and then again 15-20 minutes into the walk. So if Odin is going once, maybe keep walking a bit more to see if he has to go again to really make sure he's empty. As a couple other people mentioned, you might want to make sure he doesn't have worms first to rule out anything medical. When Molly had hookworms earlier this summer, she had to poop more often (mid-day which was unusual for her).

 

Secondly, is it possible he has separation anxiety? I know of someone who's grey almost ALWAYS had accidents in the house, crate, where ever he was when they were gone regardless of length of time. It was separation anxiety. And even if he's not prone to it, you may want to do some away training if you're suddenly going to be gone for longer periods than he's used to.

[Guest sheila]

I've had 6 hounds total and haven't crated any of them. If your boy hasn't been crated yet, I wouldn't bother with it now. It sounds to me like your dog isn't really 'empty' when you leave the house. What is your hounds schedule for walks? Most dogs will need more than just a quick break to fully eliminate and walking gets those things moving in the way they should. Try giving your hound a brisk 20 minute walk right before leaving the house and see if that helps.

[Guest Ledalia]

A couple thoughts....

 

My girl usually poops TWICE in the morning on her walks. Once almost right away, and then again 15-20 minutes into the walk. So if Odin is going once, maybe keep walking a bit more to see if he has to go again to really make sure he's empty. As a couple other people mentioned, you might want to make sure he doesn't have worms first to rule out anything medical. When Molly had hookworms earlier this summer, she had to poop more often (mid-day which was unusual for her).

 

Secondly, is it possible he has separation anxiety? I know of someone who's grey almost ALWAYS had accidents in the house, crate, where ever he was when they were gone regardless of length of time. It was separation anxiety. And even if he's not prone to it, you may want to do some away training if you're suddenly going to be gone for longer periods than he's used to.

 

He had tapeworms when we adopted him and he has been treated for them by our vet. No signs since treatment. They did a complete stool sample when we took him in for that and he had no other problems. We have him on Interceptor which prevents heartworm, hookworm, and ringworm. I saw someone post the other day about receiving this by their vet for treatment of hookworm and there was some discussion on whether or not it was a treatment and not just a prevention but regardless he takes it every month. I will try a longer morning walk, though, to see if that helps. He doesn't seem to have separation anxiety. He is not by himself since we have eight other pets although he is our only dog. Maybe it's just a matter of tweaking our schedule a bit.

 

Also, we walk him when he wakes up around 8. Again a few hours later - this is usually when he goes #2. Then a few hours later. Then a long walk in the evening - he will usually go #2 here. And one last time right before bed time.

[GeorgeofNE]

How much are you feeding him?

 

I suggested medical because I find it odd that he's pooping in the house, but not peeing.

 

You'll see LOTS of people looking for help for their dogs peeing in the house, but this is the first I can recall of a dog JUST pooping! (Lucky you, huh?)

 

A dog typically won't soil his crate--if he can help it. If your guy is pooping because he HAS to, he's going to continue crate or not. And you will not enjoy coming home to a poop covered dog.

 

I'd really consider worming him again. There aren't necessarily parasites in every sample, treating him once when you first got him doesn't mean he doesn't have them again, and there are things like giardia and coccidia that interceptor do not address.

[Batmom]

I too would ask:

 

- - How much are you feeding, what are you feeding, and what time?

 

Not intending to criticize, mind you; just, in my experience, some foods produce a lot of poop (even when they're supposed to be really high quality, no fillers, yadda yadda yadda).

 

If he's pooping while you're gone, I'd try to get another poop out of him before you leave -- maybe a longer first walk, or a longer second (so he poops twice on that walk). Not quite the same as I have a fenced yard, but one of mine often wants to just pee in the morning and come back in. If everyone will be gone, I make sure the dog stays out and poop happens.

 

Best luck!

[Guest Ledalia]

He has had peeing accidents before but usually it happened right before I would take him out so I just made sure to take him a little more frequently and it seemed to help. He pees just about every time he is outside, about five times a day. We feed him Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, the large breed formula. The suggested amount for a 60-80 pound dog - and he is 75 pounds - is 3 3/4 - 4 2/3 cups per day. We give him two cups in the morning (8 am) and two cups in the evening (7 pm). We tried a cheaper food when we first got him and he had really bad diarrhea. Once we switched to this higher quality food his stools changed dramatically for the better. Also - he typically prefers just a quick pee when he first goes out in the morning. That's why I have had more success getting him to go #2 on our second walk. He eats breakfast in between this time.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Ledalia

[Sambuca]

Bu would go into my parents basement and poop when I first got him. He rarely peed. I realized he had to much freedom to fast. I stopped letting him roam and would block off the basement if I couldn't watch him. I don't know how well a crate will work, but I would gate him into a smaller area like 1 or 2 rooms preferably ones he's used to hanging out in.

[arandomchic]

He had tapeworms when we adopted him and he has been treated for them by our vet. No signs since treatment. They did a complete stool sample when we took him in for that and he had no other problems. We have him on Interceptor which prevents heartworm, hookworm, and ringworm. I saw someone post the other day about receiving this by their vet for treatment of hookworm and there was some discussion on whether or not it was a treatment and not just a prevention but regardless he takes it every month. I will try a longer morning walk, though, to see if that helps. He doesn't seem to have separation anxiety. He is not by himself since we have eight other pets although he is our only dog. Maybe it's just a matter of tweaking our schedule a bit.

 

Just an FYI --- you can't SEE hookworms or other worms like you can tapeworms. Molly's also on a monthly medicine that's supposed to prevent hookworms, and she still got them. So it's not 100% full proof. The vet told me that the medicine is less effective as you get towards the end of the month. So even though she had a vet appointment in February and had a clean stool sample then by June she had gotten hookworms. The plus side is, that they covered the treatment since she should've been protected.

 

I think that's why people are suggesting you at least rule it out first to make sure it truly is a scheduling/behavioral issue.

[Guest katethegreyt]

A lot of good suggestions to consider.

 

Our girl used to sometimes just decide it was time to pee... Right when we first got her, I think she had been on a fairly strict (and different from ours) schedule with her other family. Her favorite spot was right by the front door - nice really, since it was not carpeted and easy to spot = ) We started babygating her in a slightly smaller area (and away from her favorite spot), and she picked up our new schedule very quickly.

 

So if it is just a behavior thing, maybe try giving him a little less area to roam for now? We only crate our girl if maintenance is going to have to come into the apartment and we won't be home. Otherwise she now has free roam again (our apartment is pretty small though). So you might not have to resort to a crate if you'd rather not (I'm not in love with crates either unless they're temporarily necessary for safety reasons.)

 

 

[Feisty49]

I've had my Annie Bella since July 14, not quite 4 weeks. She has pooped twice in the house because she was angry at something I did, both of which were when I left her in the house when I was outside talking to a neighbor. If she sees me, she wants to be part of the conversation. Luckily (knock on wood), I can go away for 3 to 4 hours, without crating, with no problem.

 

Some dogs just poo more than others and one break mid day may not be enough, and I honestly don't think 8+ hours with no chance to potty should be expected. I know I can't go 8 hours...

 

Annie poos & pees (P&P) first thing in the morning, about 6 AM. She then gets breakfast, and we go for our morning walk about 30 minutes later. She will also P&P then. She has another poo during our evening walk (after supper) with a couple of pees between morning walk and evening walk. Pretty much I give her an opportunity to do her thing every 4 hours after our morning walk. (I don't have a fenced-in yard so she's always leashed.)

 

Her stools have often been pudding-like so I am experimenting with different food. "Good" food is supposed to be better absorbed, thus producing fewer #2P, but the "good" food Annie was on is what was causing her soft stools (too much protein).

[turbotaina]

I've had my Annie Bella since July 14, not quite 4 weeks. She has pooped twice in the house because she was angry at something I did, both of which were when I left her in the house when I was outside talking to a neighbor. If she sees me, she wants to be part of the conversation. Luckily (knock on wood), I can go away for 3 to 4 hours, without crating, with no problem.

...

 

Dogs do not poop out of anger. They poop because they need to, whether that need is created out of medical necessity, anxiety or the fact that the dog just didn't get a chance to empty out the last time it went out. No anger involved.

[GeorgeofNE]

Granted, your boy is larger than mine, but you are feeding him twice as much as I feed my dog.

 

I never go by what's on the bag in terms of quantity; after all, they want to sell more food, right?

 

He really only pees ONCE when you let him out? Good gravy, George pees at LEAST five times first outing!

 

Any change since you started this thread?? Is anything helping?

[Guest verthib]

Mary Jane - I have been working very hard on his housetraining for the last three months. The problem is that even if I'm only gone for a few hours (2-3) he is still having accidents even with very frequent bathroom breaks - a schedule much like the one you described with an additional nice walk included. Again, not all the time but enough that it's an issue we would like to work on. I'm concerned because once school starts I will be gone for a normal work day (8 hours) and I wondered if a crate might help him while I'm gone. I've heard that dogs typically won't soil their crates.

 

Many of us work all day... Eight hours to hold it all day, and then again while sleeping doesn't really give them enough bathroom breaks. The solution is a dog walker! Mine is a god send! She comes in the middle of the day to let our grey pee and poop and I worry a lot less, and thus no accidents!

Edited September 8, 2011 by verthib