[jhak]

Hi, everyone.

I need some advice/help!

My boyfriend and I are new puppy owners (yay!). We adopted a 9-week old lab mix one week ago (her name is Pippa). She does very well with the crate-training at night if we are careful to wake her up twice to pee. If we don't wake her up at 12:30 am and 3:30 am, she will pee a little bit in her crate.

Worse than this, however, is the pooping in the crate. It is quite distressing. It happens only sometimes, and she makes a terrible mess of it and seems to be pretty upset.

We never have left her for more than 3 hours in the crate, we walk her/exercise her a ton in the evening and a considerable amount in the morning & lunchtime, we make sure she's both peed and pooped before going into the crate, have partitioned it off so it's not too big, etc: all the things we've been told work.

For a bit more context: the crate is in our bedroom at night (right next to our bed), and we move it to the kitchen during the day. It's a wire crate, which means she can see all around her. I am wondering if the pooping has something to do with anxiety? Or over-stimulation? Would not moving the crate, or perhaps covering it up, help to stop her from soiling it?

I thank anyone who can offer any morsel of advice and/or insight!

 

[Rots]

Well, how big exactly is this crate? Sometimes puppies will soil their bed when they have enough space to soil themselves and sleep in another spot. Usually what should happen is if the puppy wants to go to the bathroom she would not soil on her crate unless she has the space or she hasn't been out for a long while.

Another thing could be a clinical illness or condition of some sort.

 

[doxiemommy]

Congratulations on your puppy!
Have you changed her food from what she was given in the shelter or wherever she was before she came to you? If so, sometimes changing food can cause stomach problems. The other thing is, she's only been with you a week. And, being nervous can also cause stomach issues, as well as not being settled in and comfortable with her new routine.

That said, anxiety can cause puppies/dogs to pee/poop more than normal.

Keep in mind, though, that 9 weeks is a baby! Like a human baby, puppies don't have complete control of their bladders/bowels at such young ages. Their bodies have to continue to develop so they can learn control.

 

[jhak]

Thank you both for your replies. The pooping has stopped. We have started a food switch-over, but we're doing it very slowly (as recommended by vet). She is occasionally peeing in her crate, but we're doing everything right...I think that your point about her age (she's still just a baby!) is the key here. She's clearly learning very quickly, it's just taking some time. We have a vet appt for her next week just to rule out any stomach/UTI issues. I don't think she has any - it's just a learning curve. We're adjusting to being puppy-owners a couple of weeks into it, and freaking out a little less about what we may be doing right or wrong. Also, my boyfriend is on vacation next week, so she will have some intensive house-breaking lessons!
Thanks again.