my pup keeps weeing in his crate, we have always kept him in a crate which he has never messed in, but since we have moved him into a new larger crate he keeps weeing in it during the day whilst we are at work. I ensure that he is toilet before i leave for work, my sister in law comes at lunch time about 3 hours later and stays with him for over an hour while he eats lunch and goes to the toilet again, and then the longest he goes is 4 hours before my partner gets back, although more often than not he is back within 2 hours of his sister leaving. almost every day now for about a month he has pee'd in his crate after lunch. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do, i am at my wits end!i have read to remove his bedding and drinks, but this seems a litttle harsh as he has to spend a couple of hours at a time in there. he does seem to be slow to catch onto most things, ie he has only just started to do his business out side of our garden, and if you aren't watching him close enough he will wee in the house where he is. Any advice would be helpful, and we are willing to try anything

He is being left far too long in a cage.  He is never going to get clean when he is being forced to soil his own bed.

He needs to be put outside (and someone stay with him), every hour and after eating, after play, after sleeping, and when he looks like he wants to "go."

It is so very unfair for puppies to be left so long like this.  He must be so lonely. And please don't withdraw water.  The Animal Welfare Act passed in April 2007 says that you have to provide for his needs.

i agree with JeanSW, He is still far to young to be left alone, and this is why he is not properly house trained. He needs someone with him throughout the day to take him into the garden and praise him for doing his business and this needs to be done every hour until he has learnt the basics.a crate is ideal for keeping puppy safe but only for short periods and it does not teach them house training.

It is probably due to distress.
It is very unkind to keep any puppy caged for so long and so often, especially a breed like boxers which suffer terribly from seperation anxiety.

A whole new regime needs to be sorted out, not least because it may just be weeing now at 6 months, but the mental damage you are doing may result in serious behavioral issues around 10-14 months

he does seem to be slow to catch onto most things, ie he has only just started to do his business out side of our garden,

My Boxer wouldn't do any of his business on walks until he was about nine months old so yours isn't slow to catch on, this is completely normal. My boy would get in from a walk and the first thing he'd do was rush to the garden for a widdle! It's about them feeling comfortable and confident enough to pee and poo outside of their own safe environment and they do this when they are ready and it differs from dog to dog.

I think he is spending too much time in his crate.  My rotty pup stays in a crate for 3 hours twice a week (tues & weds only 9am til 12) while I go to work.  My friend comes round after 2 hours to let her out and play with her for a while. The last hour she is in their she has a kong and a raw bone to entertain her and then I am home. For consistency, the rest of the week she spends an hour or so in there whilst I tidy up or go to Tesco's.  That is as long as I would leave her to honest, any longer I think you are asking for behaviour issues and the weeing could be a sign of distress. She also sleeps in one at night.  The reason why crates are successful is because they instinctively want to leave their bedding to go to the loo, they should wimper to 'ask to leave' if no-one is there to respond to the request, the pup has no choice but to go in its bed.  Some people on here don't like crates - I do, but they mustn't be used inappropriately.

> The reason why crates are successful is because they instinctively want to leave their bedding to go to the loo, they should wimper to 'ask to leave' if no-one is there to respond to the request, the pup has no choice but to go in its bed.  Some people on here don't like crates - I do, but they mustn't be used inappropriately.

I absolutely aggree and am a great fan of a safe containment area but........ in 30 years of breeding Boxers I seldom recommend them because of this kind of abuse.
Yes the beauty of them is to teach relaxed, safe and positive behaviour and it is wonderful in teaching them to 'ask' to go to the toilet but, as in this case, who is the poor little blighter got to ask?
That is mainly why he wets his bed.....something a Boxer HATES to do.

You say you would try anything to help matters?  Seven hours in a crate...I think this is being cruel and not giving the pup what it needs.  Suggestion...work less hours and spend more time with your growing pup, once it is house trained and relaxed and happy to be several hours alone and can have the run of part of the house you can increase your hours again.  When I got a pup the breeder was asking if I worked full time (which I didn't) she said she would not sell one of her pups to people who work full time and rightly so.

Sorry, don't mean it personal, I just always feel sorry for pups who are crated seven hours a day and they can not speak up for themselves.  Well maybe she is telling you by wetting her bed

What about doggy day care?
Dropping him off in the morning and maybe your sister in law can pick him up at luch time and take him back home, he would be likely to be tired and sleep until your other half comes home.
I think your rutine would maybe work with older dog but he is too young to stay in for that long periods. and with an older dog, I would give them a room etc. not in a crate...

I too think it might be a problem that is building up, if he wees in the afternoons, less than 2 hours after he has been out with your sister in law it could be stress that causes him to do this as I'm sure he can hold for longer than 2 hours at the time...
Few hours in a crate is totally different to 3 hours, hour out and another 2-4 hours in again, too long in confined space for a young active dog.

can you not try letting him stay in the kitchen or something while you are at work?? I know crates are fab, and I have used them for pups initially, even my girl who is nearly 7 still likes to sit in an open crate if we visit my ex, but at home with me she has the run of the downstairs. Is the pup clean in the house?? Does he chew?? It just might be a thought to try and let him have a bed elsewhere?? Don't lose heart, he is a baby, being crated should never be a punishment, so please don't remove bedding/water

6mths old, and spending up to 7 hrs in a crate each day, with an break in the middle is far to long for any dog/puppy to be caged.

A new regime is needed  not only to  help with is toilet training, but to get him out of the crate  for longer periods.

Crates are a useful tool to help keep puppies safe, but they are not meant to keep a pup/dog confined for more hrs than  out of them!!

Im not meaning to be blunt. However it is dogs which are treated like this that end up in rescue twelve months down the line, when the owners decide they cannot cope anymore with an adolescent dog with behavioural problems, and are wondering how it happened.
He sounds like a frustrated lad who's probably fed up of his own company
Are you really surprised that he is weeing in his crate? what else has he got to do. Seven hours a day is far too long for him to be confined in such a small space. Of course we all have to work and leave our dogs, but at such a young you seem to be expecting far too much from him. Being in a kennel outside would be preferable to what you are currentley subjecting him to.
I would suggest you either alter your work pattern if possible (i know easier said than done) or seriously look into doggy day care. At least that way he would be likely to be interacting with other dogs whilst there and have human company throughout the day.
Im not suggesting doggy daycare to be a life long solution, as when he gets older he will probably become more comfortable with being left.
I often leave mine for 6-7 hours as do many people without problems but i make sure they have been exrcised and fed beforehand. These are mature dogs though not puppies.
If you take into account how many hours he sleeps in his crate and how long you leave him during the day he is spending probably three quarters of his days/life in the thing. I really dont think this is fair on the poor thing. Do you?

As everyone has already said that is a terribly long amount of time for an active baby to spend locked in a crate. I doubt he would be messing in there unless he absolutely cannot hold it anymore as most dogs hate to mess in their bed and I can imagine he gets very distressed then having to stay in the crate with the mess too. This is not the ideal situation for anyone but, if you cannot change your work pattern or get someone in to keep him company for most of the day then perhaps you could consider a kennel. At least he will have a comfortable bed area, food and water can be available and he will be able to relieve himself. You will obviously still have to spend as much time with him as possible.

Agree with the above, but how can you be sure that he's not peeing out of shear excitement that someones coming home.  Another side effect of leaving a young sociable pup with little stimulation.  Could the person that sees him at lunch not take him for the morning?