Hi everyone, I could really use some advice.

I've had my puppy for nearly 3 weeks now, and finally we've managed to crack crate training. The issue/problem is him constantly pooing in his crate. He has his last meal about 7ish, and after he's finished it, he's taken out for a wee and a poo, and has a mad puppy dash, before flopping for a bit. When he wakes he's taken out for another pee and poo before being crated for the night, and is out for 20/30 minutes until he's done both (he knows this routine). The problem starts when he's in his crate, he will spin several times before pooing. It doesn't matter if he's literally just done one, he will do one every night without fail, in the same place. I have cleaned it properly, and have tried stopping him before he does it by taking him out and having him out again, but he will not do anything outside, he will just wait until he's back in his crate and do it there.

Is there anything anyone can suggest? I'm at my wits end, as I thought we had house training pretty well down, but obviously not.

Are you getting up to take him out during the night or expecting him to go through until the morning?

Do you stay with him for toileting outside? It maybe scary for him outside if it's dark, it kind of puts him in a vulnerable position from his point of view and he just feels safer going in his crate.

I'm at my wits end, as I thought we had house training pretty well down, but obviously not.

Gosh, you've only had him for 3 weeks. :-D

You do know that as great as some pups are at picking up toilet training, others can take months..... don't expect too much.

His routine on a night is to poo in the crate, is that done on paper?  If so keep the paper he has poo'd on until tonight and take it into the garden, his scent will automatically be there as a start then.

I actually would not leave a pup to wander about for 20/30 mins on his last night-time toilet, he's not learning anything apart from the fact for some reason you are making him stay outdoors in the dark and cold for a loooooong time.  What you need to do is call him out say every 15 minutes when it is near bed time, for a couple of minutes and give the command, toilet, wee, poo... whatever you use, if he goes great, lots of praise, if he doesn't straight back in............. try again, and again until he goes, but only for a couple of minutes each time then back in.

If he starts to circle pick him up and put him outside to finish with lots of praise once more.

Please remember some pups pick up the praise feedback very quickly, others take longer, there is no time on this, never, ever scold or be cross if your pup goes indoors, always just ignore.

Also remember that pups cannot hold themselves, they have no control, when they gotta go, they gotta go :-) you have to watch for that circling and grab them to give that reward outside.

Expect toileting throughout the night, not many pups can hold themselves, which is why with pups to speed up training I am up at 4am for that visit to the garden until they can hold themselves better. :-)

Hopefully your comment on being at your wits end was said in jest, as you cannot expect too much, be consistent, be calm and remember he is only a baby, barely from his mother............

Good luck, remember, praise, praise, praise and he will learn. :-)

If he always needs to go again after he's been in the garden, I'd simply stay out there with him until he goes a second time and try to get him in the habit of going in the right place.  I'd maybe keep him out of the crate a little while before bedtime as well to try and break the habit of going in there - shake the routine up just a little.

Also, make sure you're rewarding him for going in the garden

I'm getting up with him through the night, as he's mostly dry through the night if he's been out through the night.

I do stay with him while he's out, I couldn't expect him to stay out there on his own, as my garden is quite big and he'd get lost! We have a security light that goes on as soon as he's out the door, but it doesn't matter how much I take him out, or for how long, he will poo in his crate as soon as he's back in.

Oh yes, the comment was made in jest, I wouldn't expect him to be fully house trained, but it's this habit of pooing in his crate, it is every night, without fail in the same place, regardless of whether he's just been out or not. I've been putting the newspaper out when he's pooed, but he just ignores it, and goes again in his crate.

I've just never had a dog that has a habit of going in his crate, immediately after going out and having a wee and a poo. It's stumped my mum who's had dogs all her life, because it's a habit.

As pooing in his crate has become a habit, I can think of two ways to try to break it. You could either do away with his crate - put his blankets in a large cut-down cardboard box and put that in a puppy pen; or if you need to use a crate, change all the bedding and put the crate in a toally different place. The first option would be my preference, then you can reintroduce the crate later on.

How many poos a day does he do ? Could you be over feeding him ?
Could you try bringing his last meal forward a bit to see if he poos earlier and breaks the cycle ?

Rather than going out into your large garden could you not make a smaller area outside (with puppy panels or such like) so he concentrates on what he needs to do rather than roaming over a large area?

And how big is the crate? If he's go too large a crate it may be contributing to the problem.

ETA. If you could put the crate in your bedroom, beside your bed, that may help (assuming it's not already there). It doesn't need to stay there permanently but will offer him reassurance while he's still such a baby.