Hello I'm writing on behalf of my sister who has a 9 month weim x pup. Who keeps soiling her crate while my sister is out. She doesn't show any of the other typical seperation anxiety symptoms. & we thought the crate would be the answer as dogs dont tend to soil their sleeping quarters, but she doesn't seem to care. she is in the same room as her mother when left & given toys bones etc... Just wondering if anyone has any other suggestions? thanks Dani   

Dogs do soil their crates/sleeping quarters, it depends on all sorts including whether the breeder kept them in conditions which were not ideal for keeping clean :)

Is she OK then when your sister goes out? no whining etc?

Why was she put in the crate initially, what was the problem behind that? (assuming there was a reason for her being in the crate), was it messing in the house?

How long is she in the crate at a time?

She was one of my sisters puppies so she was never kept in dirty conditions. I have her brother who has never soiled his crate. The reason she was put in the crate was because she was soiling the house. She doesn't whine when left. the longest she is left is 2 hrs approx. 

If she was originally messing in the house, it may be that she was anxious; so putting her in a crate may not have helped from that angle. Sometimes it can make it more difficult for the dog, (others it seems to help) ... although I can understand it was a sensible move.

How did you housetrain her originally, and was she ever told off? Not saying she was but it helps to know the whole picture as it may have some bearing on the current situation :)  Is she walked etc before being put in the crate or left?

There can be many reasons for "inappropriate elimination", I've put some here:

medical conditions, age related problems, environmental change, incomplete housetraining and faulty learning, breed type, inadequate management, substrata preference, anxiety, obstructions, bacterial and viral conditions, food allergies, changes in gastro intestinal mobility.

Lindsay
x

I would go back to basics with her - take her out frequently, even if she hasn't asked to go out, and always reward toilets outside with a tasty treat.  Soon she will be wanting to toilet outside to get the treats.

i still reward my dogs for going out side to the toilet and the eldest is 6

Soiling the bed is not a "typical separation anxiety problem" and very few dogs have true separation anxiety anyway (most do not appear to have any trouble separating themselves from their owners when out anyway) :D

Is she actually "trained" or does she just eliminate outside when she is there if you see what I mean?

She is trained, she will never do it if she is with people it's just when she is left alone. I think it is to do with seperation anxiety as her father had sever seperation anxiety & used to defecate urinate when left alone along with all the other signs. but would never do it in his crate. 

If you do feel it really is separation anxiety, you will really need to tackle the problem from its heart ie work on that as much as any toilet training problem........ it may not be a bad idea to consult a reputable behaviourist who could work with you. Occasionally they will work with a vet and prescribe drugs to create a window of opportunity - NOT saying this would happen but it's just that it's better to work on it now, as soon as possible. If you are insured you may find that pays for the behavioural :)

Try www.apbc.org.uk for more info.

You could also try the DAP diffuser, this takes the edge off anxiety and seems to work well for many dogs if left on for 24 hours (it can take a few days to take effect) - if you are lucky it may just do the trick!

Lindsay
x

Thanks for your reply I tried all of the above with my last dog which had no effect but have a dap diffuser & medication for the problem which I will pass on to my sister. 

please don't pass the medication on to your sister.
you may only mean that you will pass the dap diffuser but just checking.

Yeah not that silly the medication my dog had was the strongest possible stuff the vet could get it would probably kill my sisters dog!!

I had a feeling you only meant the dap diffuser but the way you wrote it made me think for a second.
sorry if i offended you I didn't mean to.
Sorry

Don't worry looking at it now I can see why you thought that.

Hi,
Bitches in my experience take a little longer than dogs to house train.
Its like training a little one. Let her out on the hour tell her to have a wee then bring her in, tell her she's a good girl. Then increase the hour, it takes time for them to learn to hold there bladder ect.
It can be done, if a dog gets stressed it can wee or poo just like anythink eles.
Not all things show there stress.      consistency