Hello I have just acquired an older bitch pup, she has had her first season and has a terrible habit of weeing in her crate on a night time and then lying in it.  Also she has had quite a few accidents in the house and doesn't seem to know to go to the door to be let out, I have gone back to basics with housetraining ie taking her out and when she goes praising her, but her going for a wee in her crate is frustrating as I am worried she has got into the habit and I won't be able to retrain her not to wee in her cage.  She is 11 months old and has been totally checked over by my vet who can find nothing physically wrong with her.  Any adivce would be gratefully received.

You have to treat her like a pup of 8 weeks old.

Also if she was kept in a crate too long and learnt to be dirty I would abandon the crate altogether to break the association of weeing in her bed.  Hopefully given the option she will move away from her bed to another part of a the room which will have an easily cleaned floor, so a kitchen, utility or bathroom.

My Friend had an unhousetrained pup of 9 months as he had been in Quarantine, and had to remember that he didn't know anything that he would normally know at this age.

Don't allow her freedom in the house unless you are watching her every minute.,

Take her out for frequent trips to toilet.

Remember many dog never ask to go out to toilet, but rely on frequent opportunities being provided.

None of my current dogs obviously ask to go..

Snap Brainless. :)

So do you think in time she will stop weeing on her bed, as I have read loads of books and they all say dogs will not dirty in their sleeping area and she seems to make a point of weeing on her bed, so to speak. (If dogs can make a point lol).

How much of her background do you know.  Many poor dogs have learnt to be dirty because they have had no choice but to soil their bed.

She was rehomed through the breeders so I have just their word on her past.  Apparently it was a divorce and they couldn't keep her so she had to be rehomed.

Has she perhaps been caged TOO MUCH in her former home? This was the case with a dog I bought when older -she'd been caged virtually 24/7 so were so used to HAVING to wee and poo where she slept that it was impossible to get her out of that habit.She didn't know anything different. So we simply don't ever cage her -I'd rather clean up on the floor than have her sleep in a messy cage. It's taking a lot longer to get her house trained than a young pup, but she IS getting there.

I personally think that is exactly what has happened, I think her previous owner has just left her in her cage and the poor thing has just had to go in the cage and now she thinks this is normal.  The thing is its not like housetraining a puppy with little wees this is like Niagra Falls!!!!!

I remember my Friend saying about the quarantine boy, it wasn't a puddle but a lake :D

Completely agree with all posts.  Some people keep pups in crates because they are too playful and get under their feet.  I suspect this is what has happened and the puppy hasnt been properly housetrained.  Poor soul but you will get it sorted and the best thing to do is to go right back to basics as already advised.

Good luck
Spettadog

Also sorry to be a pain but if I come down on a morning and she has weed do I tell her off or completely ignore the fact she has made a lake in my kitchen?  Just with her being older I don't know what I should do if she wees.

Is she a cocker by any chance?

Don't tell her off for weeing or pooing in the house ever.  She won't understand why you are angry and may become fearful of you.  Simply clean it up and continue to take her outside and praise & treat when she performs in the correct place. 

Best thing for cleaning up with is biological washing powder dissolved in some warm water.  Don't use anything pine scented or anything containing ammonia (any detergents that turn white in water generally contain ammonia) to clean up with as these will encourage her to return to the same spot.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that when I put her bed outstide to air she wees on it when it is outside.  Is this a normal thing for a bitch to do?  She has got me baffled.

do you wash it b4 you air it? the reason she wees on it is probably because it smells of wee its the same as when a puppy wees on your carpet if you dont clean it properly it will carry on weeing in that place

also it the cleaner you use contains ammonia (which smells like pee) the dog will pee there no matter how well you clean it