Help, Puppy Won't Stop Pooping in his Crate?
We have a 10-week old French Bulldog puppy who we brought home 10 days ago. I took him to the vet after bringing him home and everything checked out fine. I've got him on a schedule where I feed him in the morning and walk him before I leave for work. My husband takes him out again before he leaves for work (about an hour later) and then I return home at lunch to take him out again. The first few days of crate training went fairly well but something has went wrong since then. He barks and whines uncontrollably in there and for the past 3-4 days, he has started pooping in his crate.
Yesterday morning we were outside for at least 30 minutes and he finally pooped outside. As soon as I put him back in his kennel, he poops again. When I arrived home at lunch time, again poop in the crate. This morning he ate and we went on our walk and he peed and pooped. I put him in his crate and left for work. My husband told me he pooped in the crate about 30 minutes later.
Poop sees to be normal consistency and not runny or anything. Any idea why he would be doing this? It almost seems like it's on purpose because he is upset. I've had puppies before and have never known them to constantly poop in their crate when they are being let out on a regular schedule.
I have a small crate but it does not have a divider so there may be too much space. I was thinking about going to a different crate with a divider but I've read about ex-pens also. Any recommendations on whether to go with a crate or ex-pen? What do you generally put on the floor of the ex-pen (I have not been using the pee pads)?
I know he is still small but just wondering if there are any thoughts on why he is doing this? Any suggestions to help? Also, some reassurance that he will eventually stop??
How big is the crate? Typical recommendation is only large enough for them to stand up, turn around and lay down. A divider or smaller crate may be needed in the meantime. If that doesn't eliminate the issue or you go with something larger I'd recommend puppy pads (comment continues)
...completely covering the space, then reduce by a pad. The idea here is that hopefully your puppy will continue pottying on only the padded space. Once you know that's reliable, slowly take a pad away until again, you know that's reliable (keeping in mind there could be a random accident where...
your puppy might have its body on the pad but rear end hanging off; something you should be able to guage during the time you're home). From there, simply keep reducing until you have the one pad...And the process goes from there depending on how long they're able to hold it...
(continuing with potty breaks and outdoor training), and if you decide to eliminate that larger containment space and have the potty pad in a larger area as backup until they're trained within the space you'll have them in full-time while you're away during the day. Best of luck!
Sounds like a little separation anxiety, or he just can’t hol it long enough . Can you take him to a sitter when you’re not home?
Hello. Has this stopped?