How to Keep a Puppy from Pooping in a Crate

Here’re some guidelines and handy tips on how to keep a puppy from pooping and peeing in a crate.  Let’s start with the feeding process.

  • Keep your puppy on a regular feeding schedule – same time, the same amount of meals. Take your dog outside regularly and consistently: first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, after playing, after drinking, after eating, etc.
  •  Look up for early signs that he needs to go potty so that you can prevent the accidents from occurring. Some signs are:  whining, pacing, sniffing, circling or leaving the room. If you’ve noticed any of those, take your dog outside as soon as possible.
  • If you catch your dog in the act of pooping or peeing inside the crate, clap loudly, just enough to distract but not terrify your dog. And quickly carry the pet outside to the potty spot. Allow your dog to complete the mission in an appropriate place and reward him. If your dog appears to be upset by your clapping, do it a bit softer next time.
  • Clean the accidents spots with an enzymatic cleanser made for washing pet pee. It will reduce smells, and it won’t attract your dog back to this spot again.
  • Never let the crate become a place of punishment, don’t ever bang the crate while your pet is inside and try not to let the puppies there for more than several hours since they can’t control their bladder that good when they are too young and keep everything inside longer than that.
  • Be sure that you are using the crate of the right size  – when it’s too big dog will potty inside.  It should be big enough for the dog to lie, stand up and turn around otherwise, he might be willing to use the free space as a bathroom.
  • Change the bedding inside the confined area or add extra blankets – that can make stop your pet from going potty inside the crate as your pup does not want to poo in a space he enjoys sleeping and cuddling. But if you are using some bedding at the moment and your pet tends to hide feces under it – remove it.  Pooch may like to stop doing it inside the crate when he won’t be able to cover it up anymore.

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