Crate training

[nursej]

Good morning everybody,

Hope everyone is doing well, I have been shyly reading everyone's posts for a few months since we got our 7 month old JRT. We've had her now for 2 months and she has been doing well. This site has been really helpful and I can usually find answers to my questions if I read old threads.

The only problem is that occasionally she will move her bowels in her crate.

We recently returned from a week and a half long road trip which we took her on. She did prefectly well, only peeing and pooping when out on a walk and she would alert us by whining or barking when she had to go in the morning. No accidents in the hotel rooms or at my mom's house.

Now we have been back home for a day and she is back to pooing in her crate. I got up this morning at the same time she usually needs to go and she had already gone. Her house crate is bigger than her travel crate, so I'm wondering if maybe it is too big? Could it be stress to be back home? Or am I missing something all together? Anyone's opinion would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Adrienne]

Most likely she has too much room and feels comfortable letting it out in the crate. I would try switching her to the travel crate until she has better bowel control. Smaller dogs can take longer to train, the myelinization of the nerves is slower to develop in certain dogs. This means that they may not be aware of needing to go until it starts to happen. Try the smaller crate again and see if it works.

Good luck!

 

[BagelDog]

Shes likes her travel crate better. Dogs dont poo in there sleeping areas, so she oviously doesnt consider the bigger crate fit for sleeping. I think the message there is clear. She wants her travel crate to be her everywhere crate.

 

[Renee750il]

Terriers are perfectly capable of showing you that they don't like something! I had one who pooped quite eloquently when she was offended. I'll never forget the time my Nanny (grandmother) did something to offend her. Mickey waited until everyone was asleep, went in Nanny's room and found the spot where Nanny put her feet down when she got out of bed, left a nice pile there, then went to the front door and barked . . . She left a present in my Dad's shoe when he'd thwarted her once, got mad at Purdue, the German Shepherd, and left him a present right in front of his nose while he slept . . .

You might try letting her sleep in her travel crate with the door open . . . it's well within the realm of possibility that she's telling you she's home and doesn't want to be locked up!

 

[nursej]

Thanks everyone for your input,

Last night we used her bigger crate without a blanket (she seems to poo and then cover it up with it) and no accidents. Who knows? She only stays in her crate at night and for short periods during the day while I'm running errands and can't take her with me.

I think that I will leave both crates open side by side today and see which one she prefers. I just ssem to prefer the bigger crate because she has more room, the travel crate is still big enough for her to stand up in and turn around (but seems so squishy), oh well I'll let her decide!! (Spoiled dog, she's going to have a spa day today, maybe I should have a spa day too!!??)