Rescued dog poops inside. Will crating help with housebreaking?

Crate training is great and definitely the way I have always house trained my dogs. Basically any time you cannot be at home to watch him he needs to be in the crate. When you get up in the morning or get home, you take him outside to a specific spot and tell him to "potty". When he does, you praise him. If he doesn't, then you put him back In his crate. The crate needs to be large enough for him to stand up and turn around but not so big that he can pee/poop on one side and sleep on the other. Also I do not recommend putting him in his crate with water as that is just setting him up for failure. If you are home on the weekend, make sure you watch when he eats and drinks and take him outside about 30-45 minutes after that. If you catch him IN THE ACTION of peeing or pooping, you can tell him "no" then take him outside to his spot and tell him to go "potty". If you don't see the pee or poop until after he has done it, it doesn't not benefit him to run his nose in it. Crate training is the best way to house train in my opinion. Just remember that he is young and it will take some time. You can also go to veterinarypartner.com and look up crate training to find some more reliable information. I hope this helps!

Great question! I will give you the method I typically recommend for house training a dog. Crating training is a great way to do it, but it's also important to put Bambi on a schedule. Start by keeping him on a regular feeding schedule, and taking away his food between meals. Take him out to potty first thing every morning, and once every two to three hours at first. Once he gets better at holding his bladder, you can stretch it out but he can never go longer than eight hours without a bathroom break.. Always make sure he goes out after meals, first thing when he wakes up from a nap, last thing before bedtime at night, and right before you leave the house. Take him to the same spot each time to go potty. His scent there will encourage him to go. Stay with him outside each time he goes to potty, at least until he is fully house trained. When he goes outside, praise him and give him a treat. In terms of the crate, it needs to be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down, but it should not be big enough for him to go potty in. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!

You are on the right path. I recommend crate training for any dog to facilitate housebreaking. This is often the fastest and most effective route. You must prevent the opportunities for him to have an accident. Using leashes and baby gates can help in addition to the crate training. The feeding schedule doesn’t really make a big difference to Eddie. It’s more your schedule. Most dogs will need to have a bowel movement within an hour or two of eating their meals. If he is having more than two bowel movements in a day, you may try feeding him a low residue dog food such as Royal Canin as this tends to be highly digestible and result in less stool production. Continue to reward for good behavior. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may help to decrease any anxiety. Do not attempt to pick him up if it causes stress. A leash and collar should be enough to walk him in, out and anywhere else. You may need to reinforce crate training. Provide a crate that is just big enough for him to stand, turn around and lay down. He should be in the crate or on a leash attached to your hip when indoors. Monitor for signs that he needs to go outside. This may include whining, circling or sniffing about. When it is time for him to go outside, take him to a designated area and wait. As soon as he starts to go, say "go potty", "do your business" or any other phrase of your choosing. Praise and reward him every time he goes outside. You can take him for a short walk afterwards as well. Once inside again, he goes in the crate or stays with you on the leash. If you see him preparing to go, take him back out. Thoroughly clean soiled areas using an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle.

I would recommend keeping Finn crated for now while he is still getting used to his new environment. It is great that he isn't having accidents in the house and you want that to continue and crate training will help that. Keeping him in a crate while you are away will also keep him safe from harming himself on anything while he is being crazy in that first hour you are gone. If you are consistent with crating him he will learn to love his crate and feel like it is a safe space for him. And if it helps, I crate all 3 of my dogs whenever we leave the house. My oldest dog is 9 years old and very well behaved all the time but he is still crated. It helps me to know he is safe while I'm gone. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

There is no one reason on why dogs will all of a sudden start pooping in the house. I would recommend going back to crate training Cali. I would keep Cali in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on her. When she comes out of the crate I would then walk her. If she goes then I would play with her and once you have to turn your back she goes back in the crate. If she does not go to the bathroom when you take her out of the crate I would put her back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch Cali going to the bathroom tell her no and take her and put her where you want her to go and praise her for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to Cali. A crate should be big enough for her to stand up, sit down and turn around. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I would try this route. I would also recommend getting a stool sample performed at your veterinarian's office. This will rule out intestinal parasites. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Milo is adorable! Sadly there are some small breed dogs that will just not house train. But I think also that some owners give up because it is so hard. I think Milo needs to be crated when you aren't home due to his destructive nature and because he is not house trained. When you are home he should be leashed to you at all times and taken out very often. If he doesn't go when you think he should, he goes in the crate. All other rooms should be blocked by a door or gate so he can't wander off to eliminate in the house. Use special delicious treats, praise and play with him for 10 mins after he goes outside, even bring a favorite toy. He can never be out of the crate when you aren't home or when you are asleep. You can also train him to ring a bell when he needs to eliminate. It may take 2-3 months but if you are aggressive about it hopefully it will work. Also you may have to consider neutering him to fully eliminate marking behaviors. The destructive behavior will hopefully go away with age, but you can consider doggie daycare during the work week to decrease time in the crate. I hope this helps and I wish you and Milo the best!