Adult Dog Peeing in Crate

[_whits_]

Hey all, I could really use some advice/ insight on Addie (2 1/2 years old).

 

She's been crate trained since she was a puppy and took less than 2 months to 100% potty train. Her only adult accidents were the week we moved into an apartment. Recently, however, she's begun peeing in her crate instead of letting me know she needs to go.

 

Here's why this is confusing me and why I can't figure out how to fix it:

- She doesn't pee anywhere else inappropriate (no accidents when she sleeps in my bed, no accidents in the house, no accidents in places like PetSmart or Home Depot).

- She NEVER pees in her crate when I have to leave her during the day (for 1-4 hours for errands, for instance), and she's in her crate during the day (usually 1-2 hours, 2-3 times per week) more often than she is overnight.

- She ONLY pees in her crate when she is in the crate overnight, and these accidents are happening EVERY night she is in the crate.

- She used to always scratch the cage door or growl when she needed let out to go potty. Now she seems to pee in her crate and go back to sleep, without so much as a peep. 

-When Addie is out and about in the house and needs to potty, she stands by the front door and growls. 

 

The only change to her daily habits is that in the past few months she has begun sleeping the night on my bed about 75% of the time, with the rest of the time in her closed crate. She sleeps the entire night in my bed (the same hours as she would in her crate) without any accidents or need to go potty. 

 

She's been peeing in her crate every night she's been in her crate for about a month now. At first I thought it was a one-off incident, but now it's about once a week (which is how often she is in her crate at night). Once again, she doesn't give me any indication anymore that she needs to go. 

 

Any ideas as to why this is happening and how I can fix it?

 

I'm contemplating getting a new crate in case there are smells in it encouraging her to go potty - but like I said she never pees in the crate when left during the day, only when she's sleeping in there overnight. 

 

Any advice / suggestions would be appreciated. I hate the thought of her peeing on herself and spending goodness knows how long in it so often at night. 

[_whits_]

Note: I give her the choice between "crate" or "bed" each night and she either walks into her crate (and then I close the door) or she jumps on the bed. There are some nights she does not want to be in the crate (will whine to get out) and some she doesn't want to be on bed (will jump off and go in crate). She chooses the bed 75% of the time.

I fear it might be her inconsistent sleeping location (even though it is her choice) that is causing this. Should I just put her in her crate, every night, no matter what? And if so, how does she learn peeing in her crate at night isn't ok, since she seems to have unlearned that fact? And why would she know not to pee in the crate during the day but think it's ok overnight? And why wouldn't she need to pee during the night when she's in bed with me?

Sorry for the long post and many questions. As you can tell I'm worried/ frustrated. And Addie woke me at 3:30 to run zoomies around the house (which hasn't happened before).

[hheldorfer]

Even though you said it seems the crate is the only place she pees in the house and it only happens at night, I'd bring her to the vet for a checkup.  Any chance she has a urinary tract infection?  It's unusual for a dog to urinate in her crate when she knows she can whine/bark to get your attention.  

 

The fact that she doesn't sleep in the same place every night shouldn't be a factor.  Buffy chooses to go to bed/not go to bed at night and has a variety of spots where she sleeps at night.  But the fact that Addie doesn't need to pee at night when she's in bed is a puzzlement.

 

Any changes in her diet/exercise routine?  New treats/chews?  Is she drinking an unusual amount of water?  Just throwing some thoughts out there . . . 

[remltr]

My first thought as I read your description was the same as hheldorfer, maybe a UI. I would also agree to get her checked at the vet. At the same time I wonder if she does have a UI, then why is she not peeing when she is free to sleep on the bed? Maybe she is objecting to be locked up in the crate.

 

So that leads me to my next thought. Why do you lock her in the crate when she enters it? Why not just leave it open? She isn't locked up when she sleeps on the bed, so she is free to roam while you are asleep. It should be no different if she sleeps in the crate.

 

Sassy sleeps where she wants, although it is never on the bed with me, but she always ends up in the crate by morning.

[Sam I Am]

I agree with all the above. Vet check and leave the door open in her crate. Is there a change in routine, is there a new person in your life? Our previous Scottie after being spayed had a few accidents on our bed . It turned out to be a hormonal issue. Our vet gave us some herbal supplements and it stopped.

[Hillscreek]

I agree with all the above. Vet check and leave the door open in her crate. Is there a change in routine, is there a new person in your life?

 

 Infection sounds unlikely but check anyway just to be sure. Be consistent about sleeping arrangements. If you don't mind where she sleeps leave crate door open as above.

Angus sleeps in his crate with door shut. Always has since a pup. No problem. He hops in there, gets his treat and sleeps till morning.This is because if I travel with him I need to be able to leave him safe at motel or some other place I'm at.

I don't think he would like it if sometimes he was shut in and sometimes not.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Hope things are going better for you and Addie. I did giggle at her doing zoomies at 3 a.m. and I saw your post at 3:13 - made me smile.  Doing zoomies is a good sign she is feeling good.  I would just take her to bed with me and not give her a choice or, like the others say, try leaving the door open for her and see what happens.  Hope you are having a better nights sleep or should I say mornings sleep.

[_whits_]

Thanks all for the advice and commiseration. My plan of action:

 

- Addie has a vet appointment tomorrow night to check if she has a urinary tract infection or there are any other possible medical causes. 

 

- I soaked her crate in Nature's Miracle to get any lingering urine out of it (I always clean it when she has peed in it, but I thought I'd do an extra deep clean just in case). 

 

- On the nights she chooses to sleep in her crate, I'll leave the door open. I had been closing the door because I wasn't entirely sure I could trust her not to find something on the house to destroy (she likes paper towels and Q-tips especially, and took about 5 years off my life recently when she found an empty razor container that I wasn't sure was empty at first). When she sleeps in my bed I can feel her movement so would notice if she was roaming the house; with an open crate door I was worried I wouldn't notice her out and about destroying things. She also tends to give me a weird look if I don't close the crate door on her, but It doesn't hurt to try. Hopefully she'll let me know if she needs to go potty. 

 

Like I said, the only change in her routine was when she started intermittently sleeping on my bed in July, and has increased the number of nights on my bed since then. She's on the same food, eating, drinking, pooping normally . . . can't think of anything other than peeing in her crate that is abnormal for her. 

 

It's just so weird that she wouldn't let me know that she needs to go potty. She is usually so incredibly persistent at voicing her wants and needs. 

[Sam I Am]

Sounds like you have a great plan. Let us know how she is doing.

[_whits_]

Addie's urinalysis was inconclusive. The vet noticed an abnormality, but wasn't sure if it was a result of the sample being taken later in the day or an indication of something wrong. So we're getting another sample in the morning and taking that in. The vet suspects it could either be a UTI or nighttime incontinence. 

 

In other news, Addie chose her crate last night. I left the door open and at about 3am she crawled out of her crate and into bed with me, where she spent the rest of the night. No accidents. 

[hheldorfer]

Good to hear that Addie had no accidents last night.  

 

The nighttime incontinence doesn't seem to make sense because she doesn't pee when she's in bed with you, but Cairns are strange and mysterious creatures.  Keep us posted on tomorrow's results.

[remltr]

Good news, especially if there is nothing medically wrong. A second thought would be take up the water after the last pee break of the evening, just in case.

[_whits_]

Addie's results came in and she does not have a urinary infection. It could still be occasional incontinence but since it only happens in her crate we're waiting and seeing if some behavior changes clear it up before I put Addie on any medicine.

Last night Addie chose to sleep on the cosy chair in my bedroom, a location she's never slept before. She slept the whole night with no accidents.

My suspicion - thanks to all of the helpful advice - it that she was protesting the crate being shut. We'll see how her newfound nighttime freedom treats us both.

Edited December 4, 2013 by _whits_

[Sam I Am]

Glad she is heathy! She probably figures she is all grown up and really mum.....do I have to be locked up? I can sleep where I want .

[hheldorfer]

Good news!  I think Terrier Lover is right - Addie is going through the teenage years and thinks the crate is for babies.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Fun to read the updates - thanks.  Happy that everything is working out.  Giggled that she chose ....the chair.  She is liking this new found freedom with choices.

Edited December 4, 2013 by Dempsy's Mom

[Hawkeye]

Glad to hear no medical problems.  I guess she decided it was time for a change in the sleeping arrangements.

[LindaMC]

My suspicion - thanks to all of the helpful advice - it that she was protesting the crate being shut. We'll see how her newfound nighttime freedom treats us both.

 

I was thinking the same thing, my 14 month old GSD Tess use to pee in her crate in an attempt to let us know that she did not want any bedding in her crate.  I thought this was odd but I guess every dog has their own agenda and Tess does not like anything in her crate, with the exception of biscuits/treats.  Whenever I attempted to put something in there to make her more comfortable, she either tried to rip it apart or she'd pee on it.  Since then, I've kept her crate completely bed free and no peeing.  I think that Addie was trying to tell you that she did not want the door closed.

 

So glad that she is doing well and has no infections.  She just wants to be treated like a big girl!

[_whits_]

As an update, Addie now has freedom to roam the bedroom (not the whole apartment - as I tell her I only trust her as far as I could throw her German Shepherd friend). She typically starts the night in the crate, then moves to my bed or the cosy chair in the bedroom. She hasn't had any accidents since Dec 1 (her last night locked in her crate).

She still gets locked in her crate during the day for an hour or two if I have to run errands but - as always - doesn't have any daytime accidents.

There were some inconclusive results in the specific gravity of her urine, so we're checking that again next month to confirm it was a matter of drinking less the night before instead of a potential health issue.

Thanks to all of you again for providing invaluable advice, for this issue and so many others. Addie's life is happier, healthier and more rewarding thanks to her friends at Cairn Talk.

Our new battle is Addie's quest to a) avoid cuddles while stealing my spot on the bed. It's hilarious. Until I ended up on the floor the other night; but by morning I was laughing about that too. Life is never dull with a Cairn Terrier!

[Hillscreek]

You just have to find a way to let those uprights know what you need! Glad she finally understood - Angus

[_whits_]

You just have to find a way to let those uprights know what you need! Glad she finally understood - Angus

 

Angus, I sure hope you haven't learned a lesson from Addie that peeing on things gets you what you want!