# Crate Training



## Shane Lewis (May 5, 2008)

I have a 5 month old gsd. I got him at 12 weeks with no problems. The only issue he had was 100% my fault due to getting off work late. He was on raw untill a few weeks ago. He is on Nutro Ultra large breed adult. Now he seems to urinate in his crate no matter how much water he is given or how early it is give. I feed him and give him water now around 4:00 and am up with him untill 10:00. I get up at six and he has not made it this week no matter how much water I have given him, however at 3 months and four months no problem. I ve seen UTI and he doesn't show the symptoms I've seen, but I not a vet. He also acts like he is not getting enough water. He has "water drive" like ball drive.lol As soon as hes out hes on the prowl checking the counter the grass and staring down the neighbors sprinkler. He will bark in his kennel when he hears the ice icemaker and would rather have ice than a food treat.


Thanks


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Excessive thirst and water consumption can be a symptom of UTI. Or diabetes. Check with your vet first. You won't be able to housetrain a sick pup!


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Shane, I'm confused by your post - are you leaving the pup in his crate for 8 hours overnight with no potty breaks? From 10 pm to 6 am? That is WAY too long for a pup. If your pup is going in his crate over night you need to get up and let him out to pee during the night. Are you only giving him water once a day?


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## Shane Lewis (May 5, 2008)

Jennifer Marshall said:


> Shane, I'm confused by your post - are you leaving the pup in his crate for 8 hours overnight with no potty breaks? From 10 pm to 6 am? That is WAY too long for a pup. If your pup is going in his crate over night you need to get up and let him out to pee during the night. Are you only giving him water once a day?


He is in his crate for 8 hours and never had any problems. He gets water in the morning with his food, during the day and with dinner. My wife is home during the day to let him out. From what I understand he needs aprox. 40 ounces a day based on his weight. Maybe Im expecting too much from this pup.I did read somewhere that they can hold it 1 hour per month of age so I may have just been lucky in the past. I had a 5 month old pitbull rescue that slept in my room from day 1 and never had any accidents. I will let him out at night and see if that helps.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I've never gotten up with a pup older than 3 months. Rarely had an issue and never consistently.

With the amount of monitoring going on and ESPECIALLY because pup previous way fine overnight, I'm expecting to see a post in a couple days that there was a health issue and things are getting better. 

You cannot train away a health problem.


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

I always get up with pups. Until they hit 6 months old I get up at least once a night to potty break. 8 weeks to 14/15 weeks 3 times a night, 14/15 weeks to 5 months twice a night and once a night until 6-7 months old. I never expect a pup to hold it past a few hours, if I am capable of giving them a potty break, I do. I never have accidents because I pay attention to a puppie's ability to hold its bladder.

Just because a pup has been able to hold it for 8 hours before doesn't mean it should have to or that it always will be able to. I know I can drink the same amount of water on a normal schedule and never have to pee at the same time every day. The more hydrated you are the faster liquid goes through the system. The more active a dog is the more it will urinate, the hotter the weather (the more the dog needs to pant and salivate) the more the dog will need to intake in water, etc etc.

The pup was just switched from raw to kibble. Kibble fed dogs require more water intake than a raw fed dog, in general, because a raw diet (meat and bone) containes preform water, 65+ percent of meat and bone in a raw diet is water.

It is always good to check for health issues but 8 hours overnight is just asking for an accident in the crate.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Shane Lewis said:


> He is in his crate for 8 hours and never had any problems. He gets water in the morning with his food, during the day and with dinner. My wife is home during the day to let him out. From what I understand he needs aprox. 40 ounces a day based on his weight. Maybe Im expecting too much from this pup.I did read somewhere that they can hold it 1 hour per month of age so I may have just been lucky in the past. I had a 5 month old pitbull rescue that slept in my room from day 1 and never had any accidents. I will let him out at night and see if that helps.


Shane the next time you go to work and that coffee is working on the system, remember that puppy and the need tp piss! Better yet, don't go at all that day and then tell me about the 6-8 hour rule of crating, that's BS in my book. I and others have posted on this topic before...

Also you can't use one of anything to make it the STANDARD for all things. Holding it for one hour is not all animals...I can tell you about educational research and the adult attention span being based on approximately one hour per year of age...if I have a boring speaker, my attention span is shot right there! So much for R& D.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Shane Lewis said:


> I have a 5 month old gsd. I got him at 12 weeks with no problems. The only issue he had was 100% my fault due to getting off work late. He was on raw untill a few weeks ago. He is on Nutro Ultra large breed adult. Now he seems to urinate in his crate no matter how much water he is given or how early it is give. I feed him and give him water now around 4:00 and am up with him untill 10:00. I get up at six and he has not made it this week no matter how much water I have given him, however at 3 months and four months no problem. I ve seen UTI and he doesn't show the symptoms I've seen, but I not a vet. He also acts like he is not getting enough water. He has "water drive" like ball drive.lol As soon as hes out hes on the prowl checking the counter the grass and staring down the neighbors sprinkler. He will bark in his kennel when he hears the ice icemaker and would rather have ice than a food treat.
> 
> 
> Thanks


I'd drop off a clean catch asap, and consider bloodwork next, depending on the results of the urinalysis/culture.

Meanwhile, I'd definitely start letting him out more, regardless of the cause for his increased need to urinate. You're letting a habit develop that you do not want. He is going because he needs to, so he needs to be taken outside at a regular time (so that he is aware of relief coming at a certain point).


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

Shane,

Sounds like when on raw no issue? (3-4 months) Now on kibble (last few weeks) and the problem started about the same time?

Yes, this puppy has major water drive as in going after the water 

I agree. There is probably an increase due to the re-intro of kibble,as that will increase the water intake.

Pick up the water before you go to sleep (about 30-45 minutes). Take him out one more time.


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

Question: have you tried to put him back on the raw?

Thanks!


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