# At my wits end! Pup in crate



## katnbeau (Jul 15, 2016)

At my wits end and don't know what to do. We have a nine month old cockapoo, Beau, who is so very well behaved and loving inn so many ways. He's slept in a crate since we had him. He comes into the office with me, gets two walks a day - and does get some time on his own during which he seems fine. We feed him about the same time each evening (6.30) and he gets his water lifted an hour or so before bedtime then it's out for a last minute wee. But for months now he seems to have real anxiety - on and off oinn his crate - despite sleeping through until 7.30am and being dry in the early days. We went through a period a few months ago where he would wake like clockwork each night at 3.45am, we ignored him of course (after checking the first time there was nothing wrong) but then he started weeing in his crate within a minute or so of waking. Took him to the vet and checked, no infection, vet suggested we leave him the crate door open and the run of the kitchen. Did that and it seemed to improve for a short while, though he started weeing at about 6/6.30 each morning - though didn't ring his bells or make any noise to indicate that he wanted out. Obviously the floor and crate are cleaned thoroughly each time with an enzymatic cleaner. Then we had a night where two other pups stayed with us, so we tried him back in his crate with the door closed and (presumably because of their close proximity in their own crate) - he slept through without trouble. So we went back to a closed crate door with no issues and him sleeping through till about 6.30, took him on holiday and he did the same, but since returning he wakes up at 5am every morning! For the first week he'd cry and bark and stamp in his crate for two hours until we got up for work, then go out for a wee. I'm worried about the impact of that stress on him, he's always so out of breath and heart beating fast by then. After a week or dry crying he then started weeing in his crate again - so we went back to the crate door open for two nights and he didn't settle, cried and barked and jumped at the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs on and off all night. And of course had a wee. So last night back in his crate with the door closed and he settled fine until 5am when he woke up again within five minutes had wet his crate!! There is nothing waking him, neighbour etc. 

I know the inconsistency is bad for him, and for us, and I'm at my wits end, feeling like I've tried the everything and don't know what to do next . We don't want him in the bedroom with us, either in or out of his crate, I know that once we do that he'll never not sleep without us - and that's not what we want, or always feasible when we are away/visiting family. Final point, we know it isn't a lack of exercise, as I said he gets at least two walks a day and we did an eight mile hike on Sunday - but still he was awake 5am Monday morning! 
Please help! Suggestions most appreciated. From what I'm reading this seems a common occurrence, do they get past it? Do we just ignore (concerned he's so anxious he's weeing) or something else?!


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## Tesseract (Feb 3, 2016)

Some things to try:
1. Free feeding and water always available.
Yes it does sound counterintuitive, however since you're already having the wee problem in the middle the night then you have nothing to lose.

Be prepared to take him out in the morning and right before bed but he might regulate his intake better and make it through the night without issues.

The concept behind this is that the dog only consumes as much as they need and doesn't try to scarf/guzzle down more than they are comfortable because they feel it will be their last meal for a while.

Pepper (my 6.5 month puppy) has 24/7 access to water and access to food most of the time (she is crated when I got to work and has limited access to a fix amount ~1/4 handful of treats/kibble in the morning & afternoon but gets two walks and some food access at lunch, on the weekends it's 24/7 access). She gets up around 6:30 and I take her out before 8am; sometimes she will sleep in with me until the alarm goes off at 7:30am.

2. How hot/cold is his crate at night? Near a vent or air conditioner? Remember puppies are sensitive to changing temperatures/noises etc that we may take for granted due to our larger size. Something might be waking him up that you are not noticing.

3. If he sleeps well with others, move him into the bedroom, or even let him sleep in the bed with you (get plastic under cover for your bed and keep the door locked so if there is a mess, it's findable and contained).

4. If he wakes up, take him outside immediately. If he wakes up and pees himself, still take him out. He needs to learn to only pee outside.

5. If nothing works, you may need to place down a pee pad at night. But seek professional help vet/trainer before you do our you will be stuck with pads for a long time.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

My Beemer, bless him, has always been an early bird. That is, he wants to wake up in time to see the sunlight crack the horizon. We could have walked 10 miles or around the block, he wakes up at the same time. When he cries, do you take him out or just check to see if he's peed in his crate? Also you mention his wake time, what's his bed time?

Perhaps logging his food, drink, pee, poop schedule can help too. I wonder if he's drinking a lot an hour before bedtime, he's probably going to need to go 3-4 hrs later. Logging would help with this too. 

My two go to bed early, around 8pm. I've learned I need to wake them around 10:30-11 for last night's pee or I'm up around 3-4. Makes sense. Between 7-8 hrs. If you want to wake up at 6:30-7, you may need to take him out between 11 and midnight depending on how long he can hold it. There may not be external cues waking him but his internal cues certainly are. 

Btw - I used to love sleeping in as my last dog would let me. Now I get up between 4:30&5. I've learned to be an early morning person now. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sugerlump (Oct 6, 2012)

L&B you are so right,ginger is the same ,goes to bed at 10:00 and is up at 5:00.I think that she has to redo her time up and time down..we let ginger our all the time during the day,but we only like to have her hold it for about & hours.any more then that and you pushing your luck ok ..good luck


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## katnbeau (Jul 15, 2016)

Thanks all for your help. We've re-instated the pre-bed walk and decided to give Beau the run of downstairs. We've kept the crate and are putting his food in there and keeping it as a space that's his in case we need to travel with it, so he's used to it, but basically he just puts himself in his soft bed or the sofa in the living room! Two nights in and he's slept through till I've woken him at 7am and no accidents in the kitchen! Little concerned that if we need to put him in his crate he won't accept it, but it was clear he was anxious in it and we couldn't continue like that - and didn't want him in the bedroom. So! Success I think! Thanks again everyone for your input and help  attached a picture of a content Beau this morning x Kat x


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## Gill57 (Mar 20, 2016)

katnbeau said:


> Thanks all for your help. We've re-instated the pre-bed walk and decided to give Beau the run of downstairs. We've kept the crate and are putting his food in there and keeping it as a space that's his in case we need to travel with it, so he's used to it, but basically he just puts himself in his soft bed or the sofa in the living room! Two nights in and he's slept through till I've woken him at 7am and no accidents in the kitchen! Little concerned that if we need to put him in his crate he won't accept it, but it was clear he was anxious in it and we couldn't continue like that - and didn't want him in the bedroom. So! Success I think! Thanks again everyone for your input and help  attached a picture of a content Beau this morning x Kat x


Brilliant news and obviously the right decision. Freddie no longer has his crate in the kitchen, but i do use a soft crate in the car so that he is still used the concept of a crate.
Lovely photo......


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Very glad to hear that you have reached a solution that both you and Beau are happy with.
If Beau has learnt to sleep happily in his soft bed I'm not sure that a crate will ever be necessary... 
My dogs sleep happily wherever we (or they) go - they know what bedtime is and happily slope off to their sleeping places. If they go to stay with friends when we are away their beds go with them.
Beau looks much too sensible to ever be any trouble!


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