The crate is one of the excellent tools that help the dog to live a comfortable life also, it is perfect for housetraining. But there are some certain problems that a dog or puppy can face while living in a crate. One of the common problems among these is Dog peeing in crate suddenly.
It is not very common that dog pees in a crate suddenly, but it is nothing to be worried about as well. Usually, the owner is doing something wrong that is leading to such behavior. However, if these accidents get frequent and consistent, then you must get a little worried about your pooch.
In this article, we are going to dig into some reasons that why is the dog peeing in crate suddenly also, how to prevent these accidents. Let us get started!
Why is the dog peeing in crate suddenly?
If you are wondering that why a puppy is or dog peeing in crate suddenly, you are at the right place. Several reasons can make your four-legged mate pee in their crate suddenly. If your pup has come from a puppy mill or pet store, then it is obvious that it has previously developed the habit and you have to change that.
On the other hand, if you have trained your dog, but still it is showing unusual peeing behavior, that means there are some other reasons behind it for sure. To get rid of this habit, you must want to know the reason. For that, let us have a sneak peek at some of the possible causes.
Staying in a crate for too long:
If you have to leave your house for almost a half-day, which means your dog is locked in its crate for more than 6 hours. On average, a puppy cannot hold their pee for more than 5 or 6 hours. Leaving it for that long will lead to sudden peeing in the crate because the pup will have no other choice. Eventually, this can become a habit as well so, it is better to leave your dog in a bedroom instead of letting him develop an unusual habit.
Medical issue:
You can blame a medical condition to be the reason behind the dog peeing in crate suddenly if he knows that he has to control the pee when inside the crate, but still doing it there. The possible medical issues can be weak sphincter, abnormalities of genitalia, neurological problems, Cushing’s disease, diabetes, bladder stones, spay surgery, bad back, or most importantly, Urinary tract infection. Get your dog checked by a vet, and run some tests, before the situation gets worse.
Pee Routine:
Pee routine is one of the most vital factors that control the sudden peeing of the dog. Taking the dog for a walk is not only good for its physical and mental health but also the dog gets a chance to empty its bladder. Well, if you take your dog for a walk early morning, this is a good habit as, your dog will empty its bladder, and will not pee in the crate suddenly when you are out for work. Also, a walk in the evening is good for the nighttime. But, if you take your dog on a strenuous walk just before sleeping, it will drink a lot of water, and that results in a lot of sudden peeing at night.
Bladder Management:
Every dog has different bladder holding capacities. The simple rule of thumb is to add one into the age of the dog in months. Well, if you are leaving your dog more than that period in a carte, the sudden peeing will be certain.
Young dog or puppy:
If your dog is quite young, or we can see you have a puppy, then you must know that it cannot hold the pee for too long. Hence, leaving it in a crate overnight or for several hours can lead to sudden peeing. You can hire a dog walker to take the dog outside when you don’t have time to prevent any mess.
Behavioral Issues:
We all know that stress, anxiety, depression, all these factors lead to unusual behaviors. When a dog is suffering from separation anxiety, it is more likely to suddenly leak in the crate. Well, the anxiety can be because of leaving the dog home for so long, shifting to a new home, or the death of any family member. Try to cheer up the dog in such situations by giving some treats, or relaxing him.
Too Big Crate size:
If the crate is too big according to the size of the dog, this may lead to sudden peeing as well. The dogs use to lounge inside the crate, not walk. If the crate is larger than the lounging capacity, the dog may start to use one corner for lounging whereas, the other corner for peeing.
Untreated Pee Accidents:
If your dog has peed once, and you don’t take any reaction against it, then the dog might consider that it is the right place to pee. Never leave the sudden peeing untreated so that, your dog may not develop a habit of peeing suddenly.
Too much water consumption:
When you let the dong drink a lot of water before going to bed, it will probably lead to sudden peeing at night. Also, if you place the water bowl inside the crate, the dog will overconsume the water and can have to pee earlier than expected.
How to stop your dog from peeing in a crate suddenly?
We know that this is quite irritating and problematic to clean the crate again and again. Well, to get rid of the mess, we have some solutions for you that can prevent the dog from peeing in crate suddenly. Let us have a look!
Getting the crate of the right size:
The dog crate should be large enough that it can lounge in it easily also, standing up and turning around shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you buy a crate that is quite too large for the dog, and he can walk in it easily, you are doing a big mistake. Always choose a crate that is just large enough for a dog to fit in comfortably so that, it may not pee where it is lounging.
Adjusting water consumption:
Do not let the dog drink water more than the requirement. Also, when you make your dog do some strenuous exercise, it drinks a lot of water at once which leads to sudden peeing. So, take care of the water consumption as well.
Training with treats:
Whenever your dog goes out for peeing, get it a high-quality treat immediately. Do not wait for the dog to come inside and then offer the treat because that way, it might not get for what reason you gave it a treat. When the dog will get rewarded for peeing outside, then it will always try to go outside and pee to get a delicious reward.
Keep the crate pee-odorless and clean:
When a dog pees at a place previously, he leaves a pee-calling enzyme at that place which he detects next time by sniffing. Then, he finds that spot to pee there again hence, if your dog suddenly pees at someplace, make sure you have clean it using a urine-cleaner, and got rid of the odor using odor-removal sprays.
Get rid of behavioral issues:
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons behind the dog peeing in crate suddenly. Well, if your dog is not playing well or eating properly and then it shows this behavior as well, he is certainly suffering from separation anxiety. Visiting a professional trainer is recommended to revive the happy behavior of the dog which will stop him from peeing suddenly as well.
Place food:
A dog is sensible enough to not pee where it eats. If you will place a food bowl inside the crate, the dog will realize that it shouldn’t pee there hence, sudden peeing in a crate will be prevented.
Do not expect more:
If you are expecting a young puppy to control its bladder just like an adult dog can do, then you are wrong here. Know that every dog has a different pee holding capacity, and let each of them take their own time.
Take more bathroom breaks:
If you know that your pup has a small bladder, and cannot control it for quite some time, then take it outside more than the normal routine. Every time it goes out, it will most probably empty its bladder which prevents sudden peeing in the crate.
Rule out medical problems:
Just like anxiety, medical issues are one of the major causes of sudden peeing in the crate, especially urinary tract infections. Take your dog to the vet, and let him treat the dog. After the dog get rids of the disorder, it will not pee in the crate suddenly.
Look out for other alternatives:
If any of the above-mentioned methods do not work to stop the dog from peeing in the crate suddenly, then you should look for any other option rather than leaving it in a crate. Not every dog is born to live in a crate.
What to do when the dog peeing in a crate suddenly becomes a habit?
If your dog is peeing suddenly in the crate, you can deal with it by following any of the solutions we have mentioned following the problem. But, you never want it to become a habit hence, follow the below-mentioned guidelines so that, your dog may not start to get its normal behavior.
Don’t punish the dog:
Punishing the dog is never a solution instead it makes the dog anxious and confused which can lead to sudden peeing. The dog never understands what you are trying to convey through a punishment. Be gentle, and use other methods to prevent this behavior.
Remove the bedding:
Sometimes, the dog may start to pee in the crate and then cover that mess with their bedding. Also, they start to feel comfortable peeing at a soft spot. Remove the bedding from the crate so that, the dog may not be able to predict any of this false behavior.
Set a schedule:
What goes inside the dog comes out at a specific time. Make a regular schedule for the dog eating and drinking so that, you may know when to take him outside for peeing before the dog suddenly pees inside the crate.
Keep track of time:
We have already discussed that a dog can hold its bladder for a specific time which can be predicted by its age and applying a simple rule of thumb in it. Well, do not leave your dog more than the hours he can control the bladder.
Handle nighttime issue:
If your pup has a tiny bladder, and he hasn’t developed a habit of holding the bladder overnight, then this should be catered seriously. You should get up at least once during the night and take the dog outside for a pee break so that, it may know whatever the situation is, it has to go outside for peeing at any cost.
Proper introduction of a puppy to the crate:
Make sure that your dog starts to enter the crate willingly. If the dog starts to think of it as jail or punishment, he will refuse to get inside it. Getting him inside the crate forcefully will make him anxious or aggressive and that can cause sudden peeing inside the crate. Give your dog a treat when it enters the crate willingly so that, it may know a crate is not a punishment, but a relaxing place to lounge.
Go for a health check:
Keep visiting the vet to know that if your dog is suffering from any medical illness. When your dog will remain healthy, you won’t have to face any sudden peeing due to medical issues.
Bottom Line:
A dog may pee suddenly in its crate, but it has some reason behind it. Either the owner is doing something wrong, or the dog is suffering from any physical or mental problem. Get your dog checked in the second scenario, otherwise try to get your method right before the dog develops a habit of pee accidents in the crate rather than going outside.
