Crate Training

[shais_mom]

My sister and I have both crate trained our previous dogs without much issue. After about a year my sister and her family were finally ready to add another pup to their family. They found Hobie at a local Humane Society. He is approximately 8 mos old boxer mix. Hobie HATES his crate. He has broken 2 of them since June 2 (when they got him) even with a cone on his head due to his neuter! I took him a Kong to fill with PB etc and that helped at first. One night they decided not to put him in crate b/c he'd been there all day and ended up going into it on his own with the door open! That happened once! He was pretty much potty trained when they got him, but the times he has broken out he has pooped. I let them borrow my big crate since he is a cone-head and couldn't fit in there and he pooped in there! Any thoughts?

[SWHouston]

Assuming you/they Crate the the other Dog too, you might put the doors of the Crates face to face (door to door), where the younger Dog sorta has "company". Then as the days pass, start moving them farther apart.

I'd say the Crate was too small for him, given that he's trying to get out to potty. Also a longer "outside" visit before bedtime, may help some.

[shais_mom]

My sister doesn't have another dog. She had her's put to sleep d/t cancer in May 2011. And I lost my golden of 10.5 years about 11 days ago.

I'm sure the crate isn't too small for him he weighs about 45 pounds and our crates were the XL size crates b/c I had a greyhound and a 100# golden that went in them and My sister had a 50 pound lab mix for her crates.

[Taz_Zoee]

The crate is not too small if he pooped in it.
Have they tried putting him in the crate for short periods of time and gradually make the periods longer?
Feed him in the crate. Keep his favorite toys in there. Make the crate the happiest thing ever. Never a punishment (which I'm sure they don't).
That's the only suggestions I can think of. We hand out a crate training pamphlet when we adopt out dogs. I might have one at home from when I got Taggart. I can check tonight and scan it in to you.

[shais_mom]

The crate is not too small if he pooped in it.
Have they tried putting him in the crate for short periods of time and gradually make the periods longer?
Feed him in the crate. Keep his favorite toys in there. Make the crate the happiest thing ever. Never a punishment (which I'm sure they don't).
That's the only suggestions I can think of. We hand out a crate training pamphlet when we adopt out dogs. I might have one at home from when I got Taggart. I can check tonight and scan it in to you.

AWESOME thanks Cindy!

[Freedom]

Not clear to me if he broke out and then pooped, or if he pooped IN the crate.

Either way, he NEEDED TO GO and was stuck! A dog will NOT poop in his sleeping area unless he has to, and most then want to get as far away from that as possible. So from the way I read your info, they are not letting him out often enough for him to do his business. Or maybe it is often, but not at the TIMES he has to go.

I have 2 dogs who poop an hour after eating; and 3 who poop 3 hours after eating. Of course they can't all be on the same schedule! So that would be one thing for them to consider.

Another thing to think about is his past. How long was he in the shelter? Is anything about his life before then known? Tasha is my puppy mill rescue, spent all her life in a cage until she was almost 5 years old (when she was rescued). She will not go NEAR a crate, nor would I ever expect her to. Hobie was not in a crate or cage, I know. But he needs to have good feelings about the place, and the steps already provided are good ones.

So that is 2 things to consider.

[SWHouston]

OH ok 45 lbs !

Boxer Mixes need about 2 square feet per pound.
You need to get him his own apartment.