9 Ways to Stop a Dog Pooping in a Crate

 The most disgusting part of crate training is when you fail to make your dog understand that it is not his bathroom where he can poop or pee, right?

Well, if you are sick of this behavior, then make sure to read our article. In this, we have enlisted multiple ways how you can stop your dog from pooping inside the crate.

We have listed easy solutions, so you don’t need to panic. Before you start these methods, let me tell you, you must have a lot of patience to deal with them. Giving up won’t give you any results.

So, are you ready to solve these issues? 

1. Altering the crate

The first way to prohibit your dog from defecating inside the crate is by making some changes with his crate. 

Make sure the crate is of the right size

If you have got a big crate for your dog, there is a high possibility of them defecating inside. It is because he gets extra space to feel comfortable inside. 

When he urges to defecate instead of going out, he poops in the crate.

So, you must avoid getting a big spacious crate.

Well, that doesn’t mean you have to get a small crate. You just have to buy an appropriate size crate in which he can stand up, sit down, and turn around easily, where he can stretch his legs and be comfortable staying inside.

If you have adopted a young puppy, purchase a medium-size dog crate. 

We understand buying a crate is a costly affair, and eventually, your puppy will grow soon, so why to invest in a small crate.

Therefore, all you can do is put cardboard or get a safe puppy material to lock the extra space. It will save your money and won’t encourage your puppy to pee and poo inside.

Feed your dog in his crate

There are high chances that if you feed your dog inside the crate, he may not pee or poo inside; this is because dogs do not like to eliminate where they have their meal. So, feeding inside can actually help you.

Well, this doesn’t mean you have to lock your dog with his food dish inside the crate. It will only create problems for your cute dog. Because it can lead to stress, and he may stop eating his meal.

So, by feeding your dog inside the crate, we mean that when it’s his mealtime, simply place his food plate inside the crate and open the gate instead of keeping him outside.

In the starting, your dog may be hesitant to get inside the crate for eating his meal because he may doubt that you’re going out, and therefore you are attempting to entice him in. 

He should ultimately eat if you leave the food available and go about your daily chores.

Alter the bedding in the crate

Moving on next, you can place a blanket inside the crate to reduce the chance of pooping inside.

If you have not kept any blanket or bedding inside your doggo crate, it’s time to get him a nice comfy mat or mattress to put inside. 

Canines won’t defecate there if you do this because they don’t like to eliminate where they love sleeping.

So, changing the blankets or adding extra blankets can make your dog stop going in his crate for peeing or pooping.

In contrast, if you already kept the bed and your dog still hides his poop beneath it, you should remove it. 

When your dog feels he can’t simply conceal his defecation in his crate, he won’t be interested in doing so.

You must avoid placing paper padding inside the kennel even though he is trained.

 2. Bring some changes in his schedule

Next, we have to make some adjustments to his timetable to get rid of the cause.

Crate train your dog before leaving him alone in a crate.

Initially, when you leave your dog alone in the crate, and he is eliminated inside, the problem is that he doesn’t want to be alone.

It is because he is not habitual of using a kennel.

As a result, it is vital that you don’t leave him alone in the starting phase of crate training. Later, you can eventually change and leave him alone once he starts feeling safe.

Try to give him a positive environment and encourage him to use a crate. Like you can keep the crate open, let him get inside it, and don’t lock it. You can also use treats and praises to allure him to go inside the crate.

When your fido is ready, you can slowly lock his door for a short time. Initially, keep him inside the crate for a small period and eventually increase the timing.

Your dog’s age also plays an essential factor when it comes to crate training. Generally, senior dogs can be inside the crate for a long time if you compare them with young puppies.

At a time, a dog can stay inside the kennel for nearly about 4 hours; this is for a four months puppy, and once the puppy has reached six months, he may hold up for 5 hours. 

The ideal crate time for an adult dog is generally 6-8 hours, not more than that.

Keep a consistent walk schedule.

In case your fido is defecating in a crate, that means there is a lack of physical activity. 

It means you have not properly scheduled his walking time, or you may be irregular with your dog’s walking schedule.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you take him on a walk at regular intervals of time and daily so that he doesn’t have to use his crate.

If you leave your dog outdoors, that doesn’t mean he needs to go potty outside.

So, you have to be with him outside when you teach him potty training and applaud him when he reaches his bathroom place.

If you don’t do this, he might merely think of the outdoors as his playing space and not go outside to do his bathroom business.

TIP: Have patience and regularly practice this because practice will make everything perfect, and your dog will be able to adapt to the change at ease.

Create a consistent daily feeding schedule

Along with walking, you also have to take care of his eating time. If you give him food on time, it will help you to know his pooping time. Generally, dogs take 8-10 hours to digest their food.

If you avoid giving him treats and snacks, it also reduces the potty problem. You don’t have to feed and just lock him inside the crate as it has a higher possibility of defecation. 

All you have to do is, after feeding him, let him be outside enjoying playing for around 30 minutes; this can help him to defecate outside the crate.

To get to know the right amount of food, you can talk to your vet and then divide his portion throughout the day.

If your dog uses the crate at night, make sure to avoid feeding and give him water 3 hours before he goes to sleep. 

And, in case you crate your dog in the morning, then take him after breakfast for a walk where he can relieve himself.

3. Use positive and negative reinforcement.

Using positive and negative reinforcement tricks can support you to teach your fido not to eliminate inside the kennel.

Like when you go for a walk with him, ensure always to appreciate him and praise him after his bathroom business.

In case your pup is pooping in the kennel. Use your hands to make a clapping noise and then say “no” afterward; take him with you outside so that he can defecate.

Keep in mind that dogs are only concerned with their immediate surroundings. Scolding him if you wake up to discover him in his crate is probably not going to help. 

He won’t be able to analyze why he is getting scolded for what purpose.

Never use aggression as a part of the training. Your loud voice can give him anxiety and stress, and this won’t be helpful and will only worsen your situation.

Rubbing your dog’s nose in poop or pee will only agitate and confuse him. So, make sure not to do it.

4. Proper potty training

If your dog is pooping in the crate, it can be because of you. Yes, it is true because you have not provided him with appropriate potty training.

Before giving your dog crate training for an extended amount of time, make sure they are house trained and used to going to the potty on their own time.

While house training a dog, you can still utilize crates, but only for a limited time.

5. Provide plenty of exercises

When you make your dog do exercise, it gives you many benefits.

Firstly, it will make him tired; therefore, there won’t be more chances of misbehaving( like he won’t poo there), and he will sleep immediately.

When you play with him, his mind starts functioning, and he connects to his routine; thus, his potty time will also fall in line, just like the rest of the routine and habits like having lunch and dinner.

6. Seeking Medical Care

Make an appointment with a veterinarian.

Make sure that your dog is not misbehaving because of a health problem, and it is best to speak to your vet. Get your appointment fixed and take your dog for a routine physical examination.

In case your dog is suffering from watery stool, then it is a sign of diarrhea; along with that, he can also face trouble in his intestine, which will require medical treatment. So, your vet will ask to conduct a blood test or X-ray for that.

Generally, old dogs have age-related digestion problems. If you have an old dog, then your vet will check whether he can control his bowel movements. 

If it is the issue, then the proper treatment may help to curb the problem.

Familiarize yourself with the signs of separation anxiety. 

Frequently your furry friend may be eliminated inside the kennel because of separation anxiety. Therefore, you can detect the symptoms of anxiety problems in dogs to keep the situation under control.

Giving your dog a positive surrounding and positive reinforcement in tension can help to control the situation. You can give him a treat and can say good boy, rub his belly, tap on his head.

Otherwise, you can also give him toys and food when going outside the house. Get OurPets Waffle & Sushi Interactive Puzzle Game Dog Toys; it gives exercise to his brain.

You just have to keep his treat in the compartment and move the sushi flipper to conceal the puzzle track. It will be fun for your dog and can also increase his cognitive power.

You can also try PREMIUM CARE Calming Chews for Dogs to control stressful situations. This chew helps your dog to have a calm mind and relax. It also helps to cope up with negative surroundings.

Other than that, you can talk to the vet and get to know more about treatment. They may suggest some medicines and training that can help to prohibit such situations.

Be careful about changing your dog’s diet.

Changing your dog’s food can suddenly lead to bowel problems; he may have problems controlling his bowel movements.

Therefore, you must always change your pet food slowly; it will help to get used to it. Always mix old food with new food and eventually increase the proportion

7. Enroll in doggie daycare.

You can pay for doggie daycare; it is an excellent solution to get rid of dogs pooping in crate problems.

Putting them in daycare while the puppy learns basic commands may be a more compassionate approach when you leave the house and need to crate your fido.

8. Hire a dog sitter

Suppose your budget allows you to hire a dog sitter who can take your dog for pooping after peeing when you are out. You can also hire a dog walker to take your dog on a walk regularly.

9. Use a pet odor eliminator.

You can try using an odor eliminator to stop your dog from eliminating inside the crate. The enzymes present inside the odor eliminator prohibit a dog from stopping this behavior. It can be a temporary solution.

Well, that’s a wrap!

Crate training your dog helps you in many ways. But what is most disgusting is when they make their bathroom and poop and pee inside that.

So, to get rid of this problem, you can take him for a walk and give him enough exercise and mental stimulation. Otherwise, you can also give adequate potty training.

If you want to know more about it, then go make sure to read our article thoroughly, and if any of the tips work for you, please leave a comment down below.