Dog advice needed

[PixiePop]

Hi all
We have a 10 month old French Bulldog. He has been crate trained since we got him and he has been completely house broken except starting about a week ago. He started peeing in his crate. He does not have an infection, he does not have accidents when we are home or on the weekends. He has not been neutered yet because of some skin allergy issues that the vet wanted to get under control.

Any advice? Taking him out of the crate is not an option. He is a chewer and would destroy the house.

Thanks.

 

[doxdogy]

Wish I could give you the solution. We had one dachshund that would potty in his crate. Which earned him the nickname stink pot.

 

[walden]

How long is he crated during the day and are you very sure he is "empty" when you put him in there?

Otherwise, possible Separation Anxiety? This can develop over time. Have there been any loud noises, disruptions from outside etc, while he has been crated that might have frightened him but you don't know about? Set up a video camera and observe.

 

[kacaju]

How long is he crated during the day and are you very sure he is "empty" when you put him in there?

Otherwise, possible Separation Anxiety? This can develop over time. Have there been any loud noises, disruptions from outside etc, while he has been crated that might have frightened him but you don't know about? Set up a video camera and observe.

This..plus where do you live? Is it getting colder out so he may not be wanting to stay out too long?

 

[PixiePop]

We do not leave him outside. He is inside. I am beginning to think it is separation anxiety. He has never had any problems before.

 

[walden]

We do not leave him outside. He is inside. I am beginning to think it is separation anxiety. He has never had any problems before.

I'm assuming the PP meant -- are you supervising to make sure he is going potty outside before crating him? Sometimes people just let the dog outside and expect him to go, but as the weather gets colder the dog just turns around and asks to come back in without taking care of "business."

I'm glad you have thought of a bladder infection, but I'd take in another sample and double-check. Sometimes the infection doesn't show up in the first sample. Also, I wouldn't crate him until you are absolutely positive he is empty. Giving him as long a walk as posible in the a.m. will take care of this and tire him out too. Always a good idea. Also how long is he crated? My dogs are never crated for more than 3 hours without a break. If I can't be home I have a dog walker.

See if you can videotape him too to see if he is really stressed when you leave. Panting and pacing, whining, barking, biting the crate etc. That would imply separation anxiety (SA).

This article is by a friend of mine and I highly recommend it for SA. http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2002/sa.htm

I used some of these techniques with one of my dogs (his SA was not nearly as bad as the dog in the article, thank goodness) and the desensitization really worked! It was very hard work for a 3 day weekend, going in and out all day, but he stopped panicking and trying to destroy his crate and/or the house after that.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

If he is urinating on his bedding, sometimes just taking the bedding away for a brief time so he has nothing to soak up the pee can work, or decreasing his floor space in the crate.

This way, if he pees, he lives with the consequences, the puddle, until he is left out of the crate again, and then relearns it is a good idea to "hold it".

This is, of course, once it is totally determined that there is no health reason for the urinations.

Has he been given any corticosteroids like prednisone/prednisolone or dexmethasone for his skin? Those drugs can drastically increase drinking, thus urinations, so could account for the increased need for emptying his bladder.

Good luck with the beastie.