Need some reassurance.....

[deannalew]

Our puppy Patch is 12 weeks old. We have had him since he was 7 weeks and have used the crate training method with him from the beginning.

He likes his crate and for the last few weeks has been able to go overnight and up to 5 hours in it with out an accident. YEAH PATCH!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm8.gif" border=0>

O.K. now here is my problem. Yesterday Patch FLOODED his kennel. I mean FLOOD!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm6.gif" border=0>

Last night while sitting on my hubbie's lap (a place he LOVES to be....) he peed while lying there all over my hubbie. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm24.gif" border=0>

This morning when we got Patch out of his kennel, he had FLOODED his kennel again! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm25.gif" border=0>

Today he did spend some time in the kennel, but only about an hour to an hour and a half at a time and he kept it dry!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm34.gif" border=0>

So, is this something that just happens sometimes? He seems to be fine today. I hope! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm18.gif" border=0>

By the way....no we did not yell at him or get mad at him (although when Patch peed on my hubbie....it was quite a scene!)<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm27.gif" border=0>

Also, I am aware that some trainers say that a pup this young can not stay in the kennel for more than 3 hours or so. Others say 5 is o.k. even on a daily basis. My vet says 5 is o.k. and that Patch will probably have accidents in the kennel at times. Not to worry, just clean it up and Patch will grow out of it. It just makes me wonder if we are doing something wrong? I get these guilty feelings.....or try to figure Patch out....

There are only one or two times a week when Patch has to be in the kennel for more than a few hours at a time.

I would love to hear about your kennel training experiences....

Kisses from Patch...<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm35.gif" border=0>

[Krista]

I think you are doing fine, however if you notice him needing to go frequently, you might want to see if he has a bladder infection.

Puppies do not have good muscle control of the sphincter that shuts off their bladder, if the bladder is full, just picking thme up or tickling them may cause them to pee.

I have two boys that I crate trained, one NEVER peed in his crate. The other peed once or twice -but he pooped in it more than several times.... Now both are 100% reliable. our 1 year old had his last accident 6 months ago and our two year old has been accident free for over a year.

Just keep on being patient.

You might want to restrict water drinking for an hour before he has to be crated. If he drinks a lot and then goes into his crate for a few hours, you can prettty much bet there will be a "flood"

[deannalew]

Thanks for the reassurance, Krista! I am so hopeful to hear that both your boys are now "housebroken".

I have to remember that Patch is only 12 weeks old and I can't expect him to be perfect.

Right now we watch him like a hawk when he is not in the kennel. Most of the time Patch is on a leash and we attach him to one of our belts.

Anyway....thanks for the advice on no water an hour before crating him. I will have to remember that one. That could have been part of his problem? I don't know. Today has been better.

I am hoping for a dry kennel in the morning!

Oh....by the way....Patch usually does not poop in the kennel. If he has an accident...it is pee. Isn't it strange how one of yours never soiled his crate, yet the other pooped in it and with mine...it is the pee problem? Little puzzlers, they are! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm11.gif" border=0>

Gotta love 'em!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm38.gif" border=0>

[Shay]

my Ginger was born around the first weekend in march, so is about 3 months also. we use a crate with her, and she sleeps in our bed. her accidents in the crate are usually soil not pee, she doesn't like to get her feet wet, and i dont' know if that is why she doesnt pee in the crate, or if we have just been lucky so far. she can handle about 6 hours at nite, then will begin to cry because she is ready to go outside. when she is in the bed with us, she wakes and begins licking my face and when she does that, it means take me out NOW or i will pee on your bed!!! in the first few weeks, we were outside at 2, 3 and 4 am on several occasions, then began using the crate so we could get our sleep. now she doesn't wake at those times of the morning, but between 7:30 and 8 a.m. she will begin the whining in the crate. so that has become our morning routine, at 7:30 i get up anyway, and i try to have both my doxies outside by 8 am. potty, play, back in to eat, then back out to potty and play. then they usually both settle down for a nap, then the cycle starts over again. anyway, i agree that not giving liquid before they go down for the nite is a good idea, and being consistent with the crate training, and other activiities seems to really help. also, when cleaning a soiled crate, or accident spot on the floor, for us personally, i have found that it helps if they don't see you do that. i don't know why, but especially with my older one, it seems to hurt her feelings or something if she sees me cleaning her accident spots. i think your puppy and mine are doing great to even be showing an effort at this age, and from everything i have read, i don't expect her to be accident free for at least a year, and if she "gets it" before then, wonderful. good luck with your puppy!!! Shay, Jaz, and Ginny-poo

[deannalew]

Thanks for your reply. I think Ginger is the same age as Patch. He was born March 4th. Oh....and we had decided if we got a red girl we were going to name her Ginger....<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0> small world....

Anyway, we got our little fella instead and Patch is doing a bit better. He kept his kennel dry last night (in bed by 10:30 and up at 6).

The handbell choir I am involved in had to play at the 8:30 and 11:00 service at my church today so Patch had to be in his kennel for a little over 4 hours. He had wet it when I got home.

Yesterday he kept his kennel dry all day, but we never left, either. He only stayed in it when he was sleeping.

The only thing I don't understand is that he was keeping his kennel dry for a few weeks even if he was in there for 5 hours. And he was keeping it dry every night.

I am not blaming Patch for these accidents at all. I blame myself, but what can I do? When I have no choice but to leave him for 4-5 hours at a time, I have been told to not use papers (I haven't used them at all)but to just keep him in the kennel and clean up any mistakes he makes....don't worry about it. Well....I DO worry about it.

UGH! I am SUCH a neurotic mom. Please tell me it will be o.k. and that Patch will just out grow this.

Most of the time he is not in the kennel except when he is sleeping or riding in the car and he keeps it dry.

WHEW....Mommy guilt is just kicking in! OR is it just PMS?<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm32.gif" border=0>

Thank you all for putting up with me!

[Krista]

Please don't worry so, dacshies usually take a while, you have at least another month, many times more before you should worry about accidents in a crate after a few hours.

Just like kids, sometimes as they grow their bladder may take a bit to catch up, and that muscle that closes off the bladder may not reach total control until the pup is 4-6 months old.

Keep on keeping on.

The crating is good when you are not home or unable to watch him.

The short leash method is great from what I have heard while you are home.

You are doing it right, be consistant, keep a schedule, and be patient. You'll get there.

[deannalew]

Thank you a thousand times, Krista!

I am stressing out over this and I think it is because of TOO much information! I did so much investigating on crate training that I have gotten conflicting information and that is what I think is making me second guess myself.

That and PMS, I am sure!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm43.gif" border=0>

I think I will print out your reply and tape it all over my house so I will remember it! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm1.gif" border=0> hee hee

Thank you so much for your kind reassurance. It really has helped ease my mind quite a bit. I guess I just want to do the best job possible with Patch.

Thanks again,
a not-so-neurotic DoxieMom ....<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm16.gif" border=0>

[Shay]

i have a quick commment about the short leash idea, we haven't had to do that with Ginger yet, but did have to do it with Jasmine when she had a major housebreaking relapse..........and it works!! as a downside to that, she began to dislike her leash, then we got Ginger, and seeing Ginger on her leash changed her mind somehow.

It will be fun to hear the escapades of your puppy and mine throughout the next year!!! I am still waiting to find out the exact date of her birth, but do know it was between the first and tenth of march, so Patch and Ginger are definitely the same age. it is really cool that you would have had a Ginger too.

So much for a short post at this point, http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/chatter.gif , on the too much information thing, i just went through that with finding out about feeding the bioligically appropriate raw foods diet, so many different views. getting the info is the easy part, deciphering opinions and facts, is where the real work begins. the best information seems to come from real life people who have experienced the particular topic with their own doxies.

Good Luck, looking forward to hearing more about Patches progress.

Shay, Jasmine and Ginny-poo

[Rosalyn]

Wow, our new baby was born on Feb. 28, F. Dudley Hershey Kiss. He is a crate baby when we go away but is always on my lap or in our bed at night. He is built soooo long! I think his bladder is built sooooo small! Well anyway love to here about the new kids and our puddles. That is the name we should of picked. But, he will eventually grow out of. ( I hope!http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/cool.gif)Dudley is my chocolate smoothie and my love. He is an inhancement to our lives not a replacement when we had to put down our beloved Fritz. Patience is a virtue and I will know and understand it may take a year. We are fortunate enough to own our own home and have chosen years ago to get rid of all wall to wall carpet. What a stupid invention. That is my opinion. That stuff holds more dust and molds than you can imagine. Anyway my house is a home with our doxies and this mom does get PMS and PMDD. That is a special new name for it so you buy their meds. antidepressants! Keep on keeping on! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm34.gif" border=0>

[deannalew]

Rosalyn,
Glad to hear about your Dudley chocolate baby!

You mentioned that he is a crate baby when you are gone. I wondered...how long do you keep him in the crate? Does he have accidents in the crate while you are gone?

I ask this question because as you read below, I am concerned about Patch having accidents in his crate. He is not much younger than Dudley....born March 4th.

Patch is doing much better now, but I am not working for the summer, so I am home to let him out of the crate the minute he needs to go out. He has been staying in the crate for a few hours at a time, mainly sleeping.http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/snooze.gif

He does stay in the crate overnight and for the past few nights has kept it dry.http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/circle.gif He does not cry to get out during the night, even if he does have an accident.

My vet firmly states that this is something Patch will outgrow...the peeing in the crate thing. He says it will not ruin him to kenneling....like so many trainers say. He says Patch can stay in the crate for 4 hours....5 MAX. and that is o.k. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm18.gif" border=0>

Even though I am not working this summer, I do have times when I have to crate Patch and leave. Sometimes it can't be helped and will have to be a 5 hour stretch.

Anyway, I would love to hear about your experiences with Dudley, especially since he is about Patch's age and you are kennel training him.

Thanks!

[Rosalyn]

Deannalew,
Yes, my baby is a baby. Meaning that his crate does get wet. Now I thought he is just really really dumb. But, he is a baby and I thought all dogs would not wet where they sleep. He is getting so much better. The longest he is in his crate is while we are at church. 8:20 am-11:50 or so on Sunday. We have been letting him out though to play with Gretta. Or do I mean terrorize Gretta? She is a good old sport. I mean out of the crate. Like Sat. morn. went to get lumber and put is crate 40 min. Then went to the family farm to build garage doors and we decided to leave him out of crate then. Since our home has no carpet I spot clean vinyl with wipe up pee (Who did that?) and then usually a weak lemon pinesol or vinegar is really my cleaner of choice. Actually makes my floors shine and after the initial smell it smells sweet. I guess grandma knew it all along.
Some extra thoughts on this kid, Dudley, I found out my hubby was giving him condensed soups like chicken noodle and stuff for his breakfast. I had a BIG talk when this baby arrived no salt, no grease, no sugar! Well of course Bob thinks food is love, so he feeds Gretta and Dudley everything he can. AHHH he is going to kill my kids! Gretta is already 19 lbs. ?? give or take! At least we have big back yard and they can run and chase balls. Dudley has taken over landscape design. So I don't need to do it any more. Tee Hee Hee! I have a poll question? How long is your dachshund? answers.....This little guy is almost to long compared to the other 2 we raised. I mean when he goes down steps he almost does a sommersault. And his nose is like his moms (dashie mommy) and her name was Frankie Lee so what should I expect. Will send more pics to brag book. But, I don't have a digital camara and the pics don't show well. Have a very good summer with your little one. Oh, I also thought this guy was marking territory and also he is getting to be a stud muffin (because I think my elbow is pregnant). Dudley the Stud, no really we are getting him neutered and tatooed and the vet said a little older than 6 mo. with this tiny guy.