# Crating a senior dog



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I hate to admit it, my my small senior dog is ruining my home. 

When I got him as a puppy, I got him the appropriate sized crate. I lived in my mother's house at the time with my boyfriend (husband now). I would put let him potty, put him in his crate, and go to work. I would come home to him outside his crate with pee on the floor. 

frustrating. My mom would let him out of his crate because his crying annoyed her and he would pee on the floor. This went on for a while. I could not do anything because it was her roof. At night, I would crate him. He would cry and my boyfriend would become irrate because he had work in the morning. So I let him out to sleep in bed with me. Yes, he peed (and pooped) several times in my bed for the first couple of years. 

So, no one allowed me to properly use the crate. Sarge knows to ask to go outside to potty but when no one is home, he, to this day, pees on the floor. He also occasionally poops on the floor. He is nine years old. I have been dealing with it simply by cleaning the floors with a carpet cleaner and enzyme based cleaner. Our carpet cleaner broke and we have not replaced it. We are planning on redoing the floors in at least the kitchen/living room to a laminate. 

Yesterday, I noticed he pooped in the spare room. This is new. I also noticed he peed along the wall. 

I am FED UP! I love him to pieces, he is my heart dog. I let the dogs out multiple times a day and night, sometimes every two to three hours. I had his urine checked and everything seemed ok. I think maybe he has a weak bladder? Anyways, I am thinking he needs to be crated. At least, while I am not home. I am concerned because he is an older dog and used to his ways (peeing on the floor). 

I do notice he spends a lot of time under the bed and under a chair which are 'crate like' so he might adjust. I am just not looking forward to the crying. 

Also, what size do I get if I do this? I know to potty train, you get one just large enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down. What if he does have a weak bladder and soils himself? Should I get a larger crate and put pads down in a corner for him to pee?

I hate that I have to do this but he is wrecking the floor so much...and now the walls? 

PLease help. Thanks.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

You'd have to pretty much go about starting new, short periods of time, smaller crate, letting him out all the time, my fear would be he's simply learned going inside is fine at this point and you aren't going to break him of it but hard to say. If you had tile/laminate, something other than carpet I would use an exercise pen and put him in there, it's not as confining but he's still limited to where he can go and maybe try potty pads or the like, he may not go potty if it's been cleaned well enough and isn't in there long, right now most of your house probably smells like potty to him so they just go wherever, it's really hard to clean well enough that a dog can't tell. I have one dog who has had the occasional accident in house, she's newish, has no signal and used to drink tons of water, anyways she will pee in the crate if there is anything in there to absorb it, she'll also chew and shred it so she gets bare crate. She's fine in the bed with us though and now I have been putting her in the x-pen at night if I would like some bed space.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

When I had Parker, he would pee on the floor when I was gone. It was a separation thing, he was perfectly housetrained when I was home. And he pooped a couple of times, also.

I don't crate, but I was considering confining him in the bathroom while I was away. I was pretty sure it wasn't a health problem, but a behavioral one.

One thing I noticed with my older dog (Snorkels) is that she pees when she is asleep if she is sick or upset and when we moved here she peed several times on the floor while awake. When I confined her in the bathroom so people could move furniture in, she peed a river in there.

So it makes sense to me that Sarge might be peeing in the house because he is upset. If you crate him, that might help. But I have no idea what size of crate.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

whilst you are reteaching him, i suggest belly bands.

we used them on bubba...they were awesome as we retrained his bladder.

and if that is not possible, to retrain, the belly band saves the house.

you can get them on ebay.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

how's he doing?


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