I adopted my doberman puppy in May and she is currently 5 months old. I am pretty used to her schedule and she’s pretty used to mine. I have to crate her when I go to school or work and she almost always poops in her crate. I feel like i’ve done everything and don’t know what to do. She is potty trained and doesn’t really ever go to the bathroom in the house anymore. She definitely needs more training with her crate because she barks and cries the whole time being in her crate but I have to put her in there when I leave. I feed her around 5-5:30 am take her outside and usually have to leave by 7:30-8 am and I take her out 2-3 more times after I first fed her and she will not go poop so she ends up pooping in her crate. I’ve done so much research and nothing has worked, I don’t put a bed or blanket in the crate so she can’t hide it or cover it up, I tried giving her less food in the morning, I have a big cage for her for once she’s full size but I have a divider and I don’t have it too big so she doesn’t think to go to the bathroom she can only stand up and lay down. If anyone has any advice please let me know!
5 month old Doberman puppy still using the bathroom in crate
- Thread starter abbied77
- Start date
I was going to suggest that the crate might be too big but if you have the divider that probably isn't the case.
Does she get distracted outside and forget to go?
If she doesn't poop between getting up at 5 and you leaving at 8, you will have poop in the crate, as you have last nights meal with breakfast coming after that - no way can she hold it forever. Do you come home at lunch time? How long does she have to stay in the crate before you get home? I'm assuming she is staying in the crate all night without a problem? Or do you still take her out between bedtime and morning? Sorry for all the questions, so many unknowns.
Without knowing what you've already tried, or what your yard/poop walk routine is, I would get up, get dressed, no greeting or sweet talk to your puppy, leash up your puppy and go outside. Take her to a place where she has pooped before, whether your yard or a walk around the block, go to that place. Stand there, no conversation, no play, just stand, let her walk around, in circles or whatever. Give her lots of time but zero interaction or fun. I use the word "potty" a few times, whether it's pee or poop. It's a "business" outing, nothing else. If she pees, say good dog! then repeat go potty again and wait and be still let her walk in circles. EVEN if you have a fenced yard, do this all on leash and no play. If she poops throw a huge party with fun and atta girls and have a few treats in your pocket and give them to her. If after an agonizingly long time there is no poop, bring her in, back in the crate and go about your morning routine. 20 - 30 minutes, try again. Same thing. Try every 30 minutes until you have to leave. Since she's so young, I would not withhold her food (besides, there's last nights dinner in the pike anyway). So feed her breakfast, with some water before you go to work. From here on out, if you've been putting her in the yard to do things herself, put a leash on her for all potty times. At noon or in the evening when she does poop on the end of the leash if you have a fenced yard, now is the time to take off the leash and make the biggest party ever. Ball, treats, jumping whatever really makes her happy. Every. single.time. Once she knows what you want, you will start getting it in the morning. The first time you get a poop in the morning before you leave, give her a pad or a blanket in the crate (if she isn't a destructive puppy) and that may make her feel like that's her bed now and she won't want to poop in her bed.
Lots of variables I can't address - fenced yard or walks, blanket destroyer or not, home at noon or not, sleeps in crate at night or not, sleeps in your bed or on furniture when you are home? What the days are like on your days off work? All these things would/could change what I'd do to encourage that morning poop. And finally, some dogs take much longer than others, but when you put in an effort, you'll get there!
Welcome to Doberman Chat from New Mexico! We love puppy pictures!
Kaiser2016
Well-Known Member
Take one of her crate poops and place it outside. Take her to that spot to trigger her.
Also make sure to clean her crate properly with vinegar or any enzyme cleaner because those smells may be triggering her to go in there.
What’s the rule of thumb…for every month of age, they can hold their potty for only the same number of hours? So, 5 hours max for a 5 month old, before she needs a potty break.
Also make sure to clean her crate properly with vinegar or any enzyme cleaner because those smells may be triggering her to go in there.
What’s the rule of thumb…for every month of age, they can hold their potty for only the same number of hours? So, 5 hours max for a 5 month old, before she needs a potty break.
If she doesn't poop between getting up at 5 and you leaving at 8, you will have poop in the crate, as you have last nights meal with breakfast coming after that - no way can she hold it forever. Do you come home at lunch time? How long does she have to stay in the crate before you get home? I'm assuming she is staying in the crate all night without a problem? Or do you still take her out between bedtime and morning? Sorry for all the questions, so many unknowns.
Without knowing what you've already tried, or what your yard/poop walk routine is, I would get up, get dressed, no greeting or sweet talk to your puppy, leash up your puppy and go outside. Take her to a place where she has pooped before, whether your yard or a walk around the block, go to that place. Stand there, no conversation, no play, just stand, let her walk around, in circles or whatever. Give her lots of time but zero interaction or fun. I use the word "potty" a few times, whether it's pee or poop. It's a "business" outing, nothing else. If she pees, say good dog! then repeat go potty again and wait and be still let her walk in circles. EVEN if you have a fenced yard, do this all on leash and no play. If she poops throw a huge party with fun and atta girls and have a few treats in your pocket and give them to her. If after an agonizingly long time there is no poop, bring her in, back in the crate and go about your morning routine. 20 - 30 minutes, try again. Same thing. Try every 30 minutes until you have to leave. Since she's so young, I would not withhold her food (besides, there's last nights dinner in the pike anyway). So feed her breakfast, with some water before you go to work. From here on out, if you've been putting her in the yard to do things herself, put a leash on her for all potty times. At noon or in the evening when she does poop on the end of the leash if you have a fenced yard, now is the time to take off the leash and make the biggest party ever. Ball, treats, jumping whatever really makes her happy. Every. single.time. Once she knows what you want, you will start getting it in the morning. The first time you get a poop in the morning before you leave, give her a pad or a blanket in the crate (if she isn't a destructive puppy) and that may make her feel like that's her bed now and she won't want to poop in her bed.
Lots of variables I can't address - fenced yard or walks, blanket destroyer or not, home at noon or not, sleeps in crate at night or not, sleeps in your bed or on furniture when you are home? What the days are like on your days off work? All these things would/could change what I'd do to encourage that morning poop. And finally, some dogs take much longer than others, but when you put in an effort, you'll get there!
Welcome to Doberman Chat from New Mexico! We love puppy pictures!
What’s the complete timeline from 5am on through the day?
Feed and outside 5-5:30
Leave for work 0800
Then at work for 6-8hrs?
Can’t expect a puppy to be trained and to hold that.
I would put a Wi-Fi camera in there and see what the pattern is. Then if it happens around 10am everyday. You need to come home or have somebody come over and take him out.
Otherwise…can’t expect a puppy or any young one to hold that.
Feed and outside 5-5:30
Leave for work 0800
Then at work for 6-8hrs?
Can’t expect a puppy to be trained and to hold that.
I would put a Wi-Fi camera in there and see what the pattern is. Then if it happens around 10am everyday. You need to come home or have somebody come over and take him out.
Otherwise…can’t expect a puppy or any young one to hold that.
So currently I am a college student and working a part time job so here is my schedule so hopefully everyone understands.
Monday: Leave for class by 7:20am get home by 10:15am, leave for work at 11:30 get home by 4:15
Tuesday: home all day
Wednesday: Leave for class by 7:20am get home by 10:15am and then go back to school by 12:30-4:15.
Thursday: Haven’t had to go to my 8 hour clinicals yet but once I do start she will be going to daycare.
Friday: Leave for class by 7:20am get home by 10:15am, leave for work at 11:30-4:15
Saturday + Sunday: Sometimes I work 6.5-8.5 hour shifts.
On Monday,Wednesday, and Friday after I come home from class I take her out. She doesn’t seem to poop in her crate at the same time everyday, like today and yesterday she didn’t poop in her crate she waited until I came home and took her outside. Other days I put her in the crate by 7:20 and she’ll poop by 7:23 or it won’t be until 9:45 it’s never at the same time. I do have a camera to check on her.
But her schedule usually looks like
Wake up and eat breakfast 4:30-5:30am
Go outside after she finishes eating and usually pees and poops but that is usually last nights dinner not her breakfast so she needs to poop again in the morning but she won’t do it.
Take her on a walk by 5:45-6:30
Then bring her back to the usual grass I take her to use the bathroom and sometimes wonder around for 20 minutes trying to get her to use the bathroom. I don’t play with her while I take her to that space because I want her to understand that it’s only used for the bathroom.
Then I get ready for school and take her out again around 6:45-7:15
This is usually when i’m trying to get her to poop but she won’t, she’s either distracted by birds or dogs barking in the neighborhood or leaves anything she’s distracted by everything.
But there are some times when she goes to the bathroom most of the time she wont
Then by 7:20-7:30 she is put in her crate and i’m leaving for school. This is when she might poop in her crate, like I said it’s never at the same time it could be 2 minutes after she was put in the crate or 5 minutes before i’m home. As soon as I get home I take her outside and if she didn’t poop in her crate then she usually does outside.
Then throughout our day we play and get her energy out before I have to leave for work. Since she either pooped in her crate or pooped outside after I came home she doesn’t usually poop in her crate once she goes back in around 11:30-4. Then I come home from work take her out feed her by 5-5:30 then around 6-6:30 we go back out and sometimes again at 7-7:30 and then 8:15 right before bed. This is where I think the problem is she won’t poop after dinner. That’s why I think she’s pooping in her crate. I take her out 2-3 times after she eats dinner and nothing. Also on the weekends when I do work I come home on my 30 minute lunch break to take her outside so she’s not holding it for that long. So I am not leaving her in the crate for longer then 5 hours without being able to use the bathroom. She also doesn’t pee in her crate ever the only time she did was when I tried putting a blanket in her bed to make it more comfy she peed on it everytime I put it in there so I stopped doing it. I’ve tried giving her toys, one of the frozen treat things that you put in the side of the crate and they lick it off, putting the tv on so there’s noise, covering the cage not covering the cage, feeding her less food, feeding her normal amount of food, taking her for an hour walk or taking her outside 3-4 times before I leave, playing with her for an hour or two to get her energy out and get her food moving throughout her body, nothing has seemed to really help. So hopefully that all makes sense she is not holding her pee or poop for too long, I try not to leave her in a crate too long but I can’t leave her out or else she’ll destroy things in my apartment. Also she doesn’t sleep in a crate anymore because I moved into a new apartment in July and she was still barking and crying when I put her in the crate at night at my old place and I didn’t want my neighbors to complain so she does sleep in bed with me which I know is not the best idea but it’s what I had to do to have somewhere to live.
LifeofRubie
Moderator
This is so frustrating for both of you!
Question though... when she does go in her crate, is it solid or runny? In general, are her stools solid or runny? Has she been tested for parasites?
It could be something else like food that doesn't agree with her or parasites giving her a hard time (we've been there with both!).
My 5.5 year old Lab is honestly a dream dog but once or twice a year, he will poop in his crate at night (which is in our bedroom, 5 ft away). We have no idea why. My Dobe will alert us if she has to go outside NOW but he will 100% not
Question though... when she does go in her crate, is it solid or runny? In general, are her stools solid or runny? Has she been tested for parasites?
It could be something else like food that doesn't agree with her or parasites giving her a hard time (we've been there with both!).
My 5.5 year old Lab is honestly a dream dog but once or twice a year, he will poop in his crate at night (which is in our bedroom, 5 ft away). We have no idea why. My Dobe will alert us if she has to go outside NOW but he will 100% not
Kaiser2016
Well-Known Member
Wow, I am exhausted just reading your schedule! 
That's a busy life you've got and now a Dober Devil mixed in!
That's a busy life you've got and now a Dober Devil mixed in!Maybe she needs a walk to stimulate her to go in the evening. Two things will definitely get Kaiser's bowels going: a meal and physical activity. The morning meal is the biggest and he goes potty right after. Also might help to figure out the speed of her digestion. When Kaiser was a puppy, I would add corn to one of his meals so I would know which meal was coming out and what all was still in the pipeline. They don't digest corn, so it comes out the same way for easy identification. I would write down known potty times and try to align meals according to the digestion rate.
Yes - you've got a serious schedule going on. I'll think on it some more, but my first thought is that dogs like schedules. At least semi-schedules. And I take back what I suggested about trying every 20 or 30 minutes between breakfast and leaving for work. You're way too busy and I'm looking at all the in & outs you already do. The most I can suggest is to try to put a clock to his feeding and potty time as close as it can be daily.
Those pesky questions again - are you in a yard or walking around the block? Are you on leash if you're in the yard? As mentioned, exercise sometimes creates an urge to go. But generally speaking if the evening meal is at 5 pm, you really should have a poop by 7:30 a.m.! Continue to keep the faith, eventually it will work out. Without a house-mate to help and working and school, raising a puppy through teenage years will be a challenge. You've come looking for help & suggestions so it seems like you are totally committed to making it work. That's a great deal of the battle won right there.
So sorry, but I just have to say this:
I admire you having a Doberman in college…I wish I would have sacrificed the time, energy and care to have one back then. If you continue the course and give the time and energy required to train a Doberman…OMG, you will be sooo rewarded!!!
I think that unfortunately, unless you are there on a consistent basis, this situation is going to be extremely hard solve. I think you are just going to have to keep trying your best day in and day out until one day when she matures more….it will click and she will know that poop belongs in the yard, not the crate. I know that my Freyja had pooping accidents at 5-5.5months in the house and that was with us watching her like a hawk.
So what to do…
Come home and if there is poop in the crate, then show no emotion…I would not even acknowledge it. I would just clean it up and move on. If it is a purposeful deliberate action that the pup knows is wrong, then you can punish or give negative reinforcement….but pup does not truly know it’s bad and doing it anyways…
So therefore, you need to seize the opportunity that when he does do it right outside….that you throw one hell of a party, being happy, encouraging, treats, high pitch “hell yeahs!!!” Etc….make sure he knows that great things happen when he poops outside!!
Otherwise, I think you have to weather the storm. This is only the beginning too…you have the Dobershark coming and then the Doberteens.
The pup is 5months…are you posting her ears or are they natural?
I admire you having a Doberman in college…I wish I would have sacrificed the time, energy and care to have one back then. If you continue the course and give the time and energy required to train a Doberman…OMG, you will be sooo rewarded!!!
I think that unfortunately, unless you are there on a consistent basis, this situation is going to be extremely hard solve. I think you are just going to have to keep trying your best day in and day out until one day when she matures more….it will click and she will know that poop belongs in the yard, not the crate. I know that my Freyja had pooping accidents at 5-5.5months in the house and that was with us watching her like a hawk.
So what to do…
Come home and if there is poop in the crate, then show no emotion…I would not even acknowledge it. I would just clean it up and move on. If it is a purposeful deliberate action that the pup knows is wrong, then you can punish or give negative reinforcement….but pup does not truly know it’s bad and doing it anyways…
So therefore, you need to seize the opportunity that when he does do it right outside….that you throw one hell of a party, being happy, encouraging, treats, high pitch “hell yeahs!!!” Etc….make sure he knows that great things happen when he poops outside!!
Otherwise, I think you have to weather the storm. This is only the beginning too…you have the Dobershark coming and then the Doberteens.
The pup is 5months…are you posting her ears or are they natural?
Yes definite a busy schedule lol! I will have to try the corn thing I’ve heard a couple people recommend it. I’ve started using an app to keep track her eating, and bathroom breaks. But I can say she has not pooped in her crate for 9 days so we’ve definitely had some improvement and i’ve never been happier!!!Wow, I am exhausted just reading your schedule!
Maybe she needs a walk to stimulate her to go in the evening. Two things will definitely get Kaiser's bowels going: a meal and physical activity. The morning meal is the biggest and he goes potty right after. Also might help to figure out the speed of her digestion. When Kaiser was a puppy, I would add corn to one of his meals so I would know which meal was coming out and what all was still in the pipeline. They don't digest corn, so it comes out the same way for easy identification. I would write down known potty times and try to align meals according to the digestion rate.
She does have her ears cropped and is done with posting, the only problem she has is the tips of her ears curling in so she’s been wearing nasal strips to keep them up and it has seemed to be working!
If it's a medium or short crop, that may be true, but be aware that at 5 - 6 months they are forming permanent teeth which the body will pour calcium into that process. It draws away from what sets the ears, so many times the ears will begin to weaken between 5 - 6 months because they look so good and people quit posting. If you see ANY drooping put her back in posts! A few more weeks is nothing compared to having to fix it for a few more months!
Be careful here….
Lots of folks stop early and ears weaken and fold. Then wonder why and what happened.
Really should post until after teething has ceased (>6months age)
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