Crate Training Help Please - Getting Frustrated!

[IanAdvincula]

I have an 11 wk old boxer male and we are trying to crate train him but he keeps having accidents! I'm on my 4th week of training and though its getting a little better, its frustrating and tiring considering that my Boston Terrier (female) go it down in just a couple of weeks.

Situation:

I work in the day and am home in the afternoons. My wife works at night and is home in the daytime. There is always someone home to take the puppy out, so this is not the problem. Our issue is that my wife can never get any rest because the puppy either poops/pees in the crate and she ends up having to clean up and bathe him, and/or he cries while in there. This morning was a good example...

I got up at 5:00am and got him from his crate. There was pee all over! I cleaned the crate, bathed him, and then took him out to potty. He pooped but didnt pee (i assumed he wouldn't anymore because he just did inside his crate). I then fed him breakfast and let him sit with me in the kitchen as I ate my breakfast. 10 mins into eating, he peed in the kitchen! I usually take him out 15-20 mins after he eats his breakfast but he ended up peeing inside the house before the 15-20 mins passed.

I then cleaned up again, took him out to pee and poo and then put him back in his crate (this was at 6:00 AM).

My wife got home before 9:00 AM and she said that he peed inside his crate again! She had to re-bathe him, clean the crate, and then take him out to do his business.

My question is, am I doing something wrong? I 'bribe' him to go into his crate using treats and it works to get him in, but he cries non-stop while in there. I always give him a stern "NO!" to try and quiet him down, but he endd up crying again a few mins later. Some days are obviously better than others, but I'd think he would be used to it and feel comfortable in there by now. Also, why is he soiling his crate/inside the house so often, even when we put him on a very consistent schedule of going out/playing/eating?

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! We want to enjoy him rather then stress over him...

 

[Cami]

Couple of observations....
First and foremost, he doesn't understand human language, no matter what you speak. English, Spanish, Hungarian, etc...
A "stern NO!" isn't going to get you very far with an 11 week old puppy (nor an 11 week old human baby). Eventually he will understand what NO means and will respond however he responds but for now ignore unwanted behavior (whining in the crate) and give up on relying on the word NO. You will say it enough without even thinking over the coming TWO YEARS that it will become a word that is easily ignored. :D

Minus a health issue (urinary infection for example) accidents in the home are 99% human related.
Each pup is different and you have not learned what your guy requires just yet. You know that he is a peeing fool (most puppies are). He needs to go out AT LEAST immediately after meals, treats, playing, sleeping and waking up. 10 minutes AFTER eating while you eat didn't work for him. He isn't even finished swallowing his last bite and you should be getting him outside!!!

Crazy, seemingly over the top routines won't last forever and it will go a long way in helping you and your wife maintain your sanity. Cleaning up accidents isn't fun for anyone! Stay on top of the issues and help him to avoid accidents which will help towards getting him potty trained quicker but realize that he is only 11 weeks old and it can take upwards of a year for a dog to be 100% trusted in this area (some dogs are quicker and some take longer). Males tend to be a bit slower in this area than females.
People who say their 3 month old is completely potty trained are just really good at eliminating accidents.....

 

[Bathel]

I remember the first 4 weeks of having my pup, I followed her around the house constantly waiting for her to squat... then would say ahhhtttttt NO... grab her and take her out side. When she pee pee outside I would give her a treat and praise. It took a good 4 week for her to fully understand where to go the bathroom... she still had a few accidents in the house, but only because we didn't see her at the door wanting to go out. On that note, we took her out the same door every single time she needed to pee... she learned quickly to go to that door when she needed to go.

Now, having said that... that doesn't help much with the peeing in the crate. How big is your crate? We got a crate that had a divider in it and only gave her enough room to lay down and turn around. I don't recall her ever peeing in the crate... even over night. If you are giving your pup too much room in the crate, that may be part of the problem.

Other than what was mentioned above... an UT infection... I would say you just have a pee happy puppy... their bladders are very small at this age and they really can't hold it... it will take a bit to get to the point where they can "control" this.

Good luck and I hope it turns out well.