Pooping in crate

[giveboxerahug]

My sister adopted a dog I rescued from the pound. I had been working on his cratetraining and he was doing well. Last night she took him outside to the bathroom and then put him in his crate overngiht (about 6 hours). He pooped in his crate. I had never had this problem with him and was wondering if this could be due to him being shuffled around so much. She has had him almost a week and this is the first time he has done this. We were also wondering if he could be sick. He seems fine, active etc. She said his poop was soft. Should we take him to the vet?
He also does not like to be left alone so my other thought was Separation Anxiety? If anyone has any ideas/suggestions please help.

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

It takes a good 3 or 4 months for a rescued dog to become comfortable and relaxed in his new surroundings and learn to trust his new owners/family. Give the dog time. Lots of love and patience. Accidents will inevitably occur.

Make sure the crate is only big enough so that the dog can lie down, turn around and sit comfortably. No more room than that. If there is too much room, he'll poop or pee in a corner and still have room to lie down. You don't want this.

Don't overfeed the dog. That may be why (along with anxiety, nervousness and confusion) his poop is soft. Go easy on the treats until he's calmed down and adjusted too. Nervious stomachs can cause diahrria and soft stools too. If he isn't showing other signs of illness other than soft poopie, don't worry about it. First give the dog time to adjust and calm.

Good luck.