Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 7 week old Siberian husky, I have been working a lot woth her and she Pretty much knows not to eliminate in the house and she knows what outside is for. The only time she has an accident in the house is when it is my fault and I don't let her out. She has not had one accident that has not went un corrected so she is learning very quick.
My problem: She is being crate tarined and she is doing very well. At night she goes 5 hours sometimes more without making a mess in the cage, actually she has never went in the cage during the night but she can see me all night the crate is where I sleep. When I put her in there in the morning before I go to work she is fine as long as she can see me, but when I go out of sight to leave for work she cries very hard and howls. I come home twice a day from work to let her out every 3 hours about sometimes less and there is always pee in the crate. She is only 7 weeks and I understand there will be accidents but why is she peeing in there only during the day when I am not there. She pees outside before I put her in there in the morning and I have come home 2 hours after that and there is pee in there. There is only enough room in the crate for her to lay down, turn around and stretch. So when she pees in there she is laying in it. Why is she going in there during the day and not at night?? Is it because I am not there and she is worried etc...?? Advice would help me a lot I need her to stop peeing in the crate during the day. Thanks!!

I am guessing that it is being scared after being left alone, it was not always possible to leave our little puppy in and out every 3 hours sometimes, but in no time he was not peeing in the crate.
The problem we had at home was when we were home getting him out consistantly on schedule all of the time (sometimes when you are very busy time flies). Eventually it worked out, and the increase in ability to hold it helped alot in no time at all.
At 2 months old they should not be expected to hold it for more than 3 hours, its tough before that, sometimes 1-2 hours is tough.
For a while I set my alarm for 3 hours, my wife for 6, and both of us took turns at our own wake up times.
I heard somewhere that female puppies and dogs get nervous easier, and lose control peeing when scared (all puppies hate to be alone, in nature that means death) so its reasonable that until she gets used to being alone for a short time she will do this. We went through many newspapers at first in that crate.
Try also to reinforce the correct potty place with those "grass smelling" training pads you can buy.

You may want to leave an article of your clothing (unwashed) in her crate with her. Having your scent there may be a comfort to her. Leave a few of her favorite toys in her crate too. They can help her feel more secure and help keep her mind occupied. Lastly, you may want to leave a few treats in her crate with her as you leave. She may come to view your leaving as more "positive" if she has some favorite treats to look forward to. Just beware that their stomachs can be pretty sensitive at this age. I always tried out a new treat or food first while I was at home, so I could watch and be sure it wouldn't bother her system. I usually use a toy like a Puppy Kong with a little bit of canned puppy food smeared inside of it when I leave. She loves the canned food so much that all I have to do is put it in the Kong and say "Crate," and she literally runs into her crate and sits down and waits for it. It keeps her occupied for a bit too, and I leave while she is busy licking it out. It seems to be less stressful on her that way than her sitting in her crate, watching us leave. You may want to partially cover your puppy's crate too with a blanket. They like the feeling of a "den" and that can help them feel more secure too.
Also, when you come and go, try to keep it as low-key as possible. If you feel anxious, she may very well pick up on that. Try to act like it's just an ordinary thing, and not a big deal. When you get back, try to convey the same message: it's not a big deal. Come in, set your stuff down, calmly let her out, and give her a minute before showering her with attention (though that can be tough for us to do sometimes!) The more "uneventful" your comings and goings are, the more relaxed she will probably come to feel. These are all things that were told to me or I found through research, and they have worked very well for me, so I just thought I would share them with you. Best of luck and enjoy your new puppy! =)