My hubby and I recently adopted a Treeing Walker Coonhound from our local shelter as a companion for our other dog. So far we're making progress with her training, and she gets along very well with our other dog and 3 cats. However, when we first got her she would pee in her crate and not outside. After several weeks of positive reinforcement, we've got her to pee outside, and we're diligent about taking her out often so she can go.

We have one of the wire type dog crates for her, and she spends all night in it quite happily. It's very noisy though... every time she moves it clatters around and wakes us up. The problem is that we can't put anything soft in her crate because she thinks she's supposed to pee on it (we can only conclude that her previous owner(s) trained her with pee pads). We tried blankets, but she balls them up at one end of the crate, pees on them, and sleeps on the bare plastic at the other end. We tried towels, but she chews them, and they're not thick enough to deaden the noise. We don't want to try a memory foam pad like our other dog has because we know she'll chew it to shreds. Does anyone know if there is any product available to line a crate with that deadens the sound, but isn't cloth textured so she won't think she's supposed to pee on it? It would also have to be relatively chew-proof.

Thanks!

P.S. Sorry if this is the wrong forum... I couldn't decide which to put it in!

Jen, try a blanket over the top and tucked in under the bottom. And you can also put a thin blanket under the tray so that she cannot feel it.

That may help.

And welcome to the forum. Always nice to see another hound (of any type) come aboard.

 Quote: Jen Churchward

My hubby and I recently adopted a Treeing Walker Coonhound from our local shelter as a companion for our other dog. So far we're making progress with her training, and she gets along very well with our other dog and 3 cats. However, when we first got her she would pee in her crate and not outside. After several weeks of positive reinforcement, we've got her to pee outside, and we're diligent about taking her out often so she can go.

We have one of the wire type dog crates for her, and she spends all night in it quite happily. It's very noisy though... every time she moves it clatters around and wakes us up. The problem is that we can't put anything soft in her crate because she thinks she's supposed to pee on it (we can only conclude that her previous owner(s) trained her with pee pads). We tried blankets, but she balls them up at one end of the crate, pees on them, and sleeps on the bare plastic at the other end. We tried towels, but she chews them, and they're not thick enough to deaden the noise. We don't want to try a memory foam pad like our other dog has because we know she'll chew it to shreds. Does anyone know if there is any product available to line a crate with that deadens the sound, but isn't cloth textured so she won't think she's supposed to pee on it? It would also have to be relatively chew-proof.

Thanks!

P.S. Sorry if this is the wrong forum... I couldn't decide which to put it in!

Would putting the crate ON a thick mat or blanket help with the noise?

Otherwise, do you know about the rubber liners?

OR, I just thought of this, you could cut a chunk of stall mat (which are heavy) and put it in there....something she probably won't chew or pee on......

How old is she? How big is the crate in comparison to the dog? Most of the time urinating in the crate is because the crate is too large.

As for the association with crate pads and pee pads, that is unfortunately possible, but if the crate is appropriately sized she should not urinate in the crate unless it is an emergency. The wire crates are noisy, and very airy, and open - if it is the correct size for the dog, try covering it to make it more den like to the dog, and more closed in so she does not feel she really does have enough room to urinate and get away from it.

It sounds like the crate is too big, if she can pee in one corner and sleep in the other, it is too big.

P.S. addressing he noise issue, weight on top of a wire crate helps keep the sound down, combined with something clothlike covering the outside of the crate should muffle the noise. One thing I like to do is put a line of calkor rubber cement along all the corners on the outside as a cushion to prevent the metal from touching, and I put a line of it all along the edge of the plastic or metal liner so the contact with the pan and the metal crate sides is "cushioned" But keep in mind I don't ever dismantle my crates.

Edited by Jennifer Marshal (12/05/2007 08:53 PM)
Edit reason: ps

My bloodhound is in a BIG crate because he is BIG, but when he curls up into a ball the crate looks too big. If he stretches out, he almost touches each end.

So, make sure to keep this in mind if you are trying to decide if the crate is too big.

Yes, good point Carol - I have had long leggy big dogs that curl up into itty bitty furballs in the crate (quite amazing how they accomplish this..)

Thanks for the quick replies! I haven't heard of rubber crate liners... I will try googling them and seeing what I can come up with. The stall mat looks like it might work too

The crate is possibly a little large, but it depends how she is laying in it. Full length, it's perfect (enough room for her to stand up and turn around in), but she has a long body and long gangly legs so when she curls up cat-like, she'd fit in a space less than half the size. Her head touches the top when she stands and sits as it is, and I wouldn't want her to hit her head on the crate every time she gets up.

Your crate is the correct size.

Ed always recommends rubber cow mats in his videos. He puts one under the crate on the floor and a second one inside the crate as a liner. It will eliminate pressure spots for the dog, is washable, and QUIET. My vet uses them in the dog runs. I'm looking into getting some for my dogs from a farm supply store. (They are meant for cows and horses in the barn).