Hello....I have a 14 week old Akita male who came from a great breeder went to her house saw the layout and talked everyday while she was holding my pup for me...Okay so this is the deal I have been working with and training dogs for many years and this guy Yoshi has me stumped scratching my head. I have a large wire kennel crate for him, when I first brought him home I introduced the kennel to him with treats and reward sitting front and telling him to kennel and gently leading him in. IT was by no means a negative training session about 5 mins and I did this several times from the morning until evening making it a happy place shutting the door leaving him in there for several minutes and then out to potty outside. At the end of the day I put the divider in the kennel to make space smaller so he would not urinate or defecate in it. Well, he immediately peed as he went inside before door was even shut! He continues to pee in his crate all the time!! He would lay in it, me having to bathe a stinky dog everyday! So i took divider out and still same thing he pees all the time, I am thinking it is his way of saying "I don't like this space!!" I had asked the breeder to introduce the kennel to him early so he would be comfortable in it by the time I received him. but she didn't really work on that with him, He had the run of the kitchen, dining, living area with gates up to the rest of the house, she said he was not destructive so thats what they did. She said she paper trained him. Well he doesn't act like it, he will just walk around, stop and go with no warning and doesn't care. (Of course he is a puppy) What do I do now?? I take him outside on a schedule, after feeding, play, nap time, to the grass and tell him potty outside. And he knows now what that means! he sleeps downstairs in the living area and has no problem with that now. but he is NOT getting the house training especially his own crate... I know how to do the communication part and training inside the house. But the peeing in his crate has simply got me stumped. I have tried paper in there, blankets, NOTHING, small size with divider and without making it large for him( it is 48x42x32 Big enough for a Great Dane. He does it, no matter what........help would be great. Thanks

I would treat him as if her were an 8 wk old pup & take him out every 1/2 hour if you have to & that's what it takes. Use your 'potty' word & when he goes 'throw a party' as they say. I had one pup that for a few days I had to to the every 1/2 hour then 1 hour etc. He was fine fron 1am until about 5am...but during the day...not so much. You do what you have to do with a puppy...it goes with the territory if you want a pup.

I've had pups that needed to have the crate space small & others that could be in a large crate with no problems. Each pup is different.

How much water does he have access to & do you pick up the water & feed him dinner by like 6pm & then nothing after that. Except maybe tiny treat going into the crate or potty etc.

Dogs don't act out of spite or any other humam amotions. Some just have more trouble potty training just like some kids.

I'm with Anne - you need to start from square one and I would NOT train him to paper!! In his mind, this is simply teaching him that it is okay to pee in the house, imho.

Something has clicked in his mind that the crate is where it is okay to pee, so it is up to you to watch him like a hawk, learn his signals and ensure he never has the opportunity to even THINK about going to the bathroom inside the house.

No frustration on your part toward him if he messes up - you need to look at this as "if the pup peed in the house/crate, I did not get him outside in time." Roll up a newspaper and beat yourself across the head a few times to reinforce that the pup is a baby and has no concept of "human rules" at this point.

Treats, happy, excitement when he voids outside. Smack yourself upside the head (NO frustration toward the pup) if something happens inside.

It will be WORK right now but the effort you put in at this point will payoff - he WILL get it if you are consistant and don't make him fearful/confused if he goes inside. Just a quick "oops!" scoop him up and take him outside.

Hope this helps. Puppies are lots of work... lots, and lots and lots of work. I'm so glad my knucklehad is three years old!

Hi Anne and Barbara ...Thank you for your advice...I guess I wasn't clear enough on the question. Yoshi goes Pee in the crate immediately after walking in on his own and gets his treat then urinates. Before I even walk away sometimes. His water is picked up and turned off outside (Lix-it) at 6 pm. I feed him in his crate every feeding. I treat him like a 8 wk old pup tethering him to my wrist or ankle while I am doing things at the Computer, cooking, folding clothes, etc... I don't ever scold him but I do say Ah-ah come one lets go potty if their is a mistake being made which is not even everyday. He knows Potty outside and to go on grass area where I take him in our fenced backyard. The problem I have, is him peeing in his crate the minute he goes in and lays in it no matter what. So I read Ed's article on how long pups are in the whelp box for and he was not in his whelp box more than 2 weeks, But they did keep him for me after siblings had all gone and was spoiled having free reign of the kitchen dining and living areas, probably to go where he wanted. And the breeder slept on the couch with him in the living room with Yoshi on his Coolaroo bed. So if that is more insight....I know that dogs Don't do things out of spite, but I was just saying that it seems to me like as if he is trying to commmunicate with me that he is NOT happy in his crate environment and so he pees out of nervousness. That is my thinking, but what to do now?????

Have you thoroughly cleaned up with an enzyme cleaner? And, has he been vet checked on the off chance there could be something medical contributing. Yes, i know, it's a long shot but it wouldn't hurt to have him checked just in case.

Also, if you think the crate might be part of the problem you could try covering it (it's wire, right?) to make it more den-like.

Other than that, just keep being consistent, patient, and telling yourself you'll both get through this. And, when you're home I would not let him have access to water all the time. Give him all he wants to drink, but on a schedule so that you can schedule outtings. And, once he does his business, try playing outside for a short time and then taking him back to his potty area for a second potty break before re-crating him.

You might need to get rid of this crate and start over with a new one, a little different design in a different location so he doesn't associate it with the previous behaviour. How many times has this happened? It might have become a reflexive habit. You might try removing the crate completely for a few days and simply contain him in an indoor x-pen. If the pee seems to be triggered by entering the crate, is it also triggered by entering an x-pen? Or a different style of crate (brand new, no pee smells or associations?) Also, if you move the location of the crate, does that change the chain of events? ie. see crate, go in crate, pee... Isn't it odd that he lays in his pee, too? I wonder what that means.

Is it possible at the begining... was your timing off with rewarding him with going into the crate in such a way that his peeing in there as soon as he enters was somehow rewarded. He actually may be confused into thinking(in error) that he is being rewarded for peeing when he enters the crate? Just a thought.

Some dog do ok in an x-pen. If he is used to that 'freedom' from the breeder...then maybe it will work. Or gate him in a very small area. You said that he was used to that. You may just have to keep at it to see what will work for him.

I agree that cleaning the crate with the natures miracle cleaner to remove any urine or poop smell may help also. If there is even the slightest odor(that he can smell) then he will continue to go in the same spot, as I am sure you know.

Thanks for your advice...I have a special spray bottle that contains an all natural purpose cleaner and deodorizer and vinegar mixture, I clean the kennel thoroughly every time he pees and also daily. He actually has 2 crates one that he flew over on Vari kennel style. I live on Oahu HI and he came from a breeder on another island so the flight was 20 mins. The reward maybe my error, maybe he did pee at the very first and I didnt notice and rewarded him for going in the crate, not knowing that he peed. Oh yes he went to the vet 2 wks ago and no urinary tract infection I had collected some and took that in to have them run that because I had thought of that, but he is good health the vet said after thorough exam, she told me that he was just spoiled by the breeder and that going in the crate was not on his agenda, so he pees out of anxiety. The crate is in a perfect cubby hole so it is secure on all three sides, also right here with the family.
He did better last night actually we woke up 0500 am and have been up since he peed a tiny bit, didn't lay in it...(he was dry and not stinky) so that let me know that he stayed dry all night and when he woke he peed a tiny bit, I took him out to the grass and said" go potty " and he immediately relieved himself a good long pee so that let me know that he was trying to hold it. so progress...I know that this will all pass and he will do just fine. I was just stumped with the whole crate thing and what to do about it. Thank you for your replies :-)

I would use Natures Miracle to clean the crate...you can use something else over that if you like, but it is designed to remove the odor of urine etc (that we may not smell) which if there will encourage the dog to go again in that spot.

I would also take him out immediately when he wakes in the am, especially, or any other time after a nap. I had a pup that would go almost within 15 seconds after he opened his eyes & I had to be quick & snatch him up & scoot him out FAST or he'd go in the crate. He was my every 1/2hour to an hour pup for a week. Challenging for sure. My dogs sleep in the bedroom with me, but pups sleep next to my bed so that I can monitor them during the night & take them out if I need to. But that is just the way that I do it.

Also to encourage the crate as a wonderful place in his mind....,I would have a VERY special treat that he ONLY gets in his crate. Show it to him & Toss it to the back of the crate when you open the door to encourage him to go in all the way in & have his mind on the treat & not peeing as soon as he enters the crate.

Good luck with the pup & pics of the pup would be nice to see, hint, hint.

 Quote: Heather Ordonez

....I know that dogs Don't do things out of spite, but I was just saying that it seems to me like as if he is trying to commmunicate with me that he is NOT happy in his crate environment and so he pees out of nervousness.

the vet said after thorough exam, she told me that he was just spoiled by the breeder ……… he pees out of anxiety.

Hi Heather:

As you know, dogs pee “mark areas” for all kinds of reasons, many unknown to us, and every dog’s set of circumstances are just a little bit different. I’m no peeing expert but because these guys are generally so easy to potty train it got me thinking about your situation.

To me it sounds a bit opposite of him “NOT” being happy in his crate. Kind of like he’s related it to himself and is more scent marking as opposed to peeing/having accidents. I think you/your vet are on the right track with his uneasiness though.

I got my youngest one at 10 weeks; this was about 3 weeks over the time this guy should have been placed in his new home. The enclosure he was in contained other adults and they were starting to “pick” on him. The person responsible for the breeding (we’ll not call them a breeder) asked if they should remove him until I was able to make arrangements to pick him up. My response was an adamant “No”. I knew that the mother would do her best to give him what he needed and I had no idea what the humans were like or would do during this critical impact stage.

He came to me a flighty, but a stable tempered boy. His flight was quick but his recovery was immediate, especially when there was food involved. Potty training was a breeze, a lot of taking him outside because of his immature bladder but not one peeing issue. He pooped once, but totally my fault.

I share this story to illustrate that although he had his quirky behavior, he was confident in it (it’s what his mother taught him). Your boy has had time with another family in a kind of a free range, no instruction, non-confidence building environment during a critical bonding period. He was then moved to your home. He spends time in his crate and feels safe in there. The one thing that has remained constant is the smell of his pee.

Smell is everything at this young age. His pee might be providing him with a sense of ownership and could be comforting in an otherwise confusing time.

I would be doing everything I could to build confidence in this boy. Akita’s are not big explorers but they need to feel confident with their humans. They bond quickly, but they can be quite independent (some view it as stubborn but not a trait I would associate with dogs) and a lot of patience is needed. The fact he’s not destructive is also not a surprise, they're generally very well mannered as pups. They love to play chasing games with light fluffy things, kick in that prey drive. They’re rarely mouthy either, none of that hand/feet biting.

I would avoid even the “uh uh” at this stage. These guys do best with total positive reinforcement. Ignoring has more of an effect than any correction you apply. They grow up big and strong and corrections have a way of backfiring quickly, not to mention, severing your bond.

It really is a partnership with these guys. They’re not as forgiving of our mistakes as some of the other breeds and trust can be lost quickly. Reinforce the positive, totally ignore the negative. Take him everywhere with you, show him the world through a stable, confident leader and develop a routine. They love predictable routine.

 Quote: Heather Ordonez

he sleeps downstairs in the living area and has no problem with that now. The crate is in a perfect cubby hole so it is secure on all three sides, also right here with the family.

The Akita I fostered for almost 3 years was not comfortable being off on his own. He slept best when we moved his crate right into the thick of things; he actually showed me where he wanted it. It sounds like this may be the case with your set up, but if he’s in a quieter area, he may prefer being moved to a more active are so he can see/be more involved in the daily interactions.

Just my two cents to go along with all the expert advice you’ve already received. And sorry for the book, they’re a great breed, one of my favorites… couldn't help myself.

Congratulation!! Enjoy your little gentle giant!! Pictures??