Pooping in crate!
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You could also try lining the crate with a BUNCH of newspaper; that might alleviate some of the mess with the pooping.
He could still be really uncomfortable with being in a crate, even though he is habituated to having to do it. It might make him nervous so he gets loose poop, and has to let it out.
Do you have any idea how long he CAN be in a crate before he poops. Does it happen shortly after you leave the house…or several hours later? you might video tape him to see what, if anything, preceds the pooping. If he acts stressed out when he does it, or just kind of matter of fact.
I also like the idea of finding a way to give him more room so if he must poop (or feels he must) he can get away from it...it will start to teach him it is nice to stay clean.
It seems like he poops shortly after you leave him.. he was crated for about 1.5 hours and he pooped. and when he is left for 4-5 hours, the poop is dried on him.
and i think you are right that he just really doesnt like being crated.
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Can't they knock it over to get out?
You have to be creative and figure out a way to make it stable.. again, a top is critical, IMO… and it might require some "redecorating" a wall, corner or something to be able to attach to maybe eye screws in a wall stud.
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Can't they knock it over to get out?
Good Point. We had it in the basement so I put it around the pole to hold up the rest of the house. Dash eventually learned to jump on it to get it to lean and then he could squeeze under it. But that took some time
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Here is a link to Petedge's x-pen top.
They also sell a a x-pen cover that you could use as a bottom so the x-pen isn't open to the floor.
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We have had issues with that at times too. It is usually a spite/nervous behavior. If someone comes in the house when we are not home it tends to happen. We have done two things to help. Strict, strict, strict schedule and multiple short walks. We only feed for 1/2 hr in am and pm, letting out before and about 20 min after both times. Sometimes she goes a whole day without eating much at all. Our vet said that is fine, and that if a dog is hungry enough, they will eat. Sometimes her stomach gets too empty, and she will vomit a little bile, so we do a couple of pieces for food as a bedtime snack. We keep access to water at all times.
We still go through periods where she will do it for three days in a row or so, every couple of months. Haven't really figured that out yet.
How many times per day is he pooping? Have you had a stool sample run, just to rule out any health issues?
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We have had issues with that at times too. It is usually a spite/nervous behavior. If someone comes in the house when we are not home it tends to happen. We have done two things to help. Strict, strict, strict schedule and multiple short walks. We only feed for 1/2 hr in am and pm, letting out before and about 20 min after both times. Sometimes she goes a whole day without eating much at all. Our vet said that is fine, and that if a dog is hungry enough, they will eat. Sometimes her stomach gets too empty, and she will vomit a little bile, so we do a couple of pieces for food as a bedtime snack. We keep access to water at all times.
We still go through periods where she will do it for three days in a row or so, every couple of months. Haven't really figured that out yet.
How many times per day is he pooping? Have you had a stool sample run, just to rule out any health issues?
he is pooping 3-4 times outside and 1-2 times in the crate a day. he will be vetted (including stool) next week.
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What is his feeding schedule and how much is he eating per day?
he eats around 7am and 5/6pm.. AM feed is 1/3 cup and PM feed is 3/4 cup. I was doing 3/4 cup each meal because he could probably put on a pound or two(and he is only 10 months), but the BRAT coordinator suggested to decrease the morning feed. And he is on Merricks (mixed with IAMS, transitioning him off IAMS from old owner). She also suggested maybe trying a grain-free food. Anyone think that would help??
The past two days he pooped the first 4/5 hours, but not the second 2/3 hours, so thats some improvement!
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Well, now that you have him on better food then the IAMS, I think that will help… grain-free might help... but really figuring out the amount he really needs is a key, all the extra would just be "pooped" away.... that is why it is hard to put on weight on many of our kids....
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Well, now that you have him on better food then the IAMS
You have me really checking now, which is a good thing. We are feeding the 2Bs Iams healthy naturals. I checked the Merrick website & checked guaranteed analysis of their basic adult food, & their best adult. What we are feeding has almost same analysis as merrick best. The nutritionalist we originally spoke with said Iams healthy naturals was a better choice than regular Iams. Now my curiosity is peeked. What to do to have a quality product that I can get locally (within 30 min drive) or a quality product that has to be ordered online (another province, even country). Make life more interesting.
G
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How do we determine the proper amount of food and time to feed our Basenji?
Darwin just turned 9 weeks old on Tuesday so he is still very young. Our breeder gave us some information that stated we should feed him 1/3 to 1/2 cup 2 to 3 times a day. I can not believe that I am reading on this forum that some of you only feed your dog once a day! Our little guy eats like a PIG in the morning and when I get home from work.
I have been doing the 1/3rd cup trying not to give him too much but he still poops in his crate everyday while I am at work.
Now I have figured out that the first poop happens just a short period (maybe 15 minutes) after I leave. I have even gone so far as to trick him, coat and shoes on and say goodbye and wait out in the hallway until he starts circling his crate to poop and then go in and take him outside and let him do it there and praise him tons and give him a treat and put him back in his crate.
But the problem is even with doing that it seems that at least once during the day he will wake up from sleeping (I have a webcam setup that I can watch him from work as I am trying to learn his habits) and freak out and eventually poop.
I am sure all of this is due to him being nervous…
We bought him a smaller crate and he is better in it because he can't jump (the other one was too tall even with the divider in it).
His new trick this last week is to dig like crazy in the crate and shred whatever kind of blanket we put in the crate... which sucks, it makes a huge mess with all the pooping (which he ALWAYS pushes out of his crate)
So...
- How do I get him not to poop in his crate?
- What should I use in the crate? I want it to be comfortable but I don't want it to need replacing every other day! (and to be washed daily!!!)
Thanks :)
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What I did with mine was feed once daily when I got home from work. Usually he would go either later that night or in the morning. I do give them a biscuit in the morning when I leave.
He may just be too small still. 9 weeks he is still just a baby.
Dash was always terrible in the crate. He freaked out all day and almost always peed. We eventually switched to an expen and got a second dog. That helped but within the last year or so he decided he didn't want to be in there anymore either. So now he is loose. But he is also 5.
As far as what to put in the crate, you could put puppy pads in there but he will probably destroy them. He will probably destroy what ever you put in there.
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Thanks for the reply dash…
Once daily might work, I just feel bad for him as I know I wouldn't want to eat that way!
Can't switch to an x-pen. I built a solid plywood box 36 inches tall about twice the size of his crate so he could eliminate there (a setup like what the breeder had) but he jumped out of it the very first day! He cleared the 3 foot high wall at 7 weeks! So I can't imagine how tall of a system I would have to have for him now. I am very hesitant about encouraging him to eliminate in a setup like that though because then he thinks he can go other places in the house that are "similar" like if we leave a towel on the floor in the bathroom.
I'm tempted to leave no blanket at all in his crate until he behaves better but again that seems cruel.
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IMO, 9wks is too young to go to one feeding. And he should be going right after eating, so if you are taking him out after eating and he goes, then he shouldn't be pooping in the crate right after you leave…. and IMO, depending on how long he is home alone, like over 5 to 6 hours, he is too young to hold it... especially if he is getting worked up.....
For the crate use newspaper then it is throw away....
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Well, yes thanks for the info on the feeding, I agree with that.
Regarding going after feeding, he usually goes in the morning, and then again after feeding and then he will do it in his crate like 15 minutes after I leave (even if he just pooped 30 minutes earlier!)
But yeah, I came home during lunch the first week so that he could be let out at 4 hours and by the end of the week he almost was making it, but unfortunately I can't do that anymore. So while I know he might continue to do this for another month or so, I am just looking for any tips on minimizing it.
Newspaper scares me as the breeder taught them to go on it. So if I put that in the crate, it is like encouraging it. Plus then he will still go crazy and mash it all with his paws and get it all over all the bars of the crate and fling it out against the walls :(
I love my little basenji, but this part is the hardest!
Thank you for the reply though! :)
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You could try getting a plastic crate? They are a little better at containing the poop. lol And sometimes they feel more secure and less stressed in a more enclosed crate.
Even though he hopped out of your box, you can still try an xpen. They make wire tops for them so it's almost impossible to escape. Then if you have a pen, he can have a small crate to sleep in, and then get a small kitty litter box or puppy pad that he can go on. If he's only 9 weeks then he can't really hold it more than 3 or 4 hours. You'll probably have to deal with the pooping for a while. It may complicate the house training issue slightly by allowing him to go in the house, but it can sure save you a lot of stress and clean up, and save the puppy stress too, if he has a way to eliminate during the day. As he grows up it won't be hard for him to learn that he really needs to go outside all the time now. You can phase out the litterbox. Also you can just leave a litterbox out in the house all the time while he's young. Still take him out lots and encourage the eliminating outside, but then he has a safe haven indoors to if he really has to go! Going on a puppy pad or in a special box that is scented to entice bathroom duties is very different than the dog just eliminating wherever it feels like it in the house.
Also it sounds like you got him aweful young, he really should have stayed with his littermates a couple weeks longer. Yes, dogs poop more when they are stressed. It may take him a few more weeks to settle in with you.
I would try just newspaper in the crate. I know they love to shred it, but it's the safest thing in that case. You don't want them to get a blockage from fibers. Don't feel bad about not putting anything in the crate if you need to. My dogs don't have anything in their crate, they have always been shredders so I just don't do bedding anymore, period. They have free roam of the house and all furniture day and night, except the youngster is crated when we're gone. But they only have to deal with crates when traveling or babies and that is when they are more stressed and likely to shred. I have one I guarantee will go at it the second you close the door. The others can be trusted occasionally depending on the situation. But they are just fine on the crate bottom.
For feeding, you still should be feeding twice a day, he is aweful young. I would just give him a minimal amount in the morning, maybe a handful of kibble. Then you can give him a bigger portion when you get home from work. Then also if you need to add in another evening snack to make sure he gets it all, you can.
Just remember, puppies require a lot of patience! :) Whatever you do, be consistent and it will pay off in the long run.
Also, I live in SE Mich, so if you ever need any help with things, don't hesitate.
