RaineShadow Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Well I am just perplexed. I posted a week or so ago about getting Loki a new crate since he basically tore his other one beyond use. Since then, we got him a nice plastic crate that he's starting to get used to. As much as he hates being crated, he's had an awesome breakthrough: No more eliminating while in his crate!! At first I thought it was a fluke but all week, he's been just wonderful! I'm very proud of him. Now for the troubling part... Nikita loves her crate. LOVES it. When she gets nervous, she goes in there, or when we first brought Loki home, she guarded it (mostly shoved him out of the way and laid down in it when he'd get too close lol). Now that Loki's got his own and she's back in her own little safe haven, I thought everything would be fine. Lately, however (like since we started crating Loki regularly), she's been pooping in her crate. And not like in a corner or something, either. It is everywhere and I'll come home and she's just hanging out in it like no big deal. This is a dog who hates being dirty and loves her crate, so I'm stumped on what to do. I was thinking that perhaps she's doing it out of stress? When Loki is in his crate, he howls and howls and barks and whines and howls some more and Nikita, his silent counterpart, just sits there listening to it all day. I even heard her start to whine the other day which is more shocking than her eliminating her her "bedroom". I don't know what to do about it. Loki's barking and howling doesn't bother me at all since he isn't hurting himself, Nikita, or our home and he's still getting used to the crate, but if it's causing Nikita so much stress that she's pooping all over the crate and herself, then I have another serious problem. Does anyone have any suggestions for this? I'm not entirely sure that his loudmouth is the reason she's doing it, it's just a thought that crossed my mind today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Are they crated in the same room? Might be worth moving the crates as far apart from each other in your house as you can. maybe put the radio on quietly too, to try and block out the sounds that may be stressing her out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaineShadow Posted January 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Yes, they're kept side-by-side so that Loki can see Nikita, and we keep the tv on for them. Nikita has a thing for Cartoon Network so I usually keep it on there (she loooooves Scooby-Doo!) and they're both positioned to where they can see and hear it. I think one of the reasons Loki has such an issue is because he's isolated. As soon as I let them out, he usually greets me by barking and howling at me (probably for "abandoning" him all day lol) and then loves on Nikita hardcore. I can try that though. Maybe I'll start moving one of them upstairs and see how he does with that. Definitely worth a shot! Thank you! I thought about maybe trying to soundproof his crate a little, but I have no idea how I'd go about doing that since he's in a plastic crate. If he was in a wire one, I could just drape a heavy blanket over it and just leave the door open, but that's out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 I had the biggest issue with Luka popping in his crate. In talking like every day I'd come home and there would be a huge mess. That thing about dogs not wanting to eliminate in their beds did not apply to him! Eventually the only way I got it to stop was allowing him more time outside before I crated him. I'm talking like an hour extra time every morning. (He's pretty much only crated when I'm at work) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Pooping* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaineShadow Posted January 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 I had the biggest issue with Luka popping in his crate. In talking like every day I'd come home and there would be a huge mess. That thing about dogs not wanting to eliminate in their beds did not apply to him! Eventually the only way I got it to stop was allowing him more time outside before I crated him. I'm talking like an hour extra time every morning. (He's pretty much only crated when I'm at work) Yeah, they're only crated when I have to work (which is only 6 hours, 3 days a week, so it isn't much) or when I have to go like grocery shopping or something The thing that I don't get is that she never used to have this problem, it's only been the last 2 weeks (give or take) that she's been doing it. I make sure that she gets plenty of time out before we leave, and she HAS to go to the bathroom before she gets let back inside (and there are times when she throws a fit because she'd rather be inside lol). It's puzzling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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