I've been using a large dog port-a-kennel for my 10 week old male pup at night night and 2 3-hour stretches twice a day. I place newspaper at the back of the kennel for his use, which he has taken to readily. However, on 2 occasions we discovered that he has eaten his mess. Tonight we started him on Deter, an anti-coprophagic, but I was wondering if I was using the wrong size kennel. Is it safe to assume that at his age he can hold off for three hours, or might he still relieve himself in a smaller kennel and lose his desire to use the paper? Might a smaller kennel worsen a coprophagic tendency, or cure it?
Thanks

HI Homefront....

I have never liked the idea of putting a puppy in a large crate...the one I am using for Dayzee is just big enough for her to stand in and turn around (she is about to outgrow it)...she stays in there 3 hrs at a time during the day while I am at work - I take her and my other dog to a field during my lunch break....she also stays in her crate all night...
Dayzee has never messed n her crate (except on the plane) and she has slept thru the night since her 4th night home....from 10:00 - 5:30......

you may look into changing your pup's diet, but also be very sure he has ample opportunity to go to the bathroom just before you put him in his crate.....I think you will find that by using a smaller kennel, you will have conquered much of the battle...I also think boys are generally harder to house break than girls...Hitch(my now 6 month old) needed to be let out of his crate much more regularly than Dayzee does. Every pup has his/her own pace when it comes to house breaking....

have you named the little bugger yet?

Juli

Hey, Juli! Thanks for the reply.
I set up the small crate; as you mentioned, it's large enough for him to turn around and lay down, with a little to spare. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I'm also going to use the Deter, just in case.
The little bugger's name is "Tucker".We tried "Sedge" for a few days, but it didn't stick.
We've started "sit" on the leash this week, and right now he's tolerating me, witha look that says "whatever, if it makes you happy". He does understand "no", which is encouraging.
I'll try to find time to figure out how to post pics - I'm a far better duck hunter than computer user .

Tucker...that's a cute name!!!! just dont say it too fast when you're doing force fetch (like a tongue twister!)...'Tucker, Fetch' could turn into something not quite so nice! LOL ... ..he sounds like he has the same mentality of my boy Hitch as far as obedience goes...'yeah, whatever!'....LOL

Juli

He can be a handful, and quite aggressive with our Basset hound bitch. He's like Jekyll and Hyde; one minute a love sponge, the next an intrepid explorer who mustn't be disturbed.
Well, at 9:30 I told him "Tucker, kennel", held him in the opening and in he went. When I closed the gate behind him he spun, wide-eyed as if to say,"Heyyyy,traitor! That's not fair!". The next 5 minutes were filled with piteous cries of despair , followed by silence. With any luck it'l stay that way until 4am, when I'm up anyway. Then he'll love me again .

Well bust my buttons... success!

Great work Charley!

good! glad it worked...figured it would!

Juli

I'm just glad to have all the friendly advice !