Puppy Goes Into Crate To Pee – (What Can You Do?)

You are watching him playing, he stands up all of a sudden and your puppy goes into the crate to pee. Wait! What? What he just did. 

Before you recover from a previous shock, he does that again in a few hours or in a few days. 

Now what? Bang your head?

No! Just figure out the reason, why it happened and solve it.

Let us help you out. 

Why your puppy goes into crate to pee?

The puppy goes into the crate to pee! “If your puppy is from a puppy mill, he is more likely to go into the crate to pee because he is used to doing the deed where he sleeps. Other reasons can be that he is smelling pee or maybe he is not yet fully potty trained or the crate training has not been right.”

There are several reasons which can cause him to do so. We cannot say that he might be having a medical condition because a UTI is not asking him to get up and go into the crate.

1- It is common in dogs who are from a puppy mill:

A puppy mill dog/puppy has spent all of his life peeing and pooping in a cage so it’s just his toilet. 

puppy mill dog

2- If the puppy is trained to go on pee pads:

This is the number one reason, why most trainers don’t recommend potty train a puppy to go on pads. Because the puppy may get used to going on soft surfaces. If his crate bedding is also soft, he might mix things up.

3- Incomplete potty training:

It is possible that he was not yet completely housebroken or it’s a regression. 

Read our complete guide to potty train a puppy

Know more about puppy potty training regression

4- He smells pee there:

If he had a small accident in the crate, but it was not cleaned properly with a suitable enzyme cleaner. 

Dogs have a nature to go there to relieve themselves, where they smell pee.

5- The crate was too big for him:

A crate’s size should be suitable for your dog’s breed and size. 

There should be enough room for a dog to sit, stand and turn around. But not more than that. 

If he will find extra space there, he might start using it as a toilet.

6- Improper crate training:

If the crate training is not done properly, it can also harm his pee and poop schedule. 

How to stop your puppy/dog to go into the crate to pee?

The 3 steps to solve this problem are: Keep him out of the crate, set good potty habits, and re-introduce the crate. 

You must solve the problem.

Step 1- No crate:

Lock the door of the crate and don’t let him in. He is assuming that the crate is a toilet but that is not. 

Step 2- Watch for his cues

If you have potty trained him, you must know what cues he shows before going. 

Keep an eye on him, and when you see him that he is about to go, get up immediately and take him to the proper place. 

Step 3- Treat him to pee on the right spot

After taking him to the right place, when he does the deed, treat him immediately.

Make him feel happy to go to that place, where you want him to go. 

Step 4- Clean the crate

Get a UV flashlight. Turn off the lights and check the crate with the UV flashlight. 

Properly clean up the crate with a great enzyme cleaner. 

Step 5- Re-introduce the crate:

After spending a few days setting up good habits, it’s time to re-introduce the crate. 

It is best to get him a new crate with a different look but if you mind spending more money, make sure that the current crate is 100% cleaned.

After that, he should not do this again. 

The success relies on your consistency and scheduling. 

Read our complete guide to potty train your puppy and follow that.

Some tips to help you out

Read some tips to help you out

1- Never yell at your animal:

If you find your puppy going into his crate for peeing, it’s never a good idea to yell at him. This way he will only get scared and next time he will do a great job, hiding from you. 

He won’t understand why you are raising your voice. So, stay patient with him and solve the reason. 

2- Watch for the cues and if he does:

It’s very important that you know what cues your puppy shows before going.  This way you will be able to catch him on time. 

(if you are consistent with your schedule and providing him with enough potty breaks, peeing in the crate should not happen.)

If you see your puppy getting up, showing his cues, and moving towards the crate. Grab him immediately and take him to the right spot. 

Treat him immediately. 

3- Re-evaluate the crate training

You must make sure that your puppy is giving importance to his den and he knows that his den is the crate. 

4- Choose the enzyme cleaner wisely

There are tons of enzyme cleaners available in the market, but you should get a good one that suits the surface you are using it on. 

It should be a good formula.

What are the best enzyme cleaners for dog urine?

best enzyme cleaner

5- If your puppy is trained to pee on pee pads:

If the puppy is trained to pee on the pads, consider switching to grass pads. 

You may read our guide to potty train a puppy to go on pads. 

Even after training him to go on pads, you can still transition him to outside. (our guide has the details)

Read More:

Puppy peeing in the crate at night, what to do?

Is my puppy peeing in the crate for attention? – (How can I stop him?)

How to stop a dog from peeing in the house, when left alone?

puppy peeing in the crate at night

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