Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Dogs

PawTracks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to stop a dog from peeing in their crate for good in 5 easy-to-follow steps

These tricks will keep your house — and his — pee free

By
A yellow Labrador retriever puppy lying on a red bed inside a wire crate.
Parilov / Shutterstock

As pet parents, we’d like to think that we have every solution for behavior issues, like how to stop a dog from peeing in his crate. Your buddy can’t exactly tell you why he pees in the crate when you’re not home, though, and you can’t always catch him in the act — so it can be tricky.

Luckily, with a keen eye and a few trial runs, you’ll figure out the problem in no time. You can always enlist your family, vet, or local doggie daycare to keep an eye out, too, but it’s up to you to make the necessary changes to change the behavior. Anything from a more consistent routine to a new treat-dispensing toy could be the difference between cleaning up a puddle or coming home to a happy pup.

Recommended Videos

Here’s how to stop your dog from peeing in his crate.

a pitbull puppy lies in their crate with their head nestled in blankets, looking up with sad eyes
J.A. Dunbar / Shutterstock

First, rule out medical issues as a cause for crate incontinence

Before anything else, it’s important to make sure your fur baby is in good health, so you should book a visit to your vet. Many medical issues could cause a dog to lose control of their bladder, not all of which are obvious or even noticeable. Dogs are notorious for hiding their discomfort, after all.

A few reasons your dog might not be able to hold it include:

  • Urinary tract disorders, including urinary tract infections, prostate diseases, etc.
  • Neurological issues, including spinal injury and nerve damage
  • Bladder storage issues
  • Urine retention due to stress, pain, etc.
  • Bladder or vestibular tumors

A more complete list can be found on the website of the Veterinary Centers of America.

Dog sleeping in a crate.
Jennay Hitesman / Shutterstock

Make sure the crate is the right size for your dog’s measurements

If your dog’s crate is too big, he’ll have plenty of room to relieve himself in a corner away from where he sleeps. Living like this, when there’s no consequence to peeing in the crate, he has no reason not to do it. When your pup has to lie in his urine, however, he’s likely to think twice about where he goes.

If you have a crate that your dog is still growing into, you can purchase a crate divider panel to make the space a little smaller.

WH_Pics / Shutterstock

Keeping your pup on a routine can prevent him from peeing in his crate

Dogs thrive on routine, so taking them out to use the bathroom at the same times every day will be especially easy for them to get used to. It will reduce their anxiety since they’ll know exactly when they’ll get to go outside, and they won’t stress that they’ll have to go too long without relief.

For a schedule to truly help your dog, you need to understand how long he can comfortably control his bladder. This time will vary from dog to dog — breed, age, and health are just a few of the factors that affect this. Dogs should be taken out for a potty break three to five times a day on average, though this number is likely to go up for smaller dogs, puppies, and seniors.

a brown dog lies in their crate with their head on their paw and looks at the camera
Ayla Verschueru / Unsplash

Use positive association to help with your dog’s separation anxiety concerns

Many dogs urinate in the house or their crate because of an unresolved emotional issue. Separation anxiety is common in pups with a history of abuse, though any dog can become anxious when left alone. If your dog urinates in front of you, however, you can likely rule this out.

To ease separation anxiety, help your dog learn to enjoy being in his crate (via ASPCA). You can make his crate more comfortable by tossing in a favorite toy, a fluffy bed, or even a shirt that smells like you. Give your buddy a treat every time you leave the house, so he’ll make a positive association between the treat and your departure. Better yet, fill up a treat-releasing toy for a long-lasting distraction.

Yorkshire terrier in wire crate.
Konstantin Zaykov / Shutterstock

Will dogs pee in their crate at night?

If you sleep for eight hours per night, you will need to get up to let her out — a young puppy won’t be able to hold it that long. Up to at least six months of age, your animal will almost certainly need a middle-of-the-night pee. It can help to bring the crate into the bedroom so you wake up when she needs a potty break. Many dogs will whine, pace, or bark when they need to go out, even late at night. To help stretch it out a bit, consider putting up her water a few hours before bed so that the urge to go isn’t as strong while she sleeps.
a corgi sits on a pink blanket inside of a crate
Jus_Ol / Shutterstock

Rethink your expectations as you go through the process

Is your dog truly ready to be left alone in his crate for long periods? If you have a particularly young puppy at home, he might need a while longer to grow and keep house training before he is continually successful. To determine how long your puppy can hold his urine (on average), add 1 to the number of months in his age — this is how many hours you should expect him to be in control of his bladder. Of course, this can’t be guaranteed for every pup, but it’s a helpful rule of thumb.

Some dogs need more time to get used to their crate, while others need to be house-trained more thoroughly. Take the time to get to know your pup, and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect in the future. Good things take time!

As frustrating as a mess in the crate can be, it’s not a permanent issue. Once you can find the reasons behind your dog’s incontinence, you can work with him to make some changes and solve the issue. When in doubt, your trusted vet will have many ideas and resources to help you get started. Pee-free crate time will be so much nicer for everyone, so why not begin now?

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Gabrielle LaFrank
Gabrielle LaFrank
Contributor
Gabrielle LaFrank has written for sites such as Psych2Go, Elite Daily, and, currently, PawTracks. When she's not writing, you…
Why do dogs eat cat poop? And how you can get them to stop
These tips will stop your pup from eating cat doo-doo
Dog wears a yellow sweater and looks at the camera

Sometimes you might think you hear your cat using their potty, but when you go into check, it's actually the dog eating cat poop. Gross! While it seems pretty revolting to us, dogs sometimes eat poop, the feline variety included. Coprophagia, which means eating poop, shows up reasonably frequently in pups, and certain diets, environments, and even breeds can make this act more likely (research says hounds and terriers are the groups most likely to chomp poop, in general).

So why do dogs eat cat poop, and what should you do about this behavior? Read on for a few things to check and a couple of tips to prevent this extra meal.
Why do dogs eat cat poop?
Theories abound, but it turns out lots of different mammals eat poop, their own and others'. One possibility is that not all nutrients fully digest when they go through our systems, which means there are plenty of vitamins to have by consuming feces. Sometimes, these cravings result from a nutrient-deficient diet that is easy to fix by changing up your dog's food.

Read more
How can you tell how old a dog is? Easy ways to figure it out
Here's how professionals can tell how old a dog is
An elderly golden retriever stands outside in the sunshine

If you have a dog, then it's almost certain you've heard the cliche that one dog year equals seven human years. As it turns out, that's not actually how dogs age. Our pups mature faster than we do during the first few years of their lives. But what does that mean for aging and maturity? It may surprise you to learn that your canine companion is actually closer to a 15-year-old than a 7-year-old by the time he celebrates his first birthday.

Adopting a puppy makes calculating your dog's age a whole lot easier, but adopting an adult dog may require a bit more detective work on your part. Unfortunately, most shelter dogs have incomplete medical histories, and they may not have records of how old the dogs are. This means that you'll have to figure it out for yourself, but that might be easier said than done. That's why we've put together this helpful guide on how to tell how old a dog is, full of tips from professionals to help you understand your dog's age.

Read more
Why do dogs sleep under the covers? It all comes down to nature
Does your dog enjoy burrowing under the blankets? This could be why
A woman wearing a sleep mask over her eyes snuggles a Pug with his tongue out in bed

If you've ever tossed and turned all night, you know it's frustrating. Finally, finding the perfect sleeping position feels oh-so-good. Both humans and their furry friends can appreciate the bliss of discovering a comfy spot beneath the blankets, though it might not seem as normal for your pup’s sleeping routine. So, why do dogs sleep under the covers?
The reasons behind this adorable behavior may not surprise you, and they’re just as cute as you’d expect. Be careful while you read, though, or you may convince yourself to share your bed more often. Your dog will certainly get behind the idea of sharing a bed, but you might have to get used to having a lot less space while you sleep.

Why do dogs sleep under the covers? Here's what experts say
You like to believe that your fur baby gets under the blankets just to get closer to you … and you may be partially right. Because dogs are pack animals, feeling the touch of a family member while sleeping can be the ultimate form of comfort and warmth. Your presence lets them know they’re protected and part of the pack, even if they only snuggle up when they feel anxious. This may feel especially comforting for pups who grew up with their siblings — just think about puppy piles.
Snuggling under the covers has instinctual roots, too. Not long ago, dogs and wolves were born, raised, and sheltered in dens or caves, so it’s easy to see why your pup might feel cozy in a small space of their own.
Canine behaviorist Clarissa Fallis explains that certain breeds might be even more likely to burrow. Small hunting breeds like dachshunds and beagles "tend to mimic their innate behavior of flushing out small animals from tunnels by burrowing." She goes on to explain, "Larger burrowers, like huskies, live in extreme temperatures that make the instinct to burrow under the snow crucial for staying warm."
Whether your fur baby is actually cold, anxious, or just used to a routine of denning behavior, burrowing is generally not a cause for concern. Of course, there are a few safety precautions you can take to make it the best experience possible.

Read more