Puppy pees on soft things in crate-help!

[Malu'sMom]

My 4 month old Cavalier, Malu, is mostly great. She has very few accidents outside of her crate, in the baby-gated kitchen. Our problem is anything soft in her crate when she is locked in when we are gone. If there is a soft toy, she pees on it. She had a bed in the crate, she peed on it. Blanket, you get the point. She does not have accidents in the crate otherwise, period. I guess because this is so consistent I don't think it is an accident, I think it is some puppy act I don't understand. She is never scolded and put in the crate as punishment. Just today I decided to try to put the dog bed in the crate but leave the door open. So far, she goes in the crate and sleeps on the bed but has not peed on it. I don't expect her to but I don't get it! It seems like she does not like the combination of both being locked in and having soft things in the crate. HELP! Thanks!

[Novel]

Without further info, I would say it is just coincidence.

How long is she crated for? How big is she and what size is her crate?

[Owned by Lucy]

I would stop putting the soft (aka absorbent) things in the crate. The reason the dog does not go in the crate is because they are adverse to lying in their own waste. If there is something in there that is going to soak it up then they can go in the crate and not worry about having to lying in it. Also, if she has peed on something once the smell is going to stay in it unless you have washed it with an enzymatic cleaner (detergent and/or bleach won't cut it). If the blanket, toy etc... still smells like urine (to her, not you) she will think that is where she is supposed to pee. Until she is 100% housetrained I would just leave the soft stuff in the crate with her, I have had some dogs I could never trust with blankets, towels or other non-edibles in their crate.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

I agree, I'd take away her soft stuff for a bit until shes older.

[Jamilupine]

We put soft things in Lucy's crate the first two nights we had her and she peed on it. Then we removed all soft bedding for the next few months as she learned to hold it in her crate, and now she rarely pees in the crate.

So, I suggest removing the soft bedding. Also, as I believe was mentioned, dogs tend to find the most absorbant mateiral to urinate on, so that is why she is going there.

How long is the dog left in the crate? It may be that she is left in the crate too long, has to go potty, so finds the "best" spot in the crate.

Are you sure that the crate is the correct size for her, not too big?

[Malu'sMom]

I think the posts about her choosing to pee on the soft things because they are absorbant and then she is not lying in/walking in it make the most sense.

None of those soft things have ever been given back to her. The crate is not too big and she is only in about 4-5 hours.

This weekend two things have worked: 1.) Keeping her in the crate with nothing but a bone to chew on, or 2.) Leaving her in the kitchen with the crate open, soft bed inside. At least now I kind of understand why she does it! Thanks!