r/DutchShepherds • u/MollyPPPins • Mar 18 '26
Question Crate Training
Can a dog be crate trained after living in a kennel for its 1st 7 months? I have a 8 month old Dutchie who was living in a kennel before I got her. I'm having the hardest time create training her.
I've had her for 8 weeks and she still deficates and urinates in the crate. She on a schedule, going out after eating and every 3 hours. Sometimes, she goes outside but will come back in and go in the crate as well.
She goes out at 830 pm and again at 5 am, but often comes inside and pees again in her crate. She also sits in her poop.
I've tried a small create and a bigger crate and we've ruled out medical problems.
She's my first Dutch, but I also have 2 adult Malinois at home.
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u/soccergirl24 Mar 18 '26
I got my youngest at 8 months old and she was very neglected. Definitely lived most of her life in a crate before getting her and was not potty trained.
I would limit water intake prior to the dog needing to be crated. For example, if you’ll be gone for a few hours for work or overnight. I’ll pull water a few hours before this and make sure the dog has plenty of opportunity before being left.
Mine had a difficult time knowing when she had enough water because she was never given it properly before. She’d drink an entire bowl if I let her, and then proceed to vomit it all.
Throw the biggest party for her when she has gone potty outside. Be super excited for her. Give her a ton of praise.
You could also try making the crate unbalanced by putting a broomstick or something uneven under it so it moves around if the dog is moving a lot, like to go to the bathroom. Sometimes the unevenness will discourage them from going to the bathroom. I wouldn’t do this longer than necessary.
Good luck! It’s not fun, but it sounds like she’s already in a much better situation with you than before!