Expert: Christine (Chris) Vassonei, APDT - 7/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have an 8 month old Great Dane and she is peeing in her crate and laying in it. She won't make a sound to let us know she needs out, and she has no medical problems. She is otherwise potty trained. She doesn't pee anywhere else but in her crate and mainly at night. We have limited her water intake in the evening. She goes out regularly. Please help. Thanks!!

ANSWER: Has she been doing this the entire 8  months, or is this something that just started?

You say she has no medical problems - what have you checked her for so far?

Is the crate too big for her?  I realize she's going to be a big dog, and you probably need a big crate, but if it's too big at the present time, she'll eliminate at one end and lay at the other.  You may need to partition the crate off so she only has enough room to move around in.  It's pretty unusual for a dog lay directly in their urine if they can avoid it.

What time do you take her water up?  I would take it up completely by 8 pm at the latest, and earlier if she continues to pee in the crate.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She used to do it a few months back, stopped, then started again a couple of weeks ago. We told the vet of our problem and she checked her over. She didn't find anything wrong with her. Her crate is on the verge of being too small. We did as you suggested (partition) when she was smaller, but it didn't help. She just eventually stopped. Last night she did not urinate, she deficated instead. This is what she used to do (more than pee). She eats only in the morning and she does not have water after 6 pm. Thanks for your response!!

Answer
Well, I'm kind of at a loss for what to suggest next.  It might just be something she will grow out of.  As far as having a mess to clean up, you might get one of those grates that fit in the bottom of the kennel so that she's not laying in her urine.  At least you won't have to clean her up as often.

You could pose your questions to one of the other experts on  AllExperts, or if you want to consult a trainer in your area, I can send you names if you give me your city, state, and zip code.