Most of you will remember I began crate training Brody last month. This has gone extremely well. We let him run free in the house when we are home. We take him out often and he has not had any accidents inside. He stays inside his crate when we are not at home, and also when we are sleeping. His crate is in our room and he seems content to be in there.
I started something new this weekend, leaving the door to his crate open at night when we are sleeping. I thought he might enjoy being able to walk around a bit, and I thought enough time had passed for him to know that he is supposed to go outside to use the bathroom. Friday- Sunday night everything was fine. He stayed in the crate the entire night despite the door being left open. He showed no interest in getting out. This morning though, I woke up at 4:30 and heard him walking down the hallway. I got up a few minutes later and he has pooped on the carpet near the door and peed nearby as well. I think that since his door was open he felt like he could just go near the door just because he had to go.... If his crate door had been shut he would have held it. During the week I go to bed around 10:00, he goes outside before I go to bed. In the mornings I get up at 4:30, and he goes out as soon as I am up.
Can I teach him that he needs to hold it, or at least wake me up if he has to go? Or since he is crate trained should I just leave it at that and keep him in the crate all night?
I started something new this weekend, leaving the door to his crate open at night when we are sleeping. I thought he might enjoy being able to walk around a bit, and I thought enough time had passed for him to know that he is supposed to go outside to use the bathroom. Friday- Sunday night everything was fine. He stayed in the crate the entire night despite the door being left open. He showed no interest in getting out. This morning though, I woke up at 4:30 and heard him walking down the hallway. I got up a few minutes later and he has pooped on the carpet near the door and peed nearby as well. I think that since his door was open he felt like he could just go near the door just because he had to go.... If his crate door had been shut he would have held it. During the week I go to bed around 10:00, he goes outside before I go to bed. In the mornings I get up at 4:30, and he goes out as soon as I am up.
Can I teach him that he needs to hold it, or at least wake me up if he has to go? Or since he is crate trained should I just leave it at that and keep him in the crate all night?