Puppy hates and soils his crate

My 4 and a half month old min pin hates his crate. We got him at 8
weeks and tried to gradually introduce him to the crate. He now eats
all his meals in there and will go in there for a treat, but then come
right back out. At night we crate him at about 10 or 10:30. he whines

Mirelle...

No need to feed him in the crate.
He is coming out as that is natural after eating. The association with
eating and the crate are not necessary. He is used to the crate for as
you say, you slowly introduced him to it.

for about 15 minutes then is quiet. Some nights he wakes up at 2 am
and whines some more. We ignore it until 6 am and we get up and take

Mirelle...

His whines at 2 A.M. as he is telling you he needs to go potty. This is
a good thing as he will let you know at other times when he is in the
house with whining that he has to go potty and so you will know to take
him out at that time to relieve himself.
Take him outside to go potty when he whines at 2 A.M. then praise after
he goes potty.

Mirelle...

It is hard to get up in the night to take out pups, however it is the
only way to potty train them as a pup's bladder is to small to hold it
all night.

him outside. Every single night for the past 3 weeks at least, he pees
in his crate on the towel we have in there. It is a wire crate and is

Mirelle...

Take the towel out and listen to him when he wines, the towel will
train him to go in the crate. A soft blanket for his bed is a different
thing. Take him outside when he whines to relieve himself, afterward,
praise him for going outside.

just large enough for him to stand up in and turn around. We tried it
in our bedroom, but that never kept him quiet either so we had to put
it out in the living room. If we crate him during the day for 2-4

Mirelle...

The problem is the lack of attendance to his letting you know by
whining at 2 A. M. that is not being responded to, not where you have
the carte.

hours while we are gone, he does not soil it usually. Why does my dog,

Mirelle...

This is because the amount of time is compatible with his bladder and
bowel capacity.

who has been with his crate since 8 weeks, still hate it and soil it?

Mirelle...

It does not sound like he hates it, as he sleeps in it until 2 A.M.
without whining. and when you are out you say he usually does not pee
in the crate.

What can I do to prevent this? What am I doing wrong? Any advice is
more than appreciated!

Marcel Beaudoin...

I think that you might be running into two problems at once.

First, I would put the crate back in your bedroom. Your pup will sleep a
lot sounder at night, he will (probably) quiet down faster and go back to
sleep faster should he wake up in the middle of the night.

Secondly, at four months, your pup probably can't hold it all night. WHen
he is whining in the middle of the night, he is telling you that I need to
go!! Take him outside right away. Just don't take him for a quick trip to
the tree and back. With my dog, I would have to take him for a quick 5
minute walk to make sure that he was completely empty. Then back to the
apartment and back into the crate. If he only whines after he has gone,
then set your alarm a bit earlier and wake him up and take him out *before*
he goes in the crate.

Mirelle...

Listen to his whining as a message from him that he needs to go potty.
And act on it by taking him outside.