[MercedesMama]

With Ozzy. He is 5 yrs old and still poops in his crate on occasion. The most they are ever in their crates is 6-8hrs for a shift at work. I always let them all out to potty close to the time I leave to prevent accidents. Ozzy will poop and pee in his crate and then lay in it. We got him at 2 years old and I dont think he was ever properly crate trained and he may have been abused. He's a great dog otherwise, very friendly, not a bit dog aggressive, but this is his hang up. I have also found that he has been not just chewing on the toys I keep out in the yard (a basketball, kongs, and another ball.) he eats them. I woke up this morning to a HUGE mess in his crate and found a large chunk of the basketball, several pieces of kong, and some grass. I took all the toys out of the yard, but my question is, why would he do this? And how do I stop the messes in the crate. His crate is just big enough for him to stand and lay comfortably, I switched his crate intentionally to try to keep him from the mess, but he does it anyway. Like I said he doesnt do it all the time, just every once in a long while, but it's been twice in the last two days.

[Galadriel]

It sounds like it could be GI issues. Dogs will often eat weird things if they have an upset stomach or GI irritation. Since it's been going on for so long (the not being able to hold it part) you might want to have him checked out. Maybe a canine form of IBS? *shrug*

[debo-dumbo-ears]

I agree w/ Galadriel - rule out medical causes.
You can also take a look at when you are feeding vs. when they have to be in crates. Do you feed at the same time every day? Are they crated at the same time every day? If either times change, & Ozzy happens to go into his crate 1-2 hrs after eating, that may be a contributing factor.
That does nothing to explain why he's eating toys though???? It does sound like GI troubles maybe. Have you changed foods recently? Just some ideas, sorry I can't be more helpful.

[MercedesMama]

I switched foods last week from Kirkland's Lamb and Rice to the Chicken and Rice. I feed and crate at the same time everyday, we are on a very good schedule. Potty, eat, crate, bedtime, all the sametime everyday. Like I said he doesnt poo in his crate very often, but when he does he pees as well and then sits right in it. The toy thing I've been thinking about and maybe he's just playing and "killing" them. Hell I dont know...LOL. Thanks for the input guys. I'm gonna call my vet this afternoon.

[Drgnrdr]

It sounds like PICA to me. I found this for you.

Pica Behaviour in the Adult Dog


A common problem in dogs is the ingestion of unnatural objects such as candy wrappers, toilet paper, or socks. Not only is this behavior a nuisance around the house, but the swallowing of non-food particles poses a serious threat to the health of the dog. The problem requires attention and treatment.
The Causes of Pica Behavior


Medical
There are many medical conditions such as dietary deficiencies and esophageal dysphagia which should first be ruled out through a veterinarian's examination. In the absence of any physiologic or pathologic causes, there are a number of behavioral reasons for pica.
To Gain Attention
A dog can quickly learn that picking up a foreign object or a non-food item will gain the owner's attention. The attention provided by the owner can be rewarding and reinforced even though the reward is unintentional. Even if a scolding follows, this may act as a reward for a dog deprived of attention.
Boredom
Boredom or lack of exercise for long periods of time without companionship can play a major role in a dog's interest in chewing on non-food items. A dog with little to do in his day will "explore" behavioural activities, such as chewing on foreign objects.
From Puppyhood
Pica is often a carryover from puppyhood. Puppies which were orally oriented, encouraged to pick up objects and play with them, can retain the attribute into adulthood.
Accidental
The dog's mouth is an organ by which he explores and takes possession of objects, as well as eats them. Sometimes these two functions are so closely associated with each other that the dog ends up partially ingesting something that it originally intended only to investigate and release.
Behavioural Treatment and Prevention


The easiest treatment for pica behaviour is to provide adequate exercise and active play for the animal. Taking the dog out for a good long walk twice a day will help tire the dog out, provide the dog with companionship and diversion. After a long run the dog will spend more time resting, and this should help use up some energy that was spent looking for items to pick up in its mouth.
For dogs with an urge to find, chew and hold items within their mouth it is useful to orient the dog towards an acceptable object such as a strong nylon or rawhide bone. Teasing the dog with a bone or chew toy will help stimulate interest in the object. Encourage the dog to play with acceptable chew items. (Make sure the bone or chew item is large enough so that the dog cannot swallow it.)
In cases where it seems that the dog is exhibiting pica behavior in order to gain attention and the dog is performing the behaviour in your presence, it is best to ignore the dog if it already has something in its mouth. Any reaction, including an enjoyable chase, or aggressive response, will be regarded as rewarding by the dog. The optimum time for intervention is to divert the dog's attention before the dog approaches an object it intends to pick up. For example, instruct the dog to perform some previously learned command-response, and then reward him through petting or food. This treatment generally involves increased supervision of the dog.
Other steps to help prevent pica behavior:

• remove loose objects from areas around the house within the dogs reach
• booby trap objects or lace objects with taste deterrents such as Tabasco or one of the many commercially available sprays like Citronella spray
• reduce the dog's appetite by feeding lesser amounts more often, and by adding fiber to the diet to promote a feeling of fullness.

By not encouraging puppies to pick up and play with objects, and providing the dog with adequate exercise, pica problems can usually be avoided.
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/app...s/picabeh.html

Now about the crate potty issues, it sounds like when he was younger and forming his potty habits, he was allowed to go in his area (no one let him out) and no one corrected him, (mom, or humans). He learned to live in his filth, this is the hardest type of dog to potty train, he doesn't have that "move away from the living area, to potty", in his brain, most dogs are born with the instinct to move away, but it's a myth, that if left in a crate they won't soil where they sleep, if left to long they have no choice.
He may have isues with IBS like was mentioned, get him checked by a vet first, and then we shall see what can be done, if it's a training issue or medical, if it's only every once and awhile, it may be his tummy acting up.

[MercedesMama]

Thanks Drgnrdr. I called my vet and the tech said it could be a dominance issue. Mercedes finished her heat cycle 2 weeks ago and she said sometimes male dogs will eat thier toys so other males cannot have them. Or because he didnt "have his way with her" Basically he was probably acting out to establish his place in the pack.

[Drgnrdr]

I got nice laugh from that response, sorry. I didn't know you had other intact males, or she went thru heat recently.
So I guess his pooping and eating toys only coincide with her heat cycle?

[MercedesMama]

Originally Posted by Drgnrdr I got nice laugh from that response, sorry. I didn't know you had other intact males, or she went thru heat recently. So I guess his pooping and eating toys only coincide with her heat cycle?

You didnt know that? LOL! He's never eaten his toys before. Who knows, I just took them all away and have not been letting him outta my site.