Hi Roxanne
Sorry but I don't think your approach is going to work. Dogs never remember that they've done something wrong unless you can catch them in the act so smacking him when you discover he's urinated indoors is only going to make him more anxious, not prevent another accident and possibly make one more likely. I believe you might be discovering that as he's now pooing as well when you leave him. You must try not to tell him off or smack him. You sound as though this is a set back and previously he was not doing this. Ask yourself what has changed to make him worse. Is he used to being left alone indoors during the day? He may be developing a separation anxiety and the voiding is part of that. Does he a get regular walks in the day and let out last thing at night. Does he like his crate or is it more of a prison to him. He is going to get bad associations with being in it if you punish him for the accidents. I know its frustrating and tiring but some more time, training and patience now might correct the problem for the future. You may need to consult a dog behaviourist to work with you and give you some more pointers about why its going wrong at the moment. I have raised and trained several young dogs and they haven't all become instantly clean indoors without some extra effort.
Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[
www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]