Dear Cheryl: Thank you for submitting your question. I know that this is a frustrating problem. You will find that your dog will soil in the house or crate when he is left for too many hours and has anxiety. I will presume that your doggy has no medical reason to have this behaviour, but if you are concerned I would encourage you to visit your veterinarian. If there are no medical issues, I think your problem is simple to solve if you are able to make a few changes.

Ensure that your dog has ample opportunity to exercise off-leash, and/or have a good 40 minute, brisk walk, prior to being crated. You will also want to provide quiet time for him to sniff around in order to create toilet habits. Make sure that you watch him so there is no guesswork as to his success.

The necessity to crate a dog for many hours will require hiring a friend or professional dog-walker to help out, or taking him to a doggy daycare a few days a week. I promise that when he comes home, he will be tired and will welcome the opportunity to rest in his crate. Exercise alleviates anxiety and helps prevent boredom and it is imperative that this is provided. Alternatively, you may wish to purchase an X-pen (exercise pen). This is large enough to provide enough space to contain your dog’s crate and some pee pads. Leaving the crate door open, will allow him to enter and exit, and will provide a space for elimination.

It is important not to use any punishment, for example, scolding the dog for having a behaviour that humans consider to be wrong, increases fear and anxiety and makes their plumbing work overtime. Good luck with your training. Debbie Reynolds, CTB.ccs, 'Trainer of the Year', Life's Ruff Dog Training, 905-201-5050, Web: http://www.lifesruff.ca, Email: lifesruff@rogers.com, Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/LifesRuff