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I'm feeding him purina puppy chow, which is what my vet told me to feed him. He only get's the runs when he's put in his crate. And it's not a small crate, it's actually a crate for a full size large breed dog, so he has plenty of room to walk around. He's not cramped or confined.

I work from home, so I only put him in when I absolutely have to when I leave the house and he's never been in there for more than an hour or so at the most. He's walked regularly and has PLENTY of time to come out and play.

I'm not using it as a punishment or anything. When i'm home, he doesn't step foot in the crate unless he's getting his toys out (that's where he always puts them).

And I don't think you were coming off as bitchy. I myself have had to get rid of a pet because I just couldn't care for him as much as when i had initially got him. I wouldn't have gotten him if I had any doubt about taking care of him.

He's doing MUCH better. He has stopped rubbing his face raw, which is a good thing and the soft stool has stopped altogether!! It's a great thing. He's a happy happy boy!

1. Crate training is great. But you need to make sure that he has the proper size crate. esp for a boxer that is growing. They should always have enough room to walk in, turn, and be able to lay down. But not much else. They generally don't want to soil were they have to lay. I have a year old Standard Poodle with whom i crate trained. Its wonderful

2. MAKE SURE THAT YOU NEVER USE IT AS PUNISHMENT. They should want to be able to go in their crate so never use it as punishment if they have an accident in your house. It makes them associate the crate with being in trouble and they get nervous and anxious when put in when you have to step out. Make the crate a happy place for the dog so they think it is theirs and want to go in.

3. Try putting a sheet or blanket over the crate. It may help with their anxiety of yoiu being away from them. And maybe a shirt or towel inside that smells like you. It may comfort the dog while you are away.

4. Make sure you are giving them plenty of excersie. Boxers are an extremely active breed and if yoiu take him/her on long walks before you crate them they may be calmer and tired so they won't get as anxious. Don't listen to people who tell you crateing is best. Its all in how well you crate train them.

Hope i have been of some help. I am speaking from experience both professionally ( as i am a pet groomer and personally i have successfully crate trained my own large active dog and she loves her crate)

JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS!!!!

I thank everyone for their advice. And I wanted to clear some things up.

My pup is NEVER crated for more than an hour or so at a time and I only put him in there when I'm not home. I work from home so he is never put in when I'm here. I only put him in there when I had to places where I could not take him with. I try to take him with me everywhere I go. He loves to socialize so I take him with me to the store, family/friends houses, etc.

I had to take him to the vet for his next round of shots and he explained to me (as did my mom and some of you guys) that he has separation anxiety. He hates being here without me. So I decided to move his crate into the living room and when I leave I put on Animal Planet. It has actually made a HUGE difference! Not one mess!!

The food he is on is Purina puppy chow. This is what the vet recommend him be on, as the breeder had him on generic brand puppy chow and the vet said that that was not good.

I take him potty multiple times per day. Whenever he wakes from a nap, whenever he plays hard and periodically through the day when I feel he needs he might have to go. I dont' walk him that much at the moment because I'm in Wisconsin and it is very cold out and he hates being outside. I have him wearing a jacket/hoodie. I usually complain when I see people dressing their animals, but Buster will not go to the bathroom unless he's wearing something. He came from a warmer state and is not used to the weather yet. He's getting better though.

And I would not have gotten a dog just to throw him in a kennel all day long while i'm out and never let him play. I'm not a cruel person. If I didn't think I could take care of him I wouldn't have gotten him. He's a very happy boy. He's very playful, very active and VERY loving. He's a cuddler! And he is the cutest thing ever, I've never seen a dog hop and bounce when they play! None of my previous dogs have done it before anyways!

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice. I'm still struggling to potty train him though, so if anyone wants to share their tips, i'm all ears. I tried puppy pads, I tried paper training him and even after takign him out so many times during the day, he still attempts to go in teh house and has accidents. I scould him and tell him no and then take him out and praise him when he's gone outside. I'm wondering if it's just the weather.....I've potty trained dogs before but he's a challenge. And I've never potty trained a dog mid-winter, not in a cold state anyway.

His crate is for a full size large breed dog, so he has plenty of room. I put in a shirt, a blanket and a sheet but it didn't make much of a difference. Now I just line it with puppy pads and news paper and I put some of his toys in there. Having the tv on makes a HUGE difference. I put Animal Planet on for him and he hasn't had an accident since.

I don't use the crate for discipline. And when I talk to him I don't refer to it as a cage or kennel or pen or anything, I call it his room. And my vet told me to keep all his toys in tehre this way he gets used to going in to get them. Now if he sees his toys on teh floor, he'll put them back in his crate! He's like a little kid cleaning his room!!!

Thanks SO MUCH for the positive advice! I really appreciate it. I'm going to have to try the sheet over the cage thing.

crating is a kindness to a dog
they are den animals
the dog is hurting himself to get out because they cant stand to be near their waste

if the crate is big enuf and he has chew toys
i suggest a kong filled w/ peanut butter
short times, 2-3 hrs at a time are ok to start

especially since he was comfortable before its just an issue of the poop

there are many sites if you use google to confirm this advice

crating is not a cruelty it gives the animal a sense of security
the open space and no alpha present is what causes anxiety and depression and messes and danger to the animal regarding what they might chew while unattended

maybe a neighbor can walk the dog or use a classified ad and you can find a sitter to help until he is older?

remember he is young and his bladder and bowels arent trained for 8 hrs at stretch yet.

try bitter spray...some brands work better then others. unfortunatley u will be cleaning up mess until his bm's become normal. make sure stays hydrated....he'll get it. just gotta stick with it. good luck

how long does it stay in the crate?....and how much do you feed it, in relation to its size...there are all sorts of veriables that can at the root of the cause....coccidiosis, which is a bacteria that can eventually kill it {the pup}...it causes diariah...and there are other intestinal parasites that can kill it, if not put in check...has it had all its shots?....has it been properly wormed?....what kind of conditions were were the invironment, where it came from.....over feeding can also cause intestinal upsets....

the raw nose could be from urine scald, cause by being left in its own urine and feces over a long period of time....it could be ring worm ....these posibillitys have to be addressed before one can start training a dog....you need to learn proper care before you can learn how to "train" a dog to do anything....the dog has to be healthy and alert to what is actually going on...and i am always amazed how people can think they can house train a dog, by leaving it in a box for eight hours...come home and have four hours of "training" time and than go to sleep for eight hours {with the dog in the box again}....the dog has to be atuned to you...as well as you having to be atuned to it...in other words...there has to be a bond...and your not going to make that bond with just four hours a day....i could go on and on with this subject...hell, i could write a book....i strongly urge you to get a book...such as a home veterinarian hand book, and study it...

i see the problem....purina puppy chow....that stuff is trash....pure unadulterrated trash....it needs something like diamond puppy feed, or excess puppy feed....purina is hardly nothing more than filler {corn is the first product on the ingredients laible}......

as for traing...{house training}?...a puppy is going to do one of two things right when awakes, and right after it eats.... ....house training a dog/pup is , alot of times, made out to be way more than it really is....all you need to do is, be over that puppy like a mother hen....right after it eats, take it outside....right after it awakes, take it outside...it's not rocket science....you just have to be smarter than a dog....always remember this saying...."a dog is only as smart as its owner"....now, repeat after me....."a dog is only {you can do it} as smart as its owner"....good....now.....can you snatch the pebble from my hand?....

no but get back in your crate

yes purina and all commercial corn based foods suck

i feed diamond too!!

its an old brand used by breeders and showers
people arent aware of it much but its great and it aint $$$$$$$
like iams and eukanuba and science diet, etc

yipe, yipe yipe!!!....

atta boy

exactly...it's a very exellent feed, for the price...although, it's not what it used to be when it first came out but, still a good feed for the price....

that's another thing about training a dog....proper prais and proper punishment....the punishment should never be blown outta' praportion...if it is, the dog will totally loose sight of what happend and why it's getting punished....9 out of 10 times, it should only be done with scolding...and anything more than that should only be a single swat with a rolled up news paper....AND, it has to be done RIGHT when the crime is being comitted...puppys have very short attention spans.....i geuss that's why i relate....now, what was i saying?

A puppy should be treated like a family member and we can all diagnose and guess but he should be taken to a vet!

The same thought crossed my mind - is this thread about a real puppy or a woman of character who has got herself a new 'manboy'!

I agree - kids should be kept in crates until they stop pooping indiscriminately!