Too Late for Crate Training?

My husband and I have an 11-month-old male Jack Russell Terrier named Brinkley. We failed on the crate training when we first got him and I am wondering if it's too late to start over. The reason we gave up was because at night, he'd constantly cry leaving me with no sleep (my husband works nights). Plus, I want him to sleep with me (he's the most affectionate dog I've EVER had). We didn't completely give up then, though. We continued with the training whenever we were away from the house. However, he urinates and deficates inside, which then gets all over him. When we finally gave up on the crate, we tried, unsuccessfully, to block him in the kitchen. Each time he found a way out, so eventually, just like we're not supposed to do, we let him have the run of the house. That left us coming home to disaster, so I bought a muzzle to put on him while we're away. He no longer tears things up, but he is so sad when it comes time to put it on. On occasion, he'll also deficate in a certain spot. My husband thinks it's cruel to use a muzzle. We can't leave him in the backyard because he easily jumps the fence. I don't know what else to do. My husband and I have only been married for one year, so Brinkley's like our very first child and we love him to death, so giving him up is not an option. Could you please advise me on how to handle this situation? Your help will be very much appreciated!

• Re: Too Late for Crate Training? Nov 29 (0)