Crating

[Roberta Lynn]

Please Help!
I am a teacher and my sophie is 7 months and she is in a crate from 7:30am-3;30. Sometimes she will poop in her crate and even throw up...... but after I get home and hang out with her she eats and is happy.

What should i do?

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

Sophie would probably do better if you had a pet sitter or family, friend come in and take her for an afternoon potty break.
Here is a list of pet sitters in your area, if you go to Pet Sitters International and enter your zip code you can bring up this list and call around. Hope this helps...


5 Paw Pets, Inc
Miami- Dade, Broward &-
West palm beach areas.

Florida There Is No Place Like Home
Coral Springs, Florida

Mary's Ever Loving Pet Sitting Service
Deerfield Beach

Florida Creatures Of Habit
Boca Raton, Florida

Home Health Assistance for Pets
Lake Worth,Fl.,

Florida Purrfect Pet Sitters
Boca Raton, Florida

Fetch! Pet Care of Palm Beach County
Palm Beach-
County/NorthEast Broward-
County,

Florida Tailwaggers, Inc
Parkland, Boca Raton,-
Coral Springs, Margate,-
Coconut Creek and-
surrounding areas, Florida

Kelly's Pampered Pets
Delray Beach, Florida

Johnny Petcare, LLC
Palm Beach, Florida

Fuzzy Wuzzy Petsitters And Grooming
Boca Raton,Delray-
Beach,Boynton-
Bch,Lakeworth, Florida

[Kayla Jean Ashley]

Perhaps a couple of changes in your schedule will help? I'd suggest, if you can, feed her early on in the morning and take her out for at least a half hour before you leave for work so she can go to the bathroom and work out some energy. I'd also recommend, like the comment above, a family member, friend, or neighbor to pop in during the day to let Sophie out. I have to give my honest opinion, I don't think this is very fair to the dog but I do understand that you cannot change your situation. I mean no disrespect and hope you understand how hard this is on your dog. Your dog is still a puppy, in age its the equivalent of maybe a four or five year old. I wouldn't dream of going somewhere for nine and half hours without a bathroom with a young child. As above, allow for potty breaks and time to move around throughout the day.

[Roberta Lynn]

Well, excuse me........

First of all, I do not want a stranger from some kind of pet service in my house. However, I am thinking of sending her to Doggie Day Care with highly qualified staff to provide for her needs, I do not think anything is wrong with crating your day, many career people like myself do it on a daily basis.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I understand that you may not like all of the suggestions or perhaps the way they were offered but you did ask for help and advice.

[shelly]

I'm a teacher too, and I know it's hard for other people who have 'freedoms' in their jobs to rearrange their work day to come home, go to doctor appts, etc, to fully understand our restrictions... Heck -teachers can't even go to the bathroom themselves when they need to if it doesn't coincide with their 'breaks'.... we 'trained our bladders, and you can train your puppy's too. Feed her extra early, take her out. Get done and take her out again before you leave. Maybe invest in one of those ex-crates that look like a play pen, use a potty corner if you have to. Perhaps her crate is too large and she is able to poop in her crate freely. Usually they won't go where they lie.... Good luck!

[Kyoko]

I work for school as well. Back to school adjustment is hard on everyone....:-)
I notice more attention seeking from Charlie since the school started back, too.
They miss us being home all day.... :-(

I hope things work out for you and Sophie.

[Tamara & Giada]

I agree with the others..that is a long time to be crated especially w/out an exercise/potty break. Hope you can find someone who can help you out.

[Debbie and Thomas]

I am assuming your pup is potty trained other than the times she does it in her crate. Honestly, we started to let our doodle loose in the house with the proper precauitions taken of course when he was around 5 1/2 - 6 mths old. He never touched a thing. However, I was not gone all day. Maybe for 5 hrs at a time. If this is not an option-what about if you fence off an area with gates-like your kitchen for example. This way, the dog may not feel so closed in for the time you are gone but will still be confined to a safe area.

[Eileen Ross and Cody]

Doggie day care is an excellent option although I know it's expensive. Try to gate her in the kitchen or family room.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Hi - i know it is tough, but Sophie is young. Probably if you get up an hour earlier ( I hated it too, but I did it), feed Sophie immediately, do about 15 minutes worth of something and then walk her for 30 minutes so you can get her pooping schedule turned around. Dogs poop within a very few minutes of eating up to one hour. Most dogs, especially puppies really cannot hold it like humans can. It may take only a few weeks to get the schedule down. Unfortunately, you are always going to have to allow poop time in the morning for Sophie, but as she gets older you can get it down to about a half an hour less sleep. The throwing up will stop when the pooping stops. She is almost certainly trying to hold it which makes her throw up and then she poops.

Alternatively you can puppy proof a hard surface closeable area of the home. Usually a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Provide water, some toys, a bed or her open crate and mark a poop area for her with puppy pee pads or newspapers. This works well also. just make sure the area is as puppy proof as possible. If she picks her own poop spot, just move the newspapers there. She is old enough that she won't want to play in her own poop. My son used this method for over a year. You, of course, come home to poop to pick up, but where ever it is you will have pick it up!!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

There is a lot of good advice in here, so I wont say too much, other than do not feel guilty about leaving Sophie all day.

I have a 6 month old doodle and she still sleeps alot. A good 10 hours if not more at night, so Sophie being in a crate that long during the day is not a problem. Puppies need lots of sleep (as do children). Once she is older and needs less sleep, and can be trusted to not destroy things, she can be left not shut in her crate. I find that Cooper doesnt mind being in her crate as long as she has toys and have been to the bathroom before I leave. She wakes as soon as she hears me home (no she isnt already awake, I have sometimes crept in the house and peeked at her fast asleep) and I take her out to pee. She generally doesnt poop til after her meal though. So make sure Sophie has pooped, has been on a nice 20-30 minute walk, and she will do fine.

[shelly]

AGREED!!! As far as the emotional separation, dogs have no concept of time. Whether we're gone for hours or minutes she still always greets us as if we'd been out to sea for months. That's the best thing about doodles... they are just so lovable and adore you!!!! She'll be fine!