I feel like an awful Doodle mom!

[Lily]

Our little Doodle, Lily, came home last Friday night. She really is a doll. Full of energy and cuddly and affectionate. She does pretty well in her crate already and loves, loves, loves to be around people. She's soft and bouncy and intelligent and affectionate. The only thing is... boy, is she tiring!!

Lily is constantly barking, whining and yelping. She goes to the bathroom everywhere and then rolls in her poop so she needs at least a bath a day. Even if I take her outside, she'll pee out there and then take a poop on the carpet as soon as she's back in. She never stops moving and is constantly nipping and biting my hands. I took her to the vet for the first time on Monday and she's on 3 different medications for loose stools and worms (even though she was dewormed multiple times at the breeder).

I am so wiped out. Tonight after she pooped in her crate and jumped all through it, then pawed at my like crazy when I picked her up and she covered me in it and scratched me to bits during her bath I just felt like crying. Now I have a load of laundry in the washing machine, a wet and crying Dood, and a very angry neighbour who probably just wants to sleep! It's late now and I know I'll be up to do it all over again at sunrise tomorrow.

I'm just exhausted. I feel like I'm an awful Doodle mom for being frustrated by her. Please tell me someone else has gone through the same thing and that it gets better! It's been so long since I've had a puppy and I forgot how much work it can be. I can't wait until she's house trained and can go on walks and play with other dogs and settles in a bit. I know it'll be a while and I'm going to have to learn to deal with this puppy stuff in the meantime but I am feeling so guilty about it!

I love my Doodle, I really do. I feel terrible for feeling like this and it would be so wonderful to know that I'm not the only one who has been through the same puppy roller coaster!

[Adina P]

I'd like to start by saying it will get better. =)

I remember those first weeks...while I didn't have the frequent pooping problem (but Rosco DID poop in his crate twice I think!) I think I lost 5 pounds the first week just from being SO occupied running around after my new pup, cleaning up after him, taking him outside 23452345 times a day, and the rest of it all. It WAS exhausting indeed.

Young pups take a bit of time to normalize their poop schedule. I would suggest setting an alarm sometime in the middle of the night to take him out for potty...you may just catch him before the accident/in time for an outside poop! Always take him out on leash so he doesn't get free run and keep it 'just business' (no playing or interaction) and then right back to crate time. Within a few weeks (if not sooner) as he adjusts his bowels a bit the nighttime pooping should end... If you can keep a written log of his eating, pooping, peeing times (keep it simple with just checkmarks or time logged) you'll soon see a pattern emerge and then can work with that pattern to make it fit your life.

You are NOT a bad doodle mom at all. You're very normal and exhausted with the crazy first few weeks of puppy ownership.

And I'll end again with: IT WILL GET BETTER! :-D

[Lily]

Wow, thank you so much everyone. You have no idea how helpful it was to read all of this. I feel completely recharged right now and Lily has had a pretty good day so far. One poop on the hardwood floor but that's it! We lay on the couch and cuddled together and she really is a little sweetie pie.

It's good to know that things will take some time, but they will get better. So nice to hear from other Doodle owners who have "been there, done that!"

Thanks SO much. :)

[cheryl & oliver]

Meg, u are certainly not a bad Mommy....I have posted here with the same frustration as you...Our little guy is now 14 weeks old, and it does get better...We got him he was 8 1/2 weeks old, and I thought I would lose my mind...He peed and pooped in his crate too...I had him in a fenced in kind of pen, and I did that because it was easier for me to clean up his messes by just moving the pen, and not having to clean the whole crate...BUT I did the wrong thing, we are now crate training him, and it is tough...He cries, and barks, and wimpers, when we put him in for the night, and it nearly kills me, but he will get used to it. I have not had a puppy in a very long time, like 25 yrs, lol, so it is challenging to say the least...But persevere it will get better, Ollie now is sort of housebroken,ar night for sure, he has been dry in the am. But we did get up and take him out in the middle of the night too. but I agree with the others, he should be on a leash outside when u walk him, and take him to the same spot each time. When he goes, praise, and treat. Do not let him roll in it, as soon as he goes, pick him up, or pull him away...U will start to see a routine of when he has to go, after feeding. I took Ollie out every 20 min to be sure, and he still had accidents, but he will get better, I promise..Hang in there,,,They are so worth it...

[Phoebe's Mom]

Sometimes it can simply be so frustrating. While Phoebe never went in her crate, she literally went everywhere else--with us all watching her--multiple times a day for at least 2 months straight. I thought I was going to lose what little mind I had left (my four children took care of the rest). We got her on March 1st and she has been on antibiotics for UTI's and a bladder infection (plus, now she is on a three week course for a skin issue) for all but three weeks of having her. It is tough and they are so like babies it amazes me still. Right now, we are in the throes of the tween years with a return of the chewing and now barking and growling to round out the frustration. I don't think you are a 'bad mommy' but a normal one. My only suggestion--besides some deep breaths and some more sleep (ha!)-- is to switch to the wire crate as someone mentioned already and to section off only a tiny area for your dog to turn around in and lay down. I also started using a wire ex-pen when I could not be on top of her and that helped immeasureably (again, make it as small as you can!) Good luck and keep us posted.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Just thought of this and thought it would cheer you up and let you know you are not a "bad" mom. The trainer I was going to with Roo when he was young has trained literally hundreds of dogs of all kinds. He currently had a five month old Belgian Malinoise (?) that was his. He was going absolutely crazy because he was greeted every single morning with what you described. He was so frustrated he even asked me for suggestions! I had none he had not tried. He was getting up every two hours with this dog and still greeted by poop in the morning!!

Take heart, it will get sorted out.

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

Yes this brings back so many memories. Until Dexter was ~4-5 months old it was really tough and I was so frustrated with him. It didn't help my husband got a part time seasonal job during that time so I was alone on puppy duty a lot and I was honestly in tears some nights.

Seriously - bring her outside every 15-30 minutes. If she goes, praise her like crazy (we even gave treats sometimes). Always take her out for potty on a leash so she knows it's not play time. Keep her either in a crate or tethered to you when you are inside. Do not let her out of your sight. Dexter would sneak off and pee on a rug in another room so we learned we had to keep him in sight. They also sell x-pen fencing you can use to section off a room so she can be free in a room with you.

Hang in there...once the meds kick in she will feel better and will probably cut out some of the crying.

[Sheri & Murphy]

The first month is the craziest. Doodles don't like to be alone for very long. Take a long weekend and focus on the potty training constantly four days straight. I ended up taking Murphy to day care when I had to be gone a full day. See if someone will help you by visting the pup for 15- 20 min. Murph goes a little stir crazy after 4 -6 hours of being alone. I am lucky my folks are in love with the doodle, he pals around with them while I work. He is a year and a half now and I still take him to day care if he has to be alone more than 6 hours....if he isn't happy, ain't nobody happy:0) hang in there!!!

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Hang in there. We had (and occassionally still have) Harlow not give any indication that she needed to 'go outside'. Tethering her has helped a lot. We have been working on the bells as well so she is doing better about letting us know. Hang in there, you will make it and you have lots of support from all of us on DK!

[s a r a h&h a r p e r]

meg-
i hear exactly where you're coming from! i am also a "new mom" myself, and have spent many a time closing my eyes and taking a deep breath to keep myself from yelling at our Harper. Just this morning we were snuggling in bed when all of the sudden i felt a wet spot forming. i had just had my comforter cleaned, so needless to say, i wasn't too happy with the nice yellowish stain on my pretty white duvet! however, i made myself take a deep breath, scoop her up and took her outside. ( i probably shouldn't have had her on the bed anyway!!!)
i have to constantly remind myself that she's just a puppy, and doesn't know any better. I am just as excited as you are to have her house trained and taking long walks during the evening...but i am also trying to enjoy this puppy stage as well. I won't be able to scoop Harper up when she weighs 75 pounds!!

things will get better! keep your head up! :)

[Margaret Erwin]

Is her poop solid or runny? Ella pooped in her cage for a week when she first came home - finally had a stool sample tested and she had a bacterial overgrowth. As soon as she was on the antibiotic for a few days things improved.

[Lily]

Just wanted to give everyone an update!

It's another week later and this have improved SO much. Lily has finally got the hang of going to the bathroom outside. There are still a few indoor accidents but not nearly as many as last week. She has to go out frequently but that approach really seems to be working! Lily's a lot quieter when she's sleepy so I've been exercising her a lot and playing with her. She is really settling into a schedule and I couldn't be happier. I absolutely adore her and so does the rest of my family. She knows how to come and sit now, and will even do it without a treat. She has her first puppy class tonight and we're looking forward to it!

Her poops have also become solid with the medication she's on which has helped tremendously. Our vet has been just great with her so far.

Thank you so much for the support, everyone!