Rough First 12 Hours

[Kizzer]

Sorry, been to busy to take any pictures, but will post some up of our new addition soon!

Anyway, we picked her up and brought her home this afternoon. She is a 10 week old Labradoodle. She did great on the hour long drive home. Got her in the house and after scouting out the place a few minutes she peed right on the floor. Took her outside for a good 5 minutes and she did nothing. Brought her back in and within 30 seconds she pooped on the rug by the back door.

She has since peed twice and pooped once in her crate. Even though we take her outside plenty.

Her stool has now become almost diarrhea like. I am hoping this is all because of the shock of being brought into a new environment and her whole world turned upside down.

She hasn't ate much since she got here and we are feeding her the same food the breeder did. We did give her dental bone and she pretty much ate the whole thing. Maybe that is some of the problem as well.

Lastly, the breeder had a fenced in yard and said she was good about going outside to do her business. We don't have a fence, so we took her out on a leash, she absolutely hated it, and was more concerned with it than what she was out there for I guess...... Sunday I am going to erect a small fenced in area in hopes that will ease some of these problems.

It's gotta get better right?  :)

I also want to add that we had our children and the grand kids over, so maybe it was too much, too soon for her to handle. She got very little rest since she got here.

Right now she is sleeping peacefully and being an Angel 

[Kizzer]

Some good news!

She has been sleeping in her crate for the past 2 hours but before I put her in there I took her outside and she went potty!

Not sure where we stand with the diarrhea and she's not pooed for 5 hours - Maybe that is a sign?!?!?!?!?!????

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yes, it definitely will get better.  You know, I never allow my puppies to be walking around inside the house until they are totally house trained.  It doesn't take long.  She will adjust to your new rules and schedule as soon as she realizes that these are the new rules.  Having a big back yard that she can wander around in is just not a part of your environment.  Being on leash to "do her business" is the new rule and she will catch on to that.  I always carry my puppies outside and put them down where I want them to pee or poop.  Then I pick them back up and carry them back into the house.   For now, just put down outside and carried back inside.  She will get the idea.  Many short opportunities to go potty during the day is all you need to give her.  First thing in the morning and after each meal are necessities, others as you see fit.  If she takes a nap, take her out afterwards.  You set the schedule for her.  Good luck.  You will have so much fun with your new pup.

[Kizzer]

She still goes inside the crate and makes a mess. Just don't understand why. I stood outside with her for 20 minutes and she did nothing, Brought her inside and within 10 seconds she was peeing in the crate.

Frustrating for sure.

[Wendy and Myla]

I know it's been mentioned before but are you using Nature's Miracle after she pees in the crate?  It definitely has to be neutralized after they pee anywhere.  And maybe you shouldn't put newspapers down in the crate - I would think the more it is like a den, the more she will treat it as a den.  Just a thought.  I know it must be frustrating.

 

[Kizzer]

Yes to the odor neutralizer. But the newspapers are still in there - -hate for her laying on cold plastic.

Now all she does is bark and whine when inside her crate. I mean it hasn't stopped for almost an hour

[Wendy and Myla]

I had a blanket in the crate when Myla came home - she always moved in into the corner and slept on the plastic but I kept it in there for over a week because I could not imagine it would be more comfortable without it lol.  We also put in her favourite toy.  As another thought, when Myla goes into DH workshop while he's working, she sleeps on one of his old coats so when we went to Mexico last year and she had to go to the kennel, that is what we brought for her to sleep on as she doesn't sleep on a blanket.  Good luck!

[Kizzer]

Well right now I can't put anything soft in the crate because she makes messes.

I couldn't take the barking and howling anymore so for the past hour she has been curled up next to my recliner sleeping like a baby.

I've a feeling she is going to be a handful and I am scared I will let her down.

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

You are feeling overwhelmed right now but it really does get better.  Find some old towels or head to your local goodwill or thrift store and buy up baby blankets, towels, sheets or whatever to throw down in her crate, then you can throw a couple in the washing and still have something else soft to put in the crate...we use those same ones still to throw on the floor when the yard is wet and the girls come back in. 

If she is curling up next to you she is not feeling let down.  Again, the first few weeks can be overwhelming and then all of a sudden they just "get it". 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Is there are a reason why she has to be in her crate, as opposed to lying next you?
As soon as those little eyes open, carry her outside and stay outside until she goes...then praise the hell out of her!
The only time we ever crated Enzo was when we couldn't watch her or night times.....other than that she was either tethered to be of us or free to roam, as long as we were watching her. At such a young age, she hasn't a clue of what is expected of her. It is up to you teach her. EVERY hr on the hr, she should be taken out, along with every time she wakes up and after every meal.
The process is long and will get to the best of us, trying our patience to the limits.....but oh so worth it!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Here's an article on housebreaking that may help along with a puppy schedule.  I think it's so important to have them on a schedule and not allow them to make "mistakes" that become a habit.  Good luck.

http://www.puppyperfect.com/housebreaking.htm

[Kizzer]

Again, thanks for all the words of encouragement and suggestions.

Overwhelmed indeed.

This morning was a nightmare as she made a massive mess in her crate. She had to be bathed and the crate fully washed. She hates the crate so much she gets all worked up and can't control herself. 

I tried introducing the crate very slowly on her arrival. But right away she didn't like it. 

She needs crated while we are away at work. How can we house train her if she hates the crate so much, and has no problem messing it up and wallering in her own feces?

[Lynda Kamrath]

I'm afraid I rather agree with her and that will not be much help to you.  Most people love crates and train their puppies to be crated at night and whenever they are out of the house.  But, I hate them.  I don't like the look of them and only used them in the cars when the dogs were puppies.  In the house, I use baby playpens.  They just seem like more of an "in-house" thing to me than a crate.  I had one for each of my puppies.  The first one even had a vibrator and little music box.  I would turn it on and he would be out immediately.  I put them under the counter.  My second puppy was so tall he could walk out of the playpen so I put a sheet of wood on the top with bungee cords at night.  They never seemed to complain and they used their playpen until they were totally house trained.  Then they were free to sleep wherever they wanted in the house.  Have any old playpens around?  Take a look at my page (it is on page 5) to see the last one we had.  It was a part of the household for many months.