HELP!! crate training issues!

[Chelsea and Bailey]

Hi all, we just picked up our girl Bailey (goldendoodle) on sat Dec.18th at 8 weeks old.  She is now 9 weeks 1 day.  From day one she has been a great puppy and has no issues with going pee outside, (even in the -30 degrees Celsius weather) but she has started having problems with going in her kennel!

 

From the first day we brought her home she went in there and she whined a bit but has gotten used to it at bedtime (still whines alot during the day) and I have been off work and will be until she is 10weeks old so I have kept her in a maximum of 2 1/2 - 3hrs during the day if shes sleeping and we always set an alarm at night to wake her up and take her out every 3 hrs ish.  She has never had an accident at nightime, but just over the past 3 days we put her in after she played and an hour after she ate and left the house to go see family over christmas, came home between 2 and 3 hrs  later and she peed in her kennel, rearranged all the blankets and went back to sleep.  I know pups have immature bladders, and we always take her out multiple times to pee before putting her in the kennel, but I thought it was natural instinct to not want to go where they sleep.  The first time it happened we blamed ourselves for leaving it too long, then the second I started to get way more worried, and finally the third time we were barely gone for 2 hrs and I am really scared that we messed something up!!!

 

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?? Are we doing something wrong? and has anyone else had issues with this where they have grown out of it?  I can spend the time with her during the day now for the time that I have off but as soon as I go back to work she will need to spend 3-4 hrs in the kennel before someone can let her out, and lets face it, I just dont want to be washing her sheets and washing the crate out everytime we come home at lunch!  Please anything would help, even reassurance! I sometimes think that I am expecting too much because she is still only 9 weeks but I just want to get on the right track.

[Chelsea and Bailey]

UPDATE! So we took Bailey to the vet this morning. Im sad to say it was quite the traumatic experience for her I think.  They had to do a urinalysis and aparenty they like to do it straight from the bladder (which is costly :( ) and anyways the first time they tried they got it in but she squirmed and pee'd all over the table, so they asked to keep her a couple hrs to get another sample. They called about 2 1/2 hrs later and said that they could not get another sample as she pee'd all in the crate. UGH!.. butttt, they kept the pee that dribbled on the table the first time and could not definitively tell that she had a UTI but looked like a posibility so they gave some antibiotics just to see if it helped. Vet said it is not usual for her to squat a couple times after pee and just dribble ... so heres hoping it works. I feel bad for the poor girl.

 

On a positive note, she came home we gave her some love and she has started to take to the kennel! I have been showering her with treats when she goes in and have not closed her in at all allowing her to walk in and nap and then come out whenever while we are there.  She doesnt nap as soundly there as everything distracts her, but even a little bit of time spent in there is GOOD right!??

 

Anyways crossing our fingers, really hoping we dont have any further issues, the vet kind of scared us by saying that if they have one at such a young age they are usually predisposed to them and could have other problems.. Anyone with a puppy with a UTI with further issues? She also made the issue of seperation anxiety sound extremelly scary to deal with, so heres hoping that we do not have to work with that in the New Year once we are all back at work. I dont know what would have been better, getting her without having time off so shes used to being home during the days or spending two weeks and changing the schedule up.. I guess we'll find out! Thanks all for the help and support!

[Carol]

Chelsea thanks for checking in!  I know all of this sounds like a lot but I see little success stories in each of your posts! First, you followed your instincts and have your little on on antibiotics which I'm sure will help her. It is probably also why she whined and cried so much because those things hurt. Second, he is taking to her kennel! Great work getting her to go in and enjoying her time in there. I think everything think will be improved from there. 

I read a book by Jan Fennell and her perspective on separation anxiety was that dogs that go crazy do so because they believe they are the "pack leaders" and are anxious about "their children" leaving home. So the separation anxiety is about them being worried when you are out of their sight. Interesting concept and not sure how a puppy can see themselves as the pack leader already, but what do I know ;-)  Anyway, what she suggested was leaving for a brief periods of time (just a few minutes at first) and then come back showing the puppy that you are ok and there is no need to worry. Supposedly soon she we realize you are ok and won't need to worry about you. Again, interesting concept and not sure if it's applicable and I just thought I'd share it with you. 

Take care and I'm glad your girl is on the way to recovery!

[BG and Gavin]

Yes Chelsea, don't get freaked out.  Step at a time, you are doing good.  Lots of things to celebrate.  Keep doing what you are doing and things will be resolved.