Hattie poops when left in crate or playpen

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

I'm getting nervous since I have to go back to work on Wednesday. I've pretty much given up on the crate since she sleeps with me and also because I left her in it again today with a kong treat for 45 minutes and she pooped and made a huge mess. Plus I feel like the crate is unfair for all day even though I will come home a few times to let her outside. But the playpen is important. Today I got in it with her to play to help relax her anxiety and all she did was bite at the playpen trying to get out and then peed! Do I just keep getting in with her? What can I do to help her love the playpen?

[Adina P]

I don't think a crate is unfair in any way.  What makes you view the crate as unfair? 

 

Most of the time dogs will not soil their crate, but sometimes it happens.  It doesn't always mean they will do it forever. 
Rosco had two poop accidents in his crate within his first one or two weeks with me.  It didn't indicate anything about his future in the crate at all.  He too whined and cried and barked and woke my roommate up early on Sunday morning because I was washing floors with him in plain sight and he wanted out.  But he got over the whining and objecting and has been fine with his crate for basically 2 years of his life (we quit crating him at about age 2).

[Kyoko]

I think crate is a safe place for them to be. I am not sure how to train the puppy to "like" the crate..... sorry for being no help. My puppy ( now 2 1/2) slept in the crate from day one, with a blanket which was rubbed on her mom. Crate is still in my room, and she still sleeps in it. How about placing YOUR t-shirt or something in the crate? So that she may feel as you are near?

[Nina Vantschip]

Keep trying to crate. I know you feel bad, guilty, etc, but really it's the best thing for her. I am going through the puppy stage again with my 3rd dood. Finnegan is only 10 weeks old and we have had him just over a week. He cries after he goes in the crate for a while but settles down. (my other 2 haven't been crated since they were 2..they are 3 now. It is unsettling to hear them cry, but in the long run it will pay off. She will come to love it as her safe place when you aren't there.  :)

[Adina P]

She may not 'love' her playpen for a while.  I would not get in there with her.  Do you feed her in her play pen?  Do you keep water in her play pen -- at least when it's open and she's free in the house? 

 

I puppysat a dog that was about 6 months.  Labradoodle.  Wild child.  The first night we put his crate in our room since the rest of our dogs slept in there on the floor.  OMD!!!  He yipped and barked for HOURS.  I eventually left and hid in our guest room and cried.  It was awful.  The second night we put on a night light and whether it was because he could see us there or some other random reason he slept like a baby after just a few minutes of crying. 

 

My point isn't about the night light, but just that some dogs take some time to adjust and he DID use a crate at his house and yet in MY house he went berserk in there with noise.  I just wouldn't take no for answer at this point.  Play games and teach her a command for going to her crate.  Make a big happy deal with treats about things when she goes in...let her  out...repeat through the day.  Then sometimes just leave her there and go to the supermarket.  It's up to you how you decide you want to do things with her.  So if you decide NO crating that's okay.  But for me the crate is invaluable and I would keep at it, using the playpen ONLY when I'm home and need her temporarily confined.

[Pat and Traveler]

Funny, but Traveler goes into his crate to sleep several times a day now, usually when I'm at the computer. :)   The door of the crate has never been closed as there was really never any reason to crate him, and it's functioned as a big toy box ever since I got it.  But he has definitely adopted it as his own space.  There's a dog bed in it, along with the toys, and he likes hanging out in there when I'm busy. 

[Martha & Cooper]

I agree with Adina and don't think crates are unfair.  I was introduced to them by an old Vet with my first dog.  He taught me that it is the easiest way to housebreak a dog.  

With Cooper, he did have a few accidents in the crate when we first got him, but I think the crate was too big and I didn't have the divider in.  After I made it smaller, no more accidents.   It also took him a few days to get used to being crated. Unless they have been crated at the breeder's, it is all new to them!    I played soft music for Cooper and that really helped calm him down.   "Through a Dog's Ear" is the CD I recommend.    There are many out there for animals now though that help with their anxiety. 

 

Cooper loves his crate now.  We never close the door.  He is free to come and go as he pleases and he uses it for his bed.   We tried to take the crate out of the house, but the day we did that he seemed distraught, so we brought it back in.    He is 18 months old now.   How things change.  He was like your Hattie at first, didn't like it at all. 

[Kyoko]

Good luck!! I hope it works!!! :-)

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

she will just sleep - something which is VERY IMPORTANT for puppies

[Phoebe's Mom]

My Phoebe is still crated whenever we leave the house and she is 2 years old.  I know I am lucky as she took to the crate immediately (but I did have a lab mix years ago who hated it and we worked and worked on it until she became comfortable!) but I worry about what she might get into while I am gone.  Granted, she has never been crated for more than 5 hours and those times have been few and far between.  Just remember that if Hattie is not crated, you need to be hyper-diligent about what might be left out that she can get into.  Also, don't forget that dogs sleep a lot so I would not worry about her need to move around.  I hope all goes well and that she acclimates quickly to whatever you decide to do!  :)

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Hi Sandy, I know how upsetting the entire process can be with crating...I used the Humane Centers crating advise and believe me, I am so glad we did it. Daisy still uses her crate, we have an open door policy and a bed elsewhere so she uses it when "she" wants to.Please don't give up, it really is the best thing for Hattie and you once you past the hurdle. Oh, and we also use to put my husbands t-shirt in there, that seemed to help her anxiousness a great deal.

Anyway here is the actual link I used. Good Luck with whatever it is you decide.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Cooper had an accident or two in her crate when she was little - at that age they feel the need to go and dont have time to let you know (plus it takes a while for them to learn a way to tell you and for you to learn it). She had LOTS of accidents in her ex-pen! Dogs sleep ALOT in the daytime, especially puppies, so crating is not unfair. As Cooper got older and more trustworthy we left her in her pen attached to her crate. We always fed Cooper in her pen, and so she would  run in there to wait for food at dinner time. She then got fed, and was left for a while to rest her tummy (bloat). She always fell asleep. When she was out of her pen/crate the door were always pen for her to come and go. Give it some time. 

 

I stress that puppies NEED to sleep and with Cooper, the only time she would sleep was when she was in her crate (when she was little)

[Dori & Rua]

I didn't read all of the posts, but dogs are den creatures.  Dens are safe and secure for them.   We brought Rua home 8 months ago tomorrow.  I used the divider to block off more than 1/2 the crate so she only had enough room to get in and turn around and curl up.  She had one poo accident (because she had a bit of diarrhea) and that was it.  Since we both worked, she started off crated M-F.  We have her a frozen peanut butter filled Kong (organic no salt/sugar added) when we would leave in the morning.  The second the kong comes out, she runs to her crate.  We say "Rua Kennel" and when she goes in, she is heavily praised.  My DH would come home at lunch, and I would take my lunch at 4PM and leave early.  We did that for the first two months.  During the weekends, I would also put her down for a nap at 9:30 and one at 2:00 in her crate.  I did get an Ex-Pen and set up in the living room, but only for when I was home and needed to do something without having to watch her like a hawk.  I put one of those blue heavy-duty balistic-type tarps UNDER the entire area (she had a few accidents).

 

I started taking her to daycare the beginning of January and she goes two days a week.  Puppies can hold it 1 hours for each month of age plus 1 hour.  So, at 4 months old, a puppy should be able to hold it for 5 hours.  Rua technically should be able to hold it all day now (she will be 10 months old on Friday, but I don't like making her do that). 

 

We also crated her at night, but have for the past few months or so, let her start off, at least, sleeping with us (we'll put her back in her crate if she/us gets restless). 

 

Hattie just needs to learn that the crate is a good, safe place.  I wouldn't keep getting in the pen with her, otherwise I think she is training you!  I NEVER used the crate or her Ex-Pen for punishment.  If she needed a time-out, I put her in the laundry room (tile floor, with a baby gate, she couldn't see us, but could hear us). 

 

Good luck!  It will get better.