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?

[Kyoko]

This may be a dumb idea, but...I wonder if you can clicker train / shape her with crate....

* She sniffs / goes near the crate, click and treat

* She touches the crate, click and treat

* She put a foot in the crate, click and treat

* She puts both feet in the crate, click and treat

and so on and so forth?

 

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

try tiring her out before she goes in there. Then she will hopefully calm down after a little while and sleep. Its hard I know, but persevere. There are some dogs who absolutely hate being crated, but Id stick to it for a week or so, give you and her time to get into a routine. Like someone mentioned, its great to have as a back up if Hattie gets injured or needs to be crated for some reason. 

 

We graduated Cooper to her pen, and would leave her in there for longer periods once she was potty trained (before that she would potty in there). Occasionally she would be shut in the crate. Now we have her crate door open and she sometimes goes in there by herself. if we have to shut her in there (when we are sweeping the floor and shes walking in the pile of dirt) and shes fine with it

[Martha & Cooper]

Cooper has conquered the two expens I tried and three gates that we bought for between the kitchen and hall!  Nothing worked for us, except the crate.  That is why I am so glad we got him used to it as a young puppy.   We do have an extra tall gate now  that is attached to the wall between the kitchen and hallway and I put him in the kitchen if we are going to be gone for a long time.  His crate is in the kitchen and he sleeps in it.   He is pretty well trained, but sometimes still gets bored and will decide to surprise us by getting into something!  He has the shortest legs, but he can figure out a way to jump or climb over about anything!   One gate we had, he even chewed his way through while we were gone.  Luckily, he outgrew that phase.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Monkey looks like one skinny kitty.  And exhausted.  I'm pretty sure when you were asking what all you needed to do to get ready for the puppy, that someone (or at least one person) recommended getting some sleep ....... lol, we weren't kidding!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I love that she loves her new puppy, how sweet she is!

[Kyoko]

Was Hatti OK, as long as Monkey was near her? If so, that's wonderful!!! Monkey deserve some tuna dinner!!!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

If you continue to have problems with the crate, you might try a different type crate, more along these lines

 

They normally come with a divider that you can move to give them a little more space as they grow.  Then once they are potty trained they can have the whole crate when you are gone.  This might be a little cooler and also allow Hatti to see out.  Might help, might not, just thought I'd toss it out there.

[cheryl & oliver]

thats the one we use,used it from the beginning...

[Dori & Rua]

Sandi, I thought this is what you were talking about when you were taking crate.  I used this, too, with the divider.  I used the travel kennel (the one you are using now) whenever we, well, traveled.  Rua now is in a harness and seatbelted in.

 

Don't forgot to start taking her places in the car to get her used to that.  Drive around the block, working your way up if she is uncomfortable with traveling.  Go to Petco/Petsmart/etc. (even take her in, just carry her and don't set her down...I put Rua in my PURSE and put my purse in the cart - LOL).  Rua didn't mind travel at all.  I literally seatbelted through the top handle the travel kennel into my back seat. 

[Dori & Rua]

Awe...what a good girl.  How cute!  I can certainly understand how you could love her.  It is absolutely amazing how our little girls worm they way into our hearts.  I love Rua to pieces. 

[Ellen, Brûlée, and Tira]

Hi, Dori, could I interject a question here?  I saw Sandy's pic of Hattie in her harness...(Hattie is so cute, Sandy!) Did you mention that you used an American Tourister harness, or am I confusing Rua and another post?  Do you happen to have a pic of Rua, hooked into the seatbelt with her harness on?  I am not sure that I am using Brulee's harness the right way, and a picture is worth 1,000 words, as they say:)  Are they able to move around, at all, while hooked into the seatbelt?  Thanks for your input!

[Dori & Rua]

Gosh, you would of thought I had pictures of Rua buckled in...I have pictures of her in her kennel in the car, just sitting on the seat, and I have one of her buckled in (but on my cell phone).  So I took a few to show you.

 

The first time I tried it, I buckled the seat belt in and THEN buckled the back strap on the portion of the seatbelt that would be the shoulder strap and took her 'round the block (first time using it and wasn't sure how she would do versus have her in her travel kennel). I didn't do it correctly, she was all over the place.

 

So, I first put the harness on her with the back loop buckled and I have her sit on the seat.

 

Then, I pass the metal part of the seltbelt THRU the loop and "BUCKLE UP".

 

Rua can sit down, laydown but can't turn around.

 

 

My little model didn't want to come in from the garage.  She thought we were going bye-bye.  I normall seat belt her in the back seat (I have a Honda CR-V) and bought a "hammock" for the back seat.  I know that Jane, Rooney's mom, uses the same harness but Rooney has a booster seat that is buckled in and then there is a clip that attaches to the "D" ring on the back strap.  Rua likes to laydown alot (we do 6+ hr trips up to see DH's family) so I didn't buy the seat.

 

 

I hope this helps!