Crate & Potty Training Help!?!

[Doc and Ozzie]

Doc is almost 7 weeks. We were told to feed/water him at 6am and 6pm and no water after 7pm. When crated for the night cover crate with a blanket. Take him out ever 30-40 minutes during the day and crate no more than 4 hours at a time without potty break except at night. These were the breeders instructions. And we are following them. Although, I am taking him out more like every 20-30 mins.

Doc has already learned to "ask" for water by standing at the kitchen sink and looking up at it. I am wondering if we should be leaving his water bowl out all day or only at 6/6 feedings? He pees constantly. But at such a young age I feel he is already catching on to going outside pretty well. I have a 9 month old baby and feel like a jack-n-the-box carrying the baby on one hip and Doc in the other arm in and out all day. I understand this is a necessary evil for now =) But wondering if he needs water more frequently or if with holding it at times is ok during housebreaking?

His bedtime wire icrate is upstairs in my 14 year old daughter's room who oversee's him when she is home. She puts him in for the night around 9:30-10 covers it.. he cries starting at about 12:30 she takes him out to potty around 1-1:30 then crates for the rest of the night til 6am. He cries from 1:30- 3 or 4am! We have baby blankets and a stuffed bear that smells like his mom/siblings and a shirt of my daughters in there with him. Is it normal for him to cry so long? Should we take him out more than once per night? The breeder said he would be ok without ANY potty breaks overnight.. but he just seems to young to me to do that? So far he has not peed or pooped in the crate.

He has a "daytime" soft crate downstairs in our living room that he naps in and takes breaks in when I can't supervise him and the baby closely. I also have babygated the kitchen for safe playtimes. He is only upstairs at night at bedtime. Wondering if that could be why he is crying so much? It would be difficult for him to sleep downstairs though.. with me getting up twice per night already to nurse my daughter I am sure he would disturbed by that and my daughter would stay awake even longer. 

Ok, sorry, now that I have written a book.. I can only hope someone will take the time to read it =) If you have, thank you! Any tips or advice is welcome on the above issues or anyhting else you can offer me! 

Blessings, Stephanie "Roo" B.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Amazing! So happy to hear the great progress!

[Doc and Ozzie]

thanks!!! 

[Midge and Gracie]

Stephanie, I have never heard of keeping a 7 week old puppy crated all night.  No wonder he was crying so hard.  He had to go!  I think your breeder was a little harsh  a.  the puppy should be with Mama for a minimum of eight weeks  b.  nighttime potty breaks are pretty hourly for the first week or so and then it begins to lengthen out.  Question....What were you thinking by getting a puppy with a newborn?  Yikes!  It is a full time job to take care of a puppy the first month or so.

You are a lot braver than me.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

That's such good news...I'm so glad to know that all is now on the right track.  Doc is lucky to have such a loving family who came and asked and got some great advice which is working.  Brilliant. That's why I love DK!

[Doc and Ozzie]

thank u!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Stephanie,

First, please let me congratulate YOU on a job well done. You get a big Star Sticker on the fridge from all of us on here. 

So often, we see a post that alarms us around here.  So we try to give advice from the bottom of our emotional hearts and it gets ugly because we did not agree with what was written.  I thought this may go this way when I first saw it but still I tried to help and so did so many others.

You listened. You want to help. You don't need us to soften the blow. You never got mad and left when we told you this was a bad situation.  You just wanted to help your puppy and your family.  And you did.  Sure, I am still angry with this breeder.  Please, do me a favor and do not recommend this breeder  to anyone ( no water, 6 weeks old, etc) and forget this and move on. Let's look forward to raising another happy silly puppy.

Good For You!  You've done a great job!  It was a good day for your puppy and you made me smile too.

[Doc and Ozzie]

Thanks Joanne! You are right, I am here for my family and for Doc.. I look fwd to getting to know everyone here! I have always taken constructive criticism well.. I figure only the UN-wise don't! =)

I am smiling too!!!

[Carol and Banjo]

Woo Hoo Stephanie .... and YAAAA Doc!     I'm so happy to hear Doc had a good night!   Looking forward to getting to know you and Doc.   Without a doubt you'll have more questions and new stumbling blocks (just like the rest of us!).  Now you have your DK family to lean on.  

[Doc and Ozzie]

Thank you Carol! I have a feeling that you are RIGHT!!! = ) 

[Emily & Wispa]

Wow, I'm amazed at the bad advice you got from your breeder, thank god you sought out better advice online!  I remember well those first couple weeks with Wispa, wondering if I was doing everything right, or if there was anything I could do to make it better, and that was with getting an 8 wk old puppy and doing a lot of research before getting her, not to mention good advice from the breeder.  In fact, our breeder basically quizzed me to gauge whether I knew how to care for a puppy.  She asked if I had spoken to a vet near me, I told her I'd already booked an appointment for that day to have a thorough check and book up for the vaccines; she asked what kind of food I planned to feed the puppy, I said 4x a day with the kibble she was feeding her for a couple weeks, then transition to 3x a day and mixing in raw foods; etc.  It was reassuring to know that she cared so much about the homes the puppies were going to. 

I worry about the other puppies in your litter, or other litters from this breeder.  On top of all the great points made about puppy development and being with mum, at 6 weeks, puppies should usually be eating their kibble soaked in water, too, so it should be mushy, and usually breeders should be deworming the puppies weekly until they go at 8 weeks, have you been doing this?  They're so full of worms, the poor little guys.  I know you've been to the vet, so he must have wormed Doc.

Was this a big commercial breeder?  Or a small family breeder who doesn't normally breed?  I'd look into it a bit if were me.  I know Doc has done well to find you, but I worry that this breeder doesn't care about sending puppies to good homes.  I could be reading a lot more into this, though.

[Doc and Ozzie]

Hi Emily, 

Thank you for your concern about Doc! I have been avoiding saying too much about his breeder, after all the response here. I understand now that she may not be a very "reputable" breeder. But, she was a very nice, down-to-earth lady and I really don't like to talk negatively about anyone in general. But, I understand there is alot of concern here. And to be sure.. I am concerned too.

I did do a good deal of research on "labradoodles" in general and grew up with dogs all my life. I have just never crate or house trained one myself. That was the original reason for my posting and GLAD I DID!!!!!

I will say that the breeder did not ask questions about me, my family, or my home. I offered her all the info voluntarily. She has a small farm and breeds labradoodle puppies and goldendoodle puppies i think she said that she has a litter of each once or twice a year. She had a big fenced area with individual kennels for the adult dogs and the puppies were in her house with the mom in a puppy fence. She seemed to care about all of her animals a great deal and none of them looked to be in bad shape. She was originally going to keep the pup until 8 weeks but then was going out of town and offered all of the owners to pick up their pups early..she said bc they were all doing so well and mom had already weened them all. I was afraid that she was going to kennel them outside whiel she went out of town otherwise I would have left him. I asked her and she avoided answering me about where he would be "sleeping" while they were out of town. I had always heard that puppies could go to their homes btwn 6-8 weeks and so, until now didn't think it would be bad for him. And then thought, if he isn't allowed to be with his mom anyway then he might as well be with this mom! A side note, i do think that he was under weight when we got him, we could feel all of his bones.. we just thought it must be the breed? Now that we have had him for over a week I think his weight has almost doubled! This could be normal for his age.. It also makes me worry that maybe he needs to be wormed sooner than next week in case his "heaviness" is worms =/ I want to believe that she has been worming him and the mom all along, but, I am starting to wonder.

She said they all had first 4 way shot and had been wormed at 2,4, and 6 weeks. He is due his next shot and worming the 28th. I am taking him to the vet then. Although, I may take him in sooner than the 28th bc, today I noticed a small hernia on his tummy. I called the vet and they said if it gets larger to bring him in if not, it could be addressed at his 8 week appt (next week). They said that if it needed surgery they would likely not be doing it until his neuter at 16 weeks so unless it was getting larger or causing pain it was ok to watch it for now. 

So, now that I am sure I have given you and everyone plenty of things to worry WITH me about, whoever replies please do so out of love and concern, and know that I am doing all that I can to make Doc's life a happy healthy one! 

Thanks in advance =)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Well all I can say is Thank The Sweet Doodle God, he found you and you found us!   :) 

Kiss Doc from me!