[klke]

Our puppy is 13 weeks old. We have had her since she was 8 weeks. She only had accidents in the house the first week. She goes to the door to go potty outside. She isn't in her crate much because someone is usually home. 3 times in the last week, we left her for 3-5 hours and she has pooped solid. She is shaking when we get home and then has diarreah for a couple hours after.

We crate her at night and she is fine for 5-6 hours. Today she pooped while we were gone for 5 hours and it was dried so she must have pooped earlier in the day. She goes in her crate by herself and lays right down. I am thinking it is separation anxiety. Any suggestions?

 

[Calistar]

One thing my breeder encouraged is that with a puppy only give them enough crate area to lie down in. They normally will not sleep where they poop. But if your puppy is sleeping in a kennel that will be her adult home it is likely too big and needs to be partitioned. Other wise she can poop at one end and sleep in the other. However, the shaking could be from separation anxiety or how you have reacted to her pooping in her kennel in the past. My breeder/trainer says that with a puppy you should simply clean up the mess because she is a puppy who has not been trained and offset that with high praise when the dog does to the bathroom outside. I am sure you will get a wide range of answers on this and I am sure they have been successful for everyone who has offered them. Try what you are more comfortable with and see if it works.

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

When Wyatt was younger he was put on a schedule. Eat and then out to poddy. We just always made sure he did his duty before we left him inside for a long period alone. We never saw a need for a crate. Accidents will happen but for the most part if they are put on schedule they will be ok.

As far as the shaking not sure what that is all about.

 

[Calistar]

I believe crate training is simply a part of what training rules one is most comfortable with. We have raised our dogs for 25 years and always used crates. We asked out breeder when we bought our puppy their view on crates. When they sent us their two hundred plus page Puppy Manual it clearly indicated they felt crate training was essential and had many benefits. But some will disagree.

As we finally get our puppy in nine days I am reading the Puppy Manual right now. In talking about crate training he referenced nine causes of the puppy continuing to poop in its kennel. I am repeating them all here although some would not seem applicable.

The pup is too young to have much control (not applicable)

The pup had a poor or rich diet or is eating large meals

The pup did not completely eliminate before being confined

The Pup may have gotten worms (not likely if stool is firm otherwise)

The pup drank large amounts of water before being crated

The pup has been forced to eliminate in a small confined areas prior to crate training

The crate is too large

The pup is suffering from a health condition or illness (i.e. bladder infection, prostate problem)

The puppy is experiencing severe separation anxiety when left alone.

If she has an accident do not reprimand or punish upon your return. Wash out crate using a pet odor neutralizer. such as Natures miracle Nilodor or Outright. Do not use ammonia based products as the odor resemble urine and may draw the dog back to the same spot

A Veterinary Exam with a urine/fecal check may help.

Hope this helps provide some ideas.

 

[klke]

Thanks for the tips. She is in the right size crate. It is our smaller one. Only room to stand and turn around. This is our 3rd golden puppy and never had issues before. Normally she doesn't poop that time of the day. We don't yell or make an issue of it. We just clean it up. I think I will call the vet and see what they have to say. I do appreciate the feedback.

 

[Charliethree]

Your are right in assuming that she may be stressed when left alone, hence, the diarrhea. If she is having diarrhea in her crate, when you are gone, she can't help it. So making her crate smaller so that she would have to 'sleep/step' in it if she had an accident is not going to solve anything and you will not only have a stinky crate but a stinky puppy to clean up.
She needs a little help getting accustomed to being alone and crated for that length of time. People often get a pup when they can be home with it the majority of the time, ie: on holidays, but forget that a pup needs to 'learn' that it is okay to be alone, by slowing increasing the times that it is alone. Then they go back to the regular work routine and the pup feels it's family has all of a sudden deserted it.

A couple of things you can try: feed all her meals in the crate. And make sure she has at least an hour or so to give her opportunity to bathroom between her mealtime and the time she must be crated when you leave.
On your days off, give her a kong or chewbone in her crate, leave her 'to it' for 15 minutes to half hour, then let her out -helping her learn to be alone and so that she does not learn to associate being crated with you leaving. Then practice leaving her 'home alone' for short periods, in her crate with a safe toy or stuffed kong.
Leave a radio on low when you are home and when you leave. It will help to keep her company and muffle any strange noises while you are out.

 

[Calistar]

I had forgotten the radio trick. We have used that quite successfully in the past. Also, depending on where the crate is, we have left the TV on the Animal Planet.

 

[Florabora22]

When Flora was a puppy she too would have diarrhea in her crate, and it was absolutely from stress. I made the mistake of subjecting her to the crate for over a week before I was told that she was eliminating in her crate because she was so anxious.

I would work on making your puppy more comfortable in her crate. It's great that she's okay sleeping in it at night, I think that's a big step. Charliethree's suggestions are spot on, I recommend working on those.