I have an 8 week old Labradoodle and he's having a really hard time going in his crate, or being alone in general.

Ive tried feeding him in his crate, putting treats in there, put a ticking clock next to it, put a shirt of mine in there, covering the crate and putting chew toys in there. He would rather not eat then go into his crate because of fear he'll be left alone.

I have tried to get him used to it and being alone for very short periods of about 20 minutes. He will pee or poo in there out of fear after going crazy in there.

His crate is a plastic covered one which as recommended, is just big enough for him to get up turn around and lie down. The issue isn't him needing to go pee or poo, it's that his anxiety is so high in there it just happens.

I take him out tons and take him for lots of walks so it's not a lack of going outside or exercise.

I need help with getting a more positive association with the crate and advice for getting him to be alone without going crazy.

THANKS!

Hi there,
I sympathise with you, puppies can be very hard work.
At the moment it would appear that your pup seems to assosciate the crate with anxiety and being left. I would say you are going about things in the right way, feeding in the crate, toys in the crate etc etc, but I would perhaps suggest that 20 minutes is far to long for a pup of his age.
Remember, dogs are very sensitive and will pick up any anxiety from you. I would suggest leaving the crate open all the time and reating to it like its no big deal. Feed him in it but leave the door open, get him used to going in and out, without the door being shut, whilst you are there there.
He has to assosciate the crate with security not stress. It has to be his safe haven, not a place of stress.
Ignore the behaviour you do not want, praise the behaviour you do want.
Leave the crate open, put a toy or some treats inside. Do not persuade him to go in, or make a fuss in any way. If he doesn't go in, no big deal, take the toy/ traets etc away after about 20 minutes. If he does go in, make a huge fuss of him. Leave the door open to begin with.
When he's happy goingin, and only when he's calm, happy and submissive, then try shutting the door. Maybe only for a min ute at a time. Again, praise the behaviour you want, ignore the bad. It has to be something he sees as a positive experisnce not a bad one.
Remember at all times, you are pack leader, puppies will do their best to try it on like babies. So you have to be kind, firm and consistent at all times. If you're having problems, look to your own behaviour first. It is usually the cause. I would highly recommend Caeser Milans books on dog behaviour.
Good luck.

energyzes answer is great but I just wanted to add, never let the pup out of the crate while it is crying, you don't want him to think that crying means he gets let out.

At 8 weeks I wouldn't expect too much from him, he is used to being with his litter mates and all of a sudden has been thrown into a strange place with strange people and no brothers and sisters.

When crating you always start with very short intervals, maybe a minute or two... I personally leave the room but it is up to you, then if you come back and he is not crying you can let him out, otherwise it's just a sharp "uh-uh" or "no" until he is quiet.

And finally just voicing one of my pet peeves... it is a Labrador x Poodle or a mutt if you like, not a Labradoodle, there is no such thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by energyze

hi there,
I sympathise with you, puppies can be very hard work.
At the moment it would appear that your pup seems to assosciate the crate with anxiety and being left. I would say you are going about things in the right way, feeding in the crate, toys in the crate etc etc, but I would perhaps suggest that 20 mins is far to long for a pup of his age.
remember, dogs are very sensitive and will pick up any anxiety from you. i would suggest leaving the crate open all the time and reating to it like its no big deal. Feed him in it but leave the door open, get him used to going in and out, without the door being shut, whilst you are there there.
He has to assosciate the crate with security not stress. it has to be his safe haven, not a place of stress.
Ignore the behaviour you do not want, praise the behaviour you do want.
leave the crate open, put a toy or some treats inside. Do not persuade him to go in, or make a fuss in any way. If he does'nt go in, no big dael, take the toy/ traets etc away after about 20 mins. If he does go in, make a huge fuss of him. Leave the door open to begin with.
When he's happy goingin, and only when he's calm, happy and submissive, then try shutting the door. Maybe only for a min ute at a time. Again, praise the behaviour you want, ignore the bad. It has to be something he sees as a positive experisnce not a bad one.
remember at all times, you are pack leader, puppies will do their best to try it on like babies. So you have to be kind, firm and consistent at all times. If you're having problems, look to your own behaviour first. It is usually the cause. I would highly recommend Caeser Milans books on dog behaviour.
Good luck.

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Thanks for the good answer. I just so happen to have the time right now to be with him 100% of the day. What should I do on Thursday when I need to leave for 4 hours that night? Just give him lots of exercise that day and make sure he gets a potty break before he goes in for that long time and hope for the best?

You're welcome, I hope it helps.
Regarding Thursday, if I were you, I would spend some time between now and then getting him used to being on his own a little. Go out and leave him on his own, perhaps only for 10 minutes at a time and increase it if he's calm.
Begin to establish a routine, I would'nt worry about putting him in the crate for now. Leave him in a room where he's comfortable, with something that smells of you to lie on in his bed. Leave the TV or radio on and give him something to chew on like a kong toy with treats inside.
Make sure he's been outside for the toilet before you go and most importantly, do not make a fuss of him before you leave or come back in. You are the pack leader and it is not for you to ask his permission to go out. Pack leaders come and go as they choose. I would put him on his bed, give him his toy or chew and then leave the room.
When you come back in, he will probably want a fuss made of him, don't. Ignore him as much as possible, ( I know this is hard) and wait until he is laying down calmly, before you make a fuss of him. Again, positive re inforcement. If he has had an accident, don't make an issue of it, or scold him. Puppies generally find it hard to control their bladders when they are excited or anxious, but it will get better.
Finally, it is really important how you project yourself. Dogs pick up big time on energy, and you need to projecting a calm assertive energy. One that will give him confidence.
4 hours is going to be a long time for him to be left on his own, so if you have to leave him for that long spend time now getting him used to periods on his own.
Exercise is good, but remember that a puppy that young should'nt be overwalked. It can damage their joints. Small regular walks are better than 1 or 2 long ones. I would recommend about 15 minutes per walk at that age.
Good luck, hope it goes OK.