# Worrying about crating and starting back to work on Monday



## suzis (Apr 2, 2013)

Hi
We got our 9 week old cockapoo (Monty) at lunchtime on Monday and spent the rest of the day playing with him, crated him in the kitchen whilst we had tea then released him for more play time then crated him again for bed. Hardly any crying. Tuesday again he went into crate at teatime without a problem and cried a little bit more at nightime but not too bad (we are ignoring the crying and only going back down at 6.45am) and there's no wees or poos to greet us so he is doing very well. Yesterday we decided to try crating him for a sleep while we were still in the house as the first step ready for Monday but it did not go well at all. The crying was horrendous and he got really distressed, as did I. I resisted the temptation to go and let him out until he stopped crying for long enough (10 seconds!) and then I released him. I made the decision to make the crate a happy place, putting his meals in the crate which he went into happily enough, ate his meal then straight back out again. Our teatime meant a little more crying but settled fairly quickly but night time was a different story! Heartbreaking prolonged crying (about 10-15 minutes at a time) and about 5 times during the night. Again I left it until he quietened to go down at 6.45am. 
Sorry this is turning into an essay!
So, today I've moved the crate into the lounge where we spend (and he has spent) most of our time and have put an odd treat into his food bowl to encourage him to go in of his own accord. He seems to really like his bed in here and has spent most of today in the crate on his bed by choice (oh, and I've bought one of those plug in DAP thingmys to hopefully help him not miss us so much during the night). 
So, any advice, anything I should be doing differently? I know we need to start crating him and leaving the house but not sure if we need to leave for prolonged time as Monday seems to be looming fast! Any help appreciated, sorry for rambling!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Just an idea, not sure how long you will be leaving him on Monday for work, but a puppy pen may be a good idea, you can have the crate with an open door in the pen, this gives him a play area, toilet area and sleeping area and its all safe for your little puppy. 

I use a crate with a pen set up for my puppies and they do settle. 

You are doing really well, dont be hard on yourself and he will get used to his new routine, it just takes a bit of getting used to for all of you. 

The tricky bit is that he needs to learning that although you leave him you do come back .. so short period of time with him on his own will be good for him and build it up slowly. 

Something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rabbit-Guin...-107cmH/dp/B005YYLARE/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

How long are you leaving him for when you go back to work?


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## suzis (Apr 2, 2013)

JoJo said:


> Just an idea, not sure how long you will be leaving him on Monday for work, but a puppy pen may be a good idea, you can have the crate with an open door in the pen, this gives him a play area, toilet area and sleeping area and its all safe for your little puppy.
> 
> I use a crate with a pen set up for my puppies and they do settle.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jo-jo, unfortunately the room isn't big enough to have a pen in place but the crate is big enough for his bed to be in one half and play area in the other and he's managing not to toilet in there during the night. 
He had a really good last night, not sure if it is because his crate has been moved into the lounge or whether it is the DAP thingy but no crying at all. We also went out for 10 minutes this morning and left him in the crate with the tv on and don't think he cried then either so will go for 20 minutes later on today and build up the time over the next couple of days. really appreciate your support X


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## suzis (Apr 2, 2013)

tessybear said:


> How long are you leaving him for when you go back to work?


Usually it will be 8.30am until 1.15pm three times a week but I've got hubby to go to work later on Monday and Tuesday so he will be left 11am until 1.15pm. Friday we're planning 10am until 1.15pm and so on until we are confident that he can be left for the whole time I'm at work. Do you think that sounds ok?

Oh, I've also been told about freezing some chicken stock and putting it into his bowl when we go as a treat to occupy him while we're gone. Not sure if this will be introducing too much salt into his diet, anyone else do this?


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Sounds like he is settling in well ...and is quite content in the lounge, yippy. 

You are doing the right thing by just slowly building up the time he is left. 

Monty will have all this puppy training mastered in no time  I know it feels full on in the early days but there will come a time when you think, oh no my puppy has grown up and wow no piddle accidents anymore  ..


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## Woody2012 (Dec 29, 2012)

I have left my poo in his crate since the very first day we got him. I took a week off work to be with him but the breeder told me that on monday morning I had to put him in his crate and go out for at least 2 hours! I really didn't want to do it, but I took her advice and Woody is absolutely fine now! In fact he was from the very beginning. I leave him mon-Thursday in his crate 8:30-15:00, with a dog walker coming in every day at lunch time to take him for an hours walk. He's nearly 6 months old now and not chewing as much so I may crate him in the mornings still and then when the dog walker has brought him home I'll ask her to start leaving the crate open in the afternoons. its really hard leaving them as puppy's in their crates but it sounds as though you're doing the right things! I'm sure he'll be fine in no time.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Suzis plenty of us manage to work and have dogs. I manage with a combination of dog walkers, coming back at lunchtime and day care. Personally I wouldn't leave mine in a crate all day, they are too lively and active. They also love to stretch out on the cold, hard kitchen floor rather than curled up on a blanket in a crate.

I have dog proofed my house pretty much and they get the run of my house when i am at work and always get taken out at lunchtime. 

I leave a variety of chews, stag bars, Pizzle sticks and kongs incase they get bored. 
I wouldn't use chicken stock because of the salt content but frozen natural yoghurt in a kong works a treat and takes them a good half hour to lick out!


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## suzis (Apr 2, 2013)

Thank you for your replies, they give me confidence in leaving him for the amount of time I need to.
Thanks tessybear for your suggestion about frozen yoghurt instead of stock. Do you insert the yoghurt into the Kong then freeze or just stuff it with yoghurt already frozen? I could only find a large size kong in the shop!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I put the yoghurt in the kong and then freeze it.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Hope leaving Monty goes well Suzis .. I am sure you will be thinking about him the whole time you are out of the house ... be strong and think for all the love and licks you will be when you come home


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Hope that you had a good day at work and enjoyed Woody's welcome home


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## suzis (Apr 2, 2013)

hahaha don't know who Woody is but Monty did great! ahahaa that really made me laugh.

I left at 8.15am and instructed hubby not to tell me what time he would leave for the office then that way I wouldn't be looking at my watch all morning. I work at a pre-school so lots of children to keep me very busy and distracted so didn't worry too much. Lots of wee-wees to mop up there too - that's what my life has now become  !

Arrived home at 1.15pm, no mess in the crate and one lovely pup sat up waiting with a very waggy tail. Lots and lots of cuddles and play ever since and Monty has now jumped back into his crate for a sleep. Hubby said he left at 10.30am so didn't he do well (Monty not hubby that is).

Thanks for asking X


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Ooops - 
Clever Monty 
Woody wouldn't have been nearly as perfect!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

All sounds good for Monty's first morning without his mummy .. sorry about the wrong dog name .. dohhh!!! so many new puppy names to remember lol .... it's my age


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