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I just got an 8 week old italian greyhound. Why does it poop everywhere when left in the playpen I bought?

I leave it in the playpen for half an hour and even take it out before. They wine and get nervous and poop everywhere. What can I do to keep it calm and not poop anywhere while training it not to always be with me?

Public Comments

1. its probably freaking out because its a baby and needs company and nurturing the first couple of weeks of its life, leaving it alone wont back it become confident, it may make it become scared of other humans and dogs. you need to spend a lot of time with a puppy... maybe you need to buy it a big soft toy to cuddle up to, dont forget this pup just came from its mother and a whole litter of puppies, its used to having things there
2. He is just 8 weeks old and you have taken him away from his old family and are trying to get him use to a new family. It will take a while. Good luck
3. You will have to 'potty train' the pup, you can buy some training tools from a pet store. Common ones are perfumes, and powders.
4. My chicken Jack Russell is 6 and still poops when left alone. Some dogs are just really nervous.
5. It's only eight weeks old ... of course it's not housebroken yet. Go to a bookstore or a library and get a book about training dogs . You need to learn about them.
6. If you "just" got a puppy, he/she is surely going to do things that would be expected. First, he/she has JUST left his familiar surroundings....mom, siblings, bedding, comfort, etc. You'll have more days of this type of happening before your "baby" learns what you are asking him/her to do. Your puppy is not familiar with what is expected of him/her. This takes much training and patience! My goodness, he/she is simply a baby. He is not a happy camper right now as he has just left his "familiar family" and is now in a completely NEW environment.....alone. Give him toys. Give him love, give him a blanket for comfort, and a stuffed animal for him to snuggle up with at night. A clock nearby helps as it may partly replace his/her mothers heartbeat. Don't leave water in his crate through the night, nor food. A puppy this young (and this is very young), will most likely have to be taken out during the night to pee, once or twice. Eventually after a few weeks, he/she may sleep a little longer before having to go out to relieve him/herself. Remember to feed him what the breeder recommended. There are foods out there that are not good and can also cause bowel problems. If he/she has to expel, he/she will! It's just like a human baby being in a diaper....they go when they must. Puppies are the same in that respect, until they are taught the proper route to expel outside. Remember to reward your puppy when he/she pees/poo's outside with only one single piece of dry food nugget as the reward. Patience reaps rewards!!! First, consider crate training. There are good books with excellent explanations of this process are readily available at any pet store. Second, consider training even if at PetCo. They offer obedience training. Third, socialize!! Make sure to have your puppy around other puppies and dogs at a young age, and after his immunizations are completed. This will keep him happy and content, he'll learn manners, and learn to play properly around other dogs.
7. While these are all good answers, it doesn't seem that any of them actually have an italian. I have two, one is three and the other is two. I also run a play group for about 20 other families with iggys in the area.. Iggys are horrible house breakers, and unless you won the lottery you are fated to a life time of wet socks and stinky suprises. My husband and I joke that their brains are wired like a computer, once a month they dump all excess knowledge. No matter what you've worked with them on, it's gone in about 10 mins. We and others have found that an easier way to control their bathroom habits is to feed them only once a day. We mix wet with dry and a bit of water to make a gravy. Then we take them out about an hour after they eat. They are crated during the day while we're at work, and then let out a few times that night. When we used to let them free-feed we had no idea when the last time they ate was, and therefore had no idea what they needed from us. On the up side, I believe they are truely one of the world's most beautiful creatures. They are adorable, they are loving, they are graceful and they want nothing more that to lie with you on the couch beneath a warm blanket. We love them despite all their faults, because they love us despite ours.