Sweet Goldendoodle Dreams

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When we invited this goldendoodle beast to join us in our home, we needed to find a spot for him to sleep.  Jeff was adament that Milton would slumber in a big, lonely crate way downstairs far, far away from us.  Later we read a little doggie literature, and we learned that puppies need to sleep with the pact. Since we're the alpha female and male, we understand this philosophy -  we're Milton's dog pact, and he needs us.  So this cozy family of three bunks together.

Does Milton sleep in our bed?  No.  Do I kind of want him to?  Absolutely, but I think later on when he has reached 75 - 90 lbs we might regret it especially since we sleep in a double bed.  When I tell people the double is our bed of choice, everyone is shocked we do not own a king or at least a queen.  We never minded before, but now in proportion to Milton's crate, our bed is looking a little small...

Little pup in lockdown

 This is Milton the goldendoodle's EliteField 3-Door Folding Dog Crate Cage Kennel measuring in at 48".  Fancy, I know.  Even I fit in it.

Milton and Momma

Jeff too.

Daddy, Momma, & the Milt

Jeff and I vacillated for a long time on what type of crate to purchase.  You want your dog to regard the crate as a cave, so he or she feels safe and wants to hunker down to sleep.  Many people recommended the standard plastic crate, but due to our hot climate, we chose a wire crate because it is completely open and airy.  Crates can be expensive so after checking Wal-Mart and PetSmart, we ordered this one from EBAY at a bid of $70. 

 We place a black blanket over the crate to achieve the den feel, but we leave a little area open, so the pup can still keep us in view.  Milton is not happy resting in his crate throughout the day (he would rather be in the cool kitchen or bathroom), but he does not mind sleeping in there.  We always lure him to bed by dropping a few pieces of milkbone inside. Likewise, we make certain he has at least one toy and his baby blanket with him.  Milton loves his blanket because it was a gift from his breeder with his littermates' scent on it.  It is a sweet reminder of his early days.

 

Benefits of 48" wire crate:

1.  The large size allows for flexibility as your dog grows; however, there is a wire divider, so the crate can be made smaller.  Milton only sleeps in the first fourth of the crate, so hopefully this will prevent crate pottie.  Dogs are reluctant to go to the bathroom where they sleep, and thus far no accidents!

2.  The flooring is plastic, so spills can be easily cleaned up.

3.   3-doors allow for easy mess removal. 

4.  The thick metal wiring discourages chewing.

See the below link if you are in the market for one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EliteField-48-3-Door-Folding-Dog-Crate-Cage-Kennel-RUBBER-FEET-/360468986290?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53eda039b2 

Milton getting his bed ready

Nighttime has been an adventure.  When we first received Milton at 8-weeks old, he whined to get up at least once nightly.  With puppies, they tend to be able to hold their pottie for their age plus one, so at two months old, Milton could hold it for three hours.  That first week was tiresome with Milton waking in the middle of the night and then bright and early again by 6A.M.  When Milton cried to get up mid-night, we always made certain that he had slept for a good three - four hours so that we knew his whining was bathroom related and not just a petulant puppy.

 I'm not a night owl, and wandering outside in my hot pink bathrobe at odd hours is not my favorite.  Jeff had some interesting conversations with people returning from the bars, but I just got eaten up by mosquitoes.   We understand though how uncomfortable it must be for the Milt, so we don't mind letting him out, but it did certainly take a toll on our sleep sanity.  Thankfully now at 12-weeks, Milton is sleeping through the entire night.

 Milton is a ball full of energy in the morning, so gone our my peaceful days of lounging in bed and then leisurely waking to drink coffee and hunch over my computer screen.  Now, it is up and out the door for pottie, return and feed Milton, then get ready for a long walk to entertain and tire him out for the day.  Oh, the joys of owning a dog...  We wouldn't change it for the world.

Big belly man