Crate Training 3 month old Golden

Question
I have a 3 month old Golden Retreiver female, named Lexi.  She is great with house training when we are home, goes to our door and whines to be let out, even if we are upstairs, and does not relieve herself in our house.

We have been noticing 2 problems as of lately.  

#1 is minor, lately, when she sees my mother- who does not live with me, she gets a little too excited and does excited piddle... what is causing that if she only does it with her?

#2 She is let out about 2 times a day when I am at work fot an 8 hour period.  She is in her cage no more then about 3-4 hours at a time.  She has been relieving herself in her cage for the last week and a half.  She had an appointment with the vet to make sure that she was ok... and no medical problems.

I don't know what to do, I don't know if it is that she NEEDS to relieve herself or if she is angry that I am not home?  But once she was left in the cage for 5.5 hours by herself and then let out, she did not go at all in the cage.  We are feeding her about an hour or more before she goes in and letting her out about a half hour before she goes in.  When she is let out during the day, she relieves herself and then she is played with and then it is back in.

I am at my wits end... please help!

Answer
#1 may be the easiest to deal with.  Our Daisy did that.  Try taking her out a little before you expect your mother.  If she has been drained before your mother comes in, she is much less likely to dribble.   She should outgrow it.  

The rest is tougher.  The vet check was a wise idea, but likely won't help.  a healthy 3 month old should easily be able to go 4-5 hours.  I do think it is in protest.  Many experts say no way.  None of my puppies have ever done it.  However, I have seen hundreds of questions about like yours.  Remove the bedding and put a rack in the crate.  A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper.  You may need to block it up 3 inches to keep a Golden high and dry.  

Most of what you are doing sound right.  When she sees you easily sponge the crate out, she will realize it isn't working and quit.  Control yourself and matter of factly clean it up.  She can read your every emotion.  Don't let it upset you.