First night with puppy didn't go well!

Equus Leather

Equus Leather

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Not really, but what a first night we've had!

Fed weetabix and warm milk at 11pm and went out to the toilet then up to bed. She objected to the cage. LOUDLY! She howled for an hour and we were good and ignored her, but she didn't stop. She was thrashing herself around the cage and was very distressed, so i'm afraid we went against the book and got her out. Took her out to the toilet, no fuss, then sat on sofa with her on knee and she fell asleep straight away.

Woke up at 2am for toilet, took her out, nothing. Gave a bit of warm milk. Took her out. Nothing. Brought her in and she wee'd on the kitchen floor. Cleaned up and then caught her squatting again, picked up, outside. Nothing. Back in, squatting again. Picked up and poo'd on route to outside. Settles on sofa then back in cage to sleep till 4am.

OH gets up, takes outside, brings back in, put in cage, goes to bed. Puppy howls and howls again, for a good half hour. Take downstairs settles on sofa, back in cage and asleep.

Awake at 6. Outisde for toilet, back in cage and howls solidly until 7.15am when we get up and feed.

I'm shattered. She's had breakfast and played. Now asleep. Put in cage with door open, she waked up and comes out, wants to sleep next to me.

What do I do to get her to accept the cage and that's where she sleeps???
 
Has she been having milk before you got her? Dairy can upset their tummies. If she was just having puppy food and water, like ours, then leave her just on that for a week or so before you start introducing new foods.
Never let her out of the cage when shes howling, igonre it until theres a seconds silence, even if shes pausing to draw breath and dive on and let her out. Ours has Radio 4 on at night when left. You really must get her used to being left or it will be a nightmare.
Our puupy holds on for 9 hours in her cage, whcih I didn't think she would, but I suppose it shows their bladders are up to it.
Best of luck, I decided yeaterday I couldn't cope with ours any more (not really, but you know what I mean) but then had a better evening, they are serious hard work.
 
Another thought - ours gets fed at 8am, 12 noon and 5pm, so theres not so much in her tummy overnight.

Hows your older dog coping?
 
Thanks for replying (am proping eyelids open with matchsticks!).

We've been feeding exactly what puppy has with the breeder (we got a comprehensive pack from her), so currently the schedule is:

7.30am weetabix and warm puppy milk (pup likes this alot)
12pm dry puppy biscuits with a bit of puppy meat (from breeder)
5pm dry puppy biscuits and puppy meat
10.30 - 11pm weetabix and warm puppy milk

That's exactly the routine pup has been on at breeders.

Totally understand about not letting her out when howling, but she didn't stop for over an hour! Will tr during the day to get her more used to the cage...she fell asleep on my lap just now and i've put her in the cage and she's fast asleep on the hot water bottle.

So hard!
 
Older dog has been brilliant.

No growling or anything negative. Lots of tail wagging and sniffing. Pleased so far, she's such a good girl! She's been getting lots of attention
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I can sympathise, but you have to be a bit tough and persevere! The first night we brough Evie home she screamed the place down in her cage, I came down to her a couple of times, let her out when she paused for breath, took her in the garden and then straight back in her cage. We had two awful nights and then she strted settling and within a week was great. With regard to going to the toilet outside, again its patience I am afraid. You have to go out with her and stay out until she does something , be prepared for some long cold sessions
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Had she been used to going outside with the breeder? Evie had only been on concrete and when we first had her she wouldn't go on the grass but preferred the small bit of concrete outside the door. I was happy to let her do this until she got the idea of going out, she soon learnt to go on the grass area. Try letting the pup go out with your older dog so she will hopefuly copy her.
The first few days are never easy but you will soon get there I am sure, good luck.
 
Using a crate is a good idea but you can't just shove the pup in it and expect her to enjoy it or understand what's happening. A new pup just away from it's mum is bound to need reassurance and the pup proved this by falling asleep straight away after you got her from the cage to sit with you

At the momet she is viewing the crate as a punishment so you have to introduce her to it as a place to go when she's tired, a place where she can take her toys or treats or even have her food and view it as 'her' space.

Spend the next few days encouraging her to enjoy her time in there, put some of your old worn clothes to add your smell, maybe a heat pad or something for her to cuddle up to, feed her in there and put some unrippable toys that she likes in but don't close the door. Leave the door open for the first few nights too but keep her from going somewhere else comfy to sleep.

Looking forward to seeing spinone puppy pics
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Very good point about getting used to the crate. Evie had all her meals in the cage, with the door open. I also shut her in there for 10 minutes at a time whilst I was in the kitchen with her. She still loves her cage at 7 months old (it is a very big one
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) and lies in it during the day with the door open, often sharing with the older bitch.
 
Keep perservering
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OK Flick is not a puppy, but she is a new rescue and I am having many of the same issues with her - she has been with me since before Christmas, and I am still getting woken up at least twice a night by her howling in the crate
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BUT it is getting much better
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When I first got her, she howled all night for no reason (didnt need to go out, warm enough, etc etc) so things will improve for you
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Good point about cage, ours gets fed in it and when shes put in we scatter a few of her biscuits in it for her to find. We've had Brandy a week tomorrow and it is easier already.
Glad older dog is happy, our terrier is playing with her now but my lurcher really went for her last night.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies.

Ok, at night times, because of how our house is set up, she has to be in the crate as we don't have a door at the stairs.....stairs lead straight from the bedroom so would be worried about falling down if she was allowed to roam.

What do people suggest?

Amber sleeps upstairs with us, either on her bed, or on ours :0

What do we do with pup?

Pup has been asleep this morning, so put her in crate with bagpuss (which has a hot water bottle inside it) and towels and comfy bedding. She stayed there once, for an hour, then woke up and toddled out herself. We went straight to backdoor but wee'd before we got there, never mind. Out we went anyway and had a wander round the garden. She squatted once again, lots of pats.

Back in and playing a bit. Now asleep again. Transferred to crate, but woke up and asked to be on my knee again, which she currently is. Am I doing the wrong thing? Will start to feed her in cage, she has toys in there too.

Help?!!!! Am so worried about doing things wrong.
 
When she wakes up I would pick her up and carry her outside quickly. Letting her walk gives her time for accidents, as you have found out . I know it is very hard but I really wouldn't let her fall asleep on your knee, she really has to get used to going to sleep on her own. Give her lots of playing and fuss when she is awake and then leave her to settle down when she seems tired. You don't necessarily have to put her in the crate but if she falls asleep on the floor transfer her to the crate, with the door open. At night, if she is in your room with you she isn't exactly lonely so I think you really do have to be tough and let her cry (sorry, few sleepless nights ahead )
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Thanks Murphy, she's on my knee now...i'm going to transfer her to the cage again and see if she drops off in there.

Will pick her up....was letting her walk, as book suggested, but that hasn't worked so far. Thank you.
 
Again, I wouldn't be feeding wheatabix or milk, dogs have an intolerence to both wheat and dairy.

You want her to learn the cage is her home and secure and not a punishment, try to put her in during the day but don't close the door, make it fun, put a teddy bear in there(or her toys) or you can even feed her in there until she realises it's her 'safe' place.
 
Crates are interesting - I moved mine into the living room from the kitchen, to make it more acceptable for Flick. I also put two duvets in there to make sure she was comfortable
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Now Islay will lie in it when the door is left open, but Flick wont
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Awkward dogs....
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I have 3 dogs, a 6 year old female, 2 year old male and Layla now 12 weeks. When Layla first came my female would not have anything to do with her and managed to bite her quite hard in the first week. Only now, 4 weeks on has Jazmine started playing with her and treating her as a little person. Bailey loved her from day one.

My dogs sleep in the bedroom with me (not everyone's cup of tea, but I can't sleep at night unless they are there!) Layla was put in a crate at night to protect her from Jazmine more than anything else. She was at the end of the bed and although she moaned for about 2 mins (she really did take to it well at night) she slept well, though did toilet it in. After two weeks she went to bed in it, then got up with me when she woke at 4am so she would go back to sleep! She now sleeps with the other dogs out of her crate all night and they are all happy.

I would say that when I had Bailey he could NOT be crate trained - and he was the first dog I tried it with, he went in the first time and got his leg caught in it and refused to go back again and I don't blame him. I have never used crates for any of my dogs previously. If you want to crate train, that is one thing but don't feel pressued into it because others do, because not all dogs take to them, some are actually quite claustrophobic. I would rather have a happy dog sleeping by the side of my bed than a stressed out one and me losing sleep all night to be honest.

Re the stairs, could you put a stairgate on them for now?

She will settle, you will get some sleep and it does get better
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re the feed you are giving her, that is more or less what we give our puppies too. I alternate the weetabix in the morning with scrambled egg too. An alternative to the puppy milk is goats milk as well. However, if she is happy on the lactol then I would keep giving it to her. Obviously, as you know, normal milk is a no no.

I also give rice pudding for some meals. I know the in thing is to give complete meals but I hold with this kind of meal for bigger dogs as I was first given it by the breeder of my bernese mountain and I have never had any problems with joints and development since. The meat part I use is Naturediet.
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Haven't read all the thread so I may be repeating...

our whippet howled solidly for the first four nights. On the fifth night, OH chucked our spaniel in with him. Instant quiet. Suddenly he had someone to snuggle up to, and whilst the Spaniel wasn't enthralled, she accepted it and they slept in the cage together for six months.

Oh, and another one to say try and come off milk and weetabix, avoid lactose and wheat if possible.

Good luck, in all honesty, and bearing in mind that my whippet is nearly four years old, I stand by my decision to never have another puppy, those four nights of hell put me off puppies for life.
 
Re the goats milk, that's a bit of a myth, you're better off staying on the puppy powder. Still disagree with wheatabix though.

Hope she 'comes' to the crate.
 
Our 2 pups took about a month or so before they would go to sleep in their cage without howling. Now they have 1 each and love them! You just have to keep going and as hard as it may be try not to go down to it otherwise it will think if it cries you will just come running every time. When mine had bad tummies if their pleas sounded really desprate I would let them out for the toilet but then put them straight back without any fussing over them. Also during the day try to make it a fun place for them like leaving a toy in there or a treat. A friend of mine used to feed hers in the cage to try to associate it with a good experience for it. Hope the 2nd night goes better for you!
 
Personally I woulnd't have a dog sleep on my bed or pick it up and have it on my knee. A dogs place is on the ground and I think you're asking for trouble having a dog on a sofa with you or on your bed in my opinion.

The puppy needs to learn from the outset what the boundaries are and what is it's space. I think by all means sit on the floor with the dog to comfort/play with it but i just don't think it does any good inviting a dog to be on the same level as you really.

Definitely feed treats etc in the cage and put the dog's favourite toy(s) in there/ an item of your clothing if the pup is clingy to you. Make the cage a nice place to be. They soon get used to being left - you may just have to invest in some ear plugs for a bit!

Our rescue dog was 9 mths when we got her and had separation anxiety and used to destroy anything if she was left. We got her a cage athough I thought this would make her worse. I was though proved wrong and she seemed to see it as her 'safe place' and was v v happy to be in there when we were out and she stopped stressing. She was given treats etc in there and I think thsi helped.
 
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Thanks everyone for your replies.

Ok, at night times, because of how our house is set up, she has to be in the crate as we don't have a door at the stairs.....stairs lead straight from the bedroom so would be worried about falling down if she was allowed to roam.

What do people suggest?


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Is the crate in the bedroom then? Why can't it be downstairs? Have you thought about a baby gate? Don't give up on the crate though. She will get used to it but it's new and a bit scary. In a few months you wont be able to drag her lazy carcass out of it!
 
If Amber sleeps upstairs, and thats where the puppy is eventually going to end up, u might aswell get a crate for upsatirs(small one) for sleeping only, and leave her bigger day time one down stairs, even a large plastic type dog/cat voyager(fab for space, and moving around) will do the same job,esp whilst hse is so small, as the more u get up and remove her and pander to her cries, the more she will seek that response, as u have done, a teddy that mimics her size, with eyes and nose removed will act as a surrogate sibling.

I would not feed as late as 11pm either, and a light meal, she will be wanting to empty herself an hour or so later, I would move last meal to 10pm, and let her out for last wees b4 bed.
The take her down for the toilet a 2 set times, during the night, pick her up, carry her out as already suggested, and straight back in after passing business, and back to bed, place her crate or carrier, beside amber, and cover it with a blanket or sheet, to keep out early morning light.
It seems like it will never end and it's a loosing battle, but DO NOT, give up on the crate, it's far easier to listen to a tiny puppy screaming than a 9 month old trying to rip the cage apart and howling the place down, if u have to revert back to it later, after her not being in for months on end, if she becomes destructive.
The key is....they spent lots of rewarding time in the crate at first, then begin to decrease the time in it, she must be in it, at times when u are pottering around, and not just assosiate it, with being seprated or only at night.......give her long lasting treats, that she can not even chew, cos she is so small, so instead, it just keeps her occupied and she plays with them, aswell as trying to eat
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If she falls asleep, carry her to her crate, so she assosiates relaxing and waking up in it.

If u use a voyager, u can also take her out and about in the car, so again, she is in her box, but out on mini adventures, so assosiated it with, being with u, ging on a car ride, and being in her box, it's like killing 2 birds with one stone
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.......u wont beble to do it to long...she be huge soon
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, so get one whilst she is light enough to be moved around in her small secure place.
 
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re Obviously, as you know, normal milk is a no no.

I also give rice pudding for some meals.
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Ahem ---- you say normal milk is a no no, then in the next breath you give your dog rice pudding???
 
Actually, you may not like this diet, but many top breeders swear by it. All of my dogs have been and are very healthy and do very well - they are all large or giant breeds and have never had any bone or joint disorders, or allergies etc.

Obviously not everyone has the time or inclination to fiddle about so much with a diet, but I have stuck with what works with mine after being given this diet by a well thought of Bernese Mountain Dog breeder
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