Help please, at the end of my tether.

[Louby]

I couldnt wait to finally get my puppy but its turning into a nightmare. Ive only had him a week and know its early days but if he carrys on like this I dont know what Im going to do. Hes 10 weeks old now and howls and cries on and off all night. Ive been told to leave him but this morning after 45 minutes I had to give in for the sake of my neighbours. Its like this every night. I think my problem is that he spends part of the day with his brother and sister whilst I work or ride, then its off to prison at my house and the dreaded puppy cage. Tonight Ive tried leaving him as I needed a bath! and he screamed the place down so I kept going back in the room to show my presence but didnt fuss him, then left him again. Hes finally shut up, I got a bath and have nipped on here whilst I have the chance. I feel like giving up

. Hes asleep now and I feel so sorry for him and cruel but what should I do? If he doesnt go to the stables he will be on his own at home and the way he is I think the neighbours will end up contacting the enviromental health! I dont feel I can trust him out of the cage yet but my plans were to get passed the puppy chewing stage then hopefully get rid of it. I feel like a failure and its only been a week. He isnt shut in the cage unless I need to go out of the room, we do play and fuss him and initially I thought the life he would have would be lovely but I now think its been a bad idea.

 

[Dizzykizzy]

Aww, I really feel for you though I'm not sure I can offer much helpful advice.
Years ago we had a cocker spaniel that screamed for the first few weeks of having him whenever he was left. We used to stay with him till he was asleep but he usually cried as soon as you moved.
I guess you have tried the common things like a hot water bottle, ticking clock or low radio, a piece of bedding from his Mum/litter mates with their smell on or failing that a T shirt or something that smells of you.
It is hard to know what to do because when you go to him he is getting what he wants by screaming but how do you ignore a distressed puppy?
I think there is truth in what I have read about beyond 8 weeks in age being much more difficult for re settling.
Good luck and fingers crossed you will settle him.

 

[djlynwood]

Hang in there

You say that the only time he is put in the cage is when you go away. Have you tried having him in the cage when you are around. I dont know where you keep your cage but for example if it is in the kitchen why dont you have him in the cage when you make a cuppa then let him out but keep it all very matter of fact. It only needs to be for a few mins on a regular basis. You could also make the cage more inviting to him, place some treats inside and tell him what a good boy he is when he goes in. You dont have to shut the door on him all the time. Dont keep the same toys in there, rotate them on a daily basis. Do you have the top of the cage covered with a blanket, this seems to make them feel more secure.

There are quite a few things you can try, these are just some to consider for now. Hope it helps.

I will keep a look out for updates on this little man

 

[sade1986]

I would agree with dizzykizzy about the hot water bottle, ticking clock, item of bedding or clothing idea. Should just re-assure him. When my mum got her JRT pup she wouldn't stop whining, so she ended up moving from the kitchen into her bedroom! Avoided the problem rather than solving it because now she wants to constantly sleep on the bed!!

 

[nijinsky]

He will stop crying eventually. It is really hard, I gave in to my first puppy, couldn't bear to leave him on his own but my new puppy (10 months now), cried a lot every night for what seemed ages. I didn't give in to her at all, she slept in her crate at night & I used to put a sheet over it.

My only suggestion would be to really try & tire him out before he goes to sleep at night, it may help. He will grow out of it.

As you say you've only had him a week, he's in a new home, new people, it will take a little while for him to get into a routine but I'm sure he will be fine in no time.

I used to keep a big cuddly toy in with my puppy, so she could cuddle up to it.

 

[crazyponys]

poor you louby
ive just aquired a husky bitch 8mths and shes the same fine during the day but god come night the howling starts
v hard to ignore for sake of neighbours but try to hang in there he will stop in the end .........hopefully

 

[djlynwood]

What breed is he?

 

[frankie7]

Chimo was the same, for 2 weeks she screamed and screamed all night, and whenever she was in the cage and i wanted to send her back!

we would put her in the cage at night and put the radio on in our room really loud to try and drown out the noise, in the end we thought we would try her out of the cage for 1 night just to see and we have never heard a peep out of her since!

There have been a few minor chewing accidents but most of those were when we were aroung and she quickly stole soemthign to chew on!

 

[Oneofthepack]

No experience with cages but it sounds like a nightmare. Thinking like a puppy it seems he views the cage as the thing that keeps him away from mum and has taken a dislike to it. From what I've seen they have to be used really carefully. Why not try him out of the cage as suggested and see what happens. He shouldn't chew if you set the boundaries right from the start and give him toys and things to play with.

 

[Louby]

Hi thanks everyone. Hes a lurcher pup and he wasnt planned as such hence why he was 9 weeks old when we got him as we were going on holiday so he was kept a bit longer by the breeder. He goes in and out of the cage of his own free will as it is also his bed, shut only when its night time and up until now only when hes asleep as theres been 2 of us to keep an eye on him whilst one has a bath, go to the loo etc. I leave the radio on low at night, cover the top, put toys in and tonight shut him in whilst he was awake for the first time. Disaster.
We may try keeping him in the kitchen instead, just that our house is pretty much open plan so its quite difficult. Hes such a sweet boy and I really want it to work out.
Thanks again youve all really cheered me up. Its just nice to know you are out there

Ah well, fingers crossed I get more than a couple of hours sleep. Night everyone

 

[Scranny_Ann]

With our pups we always stick a fluffy teddy or something similar in with them and they always seem to cuddle up to it. In fact Willow (working cocker) still has ber fluffy teddy at the age of 3! She greets you with it every morning lol

As for the crying at night, i agree with gallop_on ...put him in the cage whilst you are there for half hour at a time. If the barking / howling persists i know what i would do but you may not wish to!! Fill a garden spray/spritzer with water and give them a spray along with a firm "Lie Down!". They won't like it and won't be long before they realise the term "Lie Down!" means water in the face and you can dispose of the spray all together!

You may think it's harsh but even puppies have to learn manners and its not as if its painful for him!

Good luck

xx

 

[ShadowFlame]

IMO, get rid of the cage and puppy-proof a room. Give him plenty of toys and things to keep him occupied when he is on his own. I know it's not nice, but leave him to whine. He's learning that the more noise he makes, the more attention he gets which means the problems will never stop.

I brought my puppy home at 7wks, puppy-proofed my bedroom, gave her plenty of toys and shut her in the bedroom with me during the night. The first night she whined during the night, I ignored her and she eventually settled down. Since that night I've not had a problem with her - the only time she has woken me up during the night is when she was ill.

Good luck!

 

[Louby]

Thanks for the replies. We did leave him to howl and whine for the first 5 nights but after 45 mins I had to get up for the sake of my neighbours, they are getting a bit fed up with the noise. This morning he woke me at 5.20am howling. I got up walked arround and the sound of my footsteps upstairs seem to make him stop, he went back to sleep for another hour when he started again. I then got up let him out in the garden without making a fuss of him, he did a poo and a wee, I fussed him then put him back in the cage. He moaned then stopped. I tried to catch up on some sleep on the couch. We shall see what happens tonight. Our neighbours are away this weekend so we shall get stuck in then.
He doesnt want his toys, he wants anything he shouldnt have

I feel the problem may be that he has a great time every day, then wicked witch (me) takes him home to 'the cell'.

 

[djlynwood]

[ QUOTE ]

He doesnt want his toys, he wants anything he shouldnt have

[/ QUOTE ]

could this be because he gets your attention that way?

I went to see a staffie pup who kept on stealing things off the coffee table like the tv remote. It was great for him, he got the owners attention immediatley and a game of chase

He was made up. But I noticed when he picked up his own toys, he never even got a 'good boy' and quickly put these down to go and get the remote

 

[Foxyfilly]

I'd ditch the crate too, some dogs can't cope with them.

 

[Louby]

never thought of the toy thing like that, thanks.
We are going to ditch the crate after the weekend if theres no improvement. I hate the damn thing, feel so cruel locking him up. Thanks everyone

 

[CAYLA]

I would not recommend ditching the crate...if you think the crying and howling is bad now....try putting up with it when he is older and you may have to revert back to it if her becomes destructive

it's not pleasant I can tell you.
50% of the dogs we get in for rehoming could have been avoided had the owners persisted with crate trainng them.
We crate train all of our rescues...in total we have 30 rescues in at the moment and all go to bed in their crates and whenever they are unsupervised, this is or safety as well as rehoming, this is because if people take on a rescue dog that becomes destructive and they try to introduce a crate to an adult dog....hells breaks out and the owner cannot cope.

They are also fab for house training, as suggested it is best to break him into the crate by placing him in it when you are in the house...so he does not assosiate being left everytime he is placed in the crate, also use radio, a teddy for him to cuddle into atleast his own size, minus eyes and nose

, and a cover for when it breaks light as this will wake him up for sure.
feed and treat him in the crate, long lasting chews like kongs, or pigs ears.
We actually begin by them spending alot of time in the crate, then reducing the time and increasing the time spent with us and the other dogs, this always works better than having them out all day then only placing them in it at night.
Try purchasing a DAP diffuser to hlp calm him whilst spending tie in the crate.

cartes are a fantastic safety and house training aid if used correctly.
If you think a puppy is bad...try crate training a fully grown staffy

 

[djlynwood]

I agree with CALA for keeping the crate. Introduced properly thay are invaluable for house training and your own piece of mind.

Try to think of it as more of a den that offers safety and security rather than a crate.

 

[nijinsky]

I too wouldn't advise you ditch the crate. I'd never used one before but I did with my now 10 month old GSD. She never saw it as a cage.

The crate was in the kitchen (my busiest room), she would willingly go in there to sleep during the day, I only ever closed the door at night - for bedtime.

Last thing at night before we all went to bed, I'd give her a handful of her dog biscuits and tell her "on your bed" and she'd fly into her crate. She had her toys in there & I'd pull the sheet down over it.

Ok different things work for different people but you are doing the right thing in letting him cry. Think about it, would you keep picking a baby up every time it cried - no!! The puppy WILL try you. Yes, it's not nice to hear them crying but he will stop when he understands it's not getting him anywhere. I appreciate you have neighbours, I don't, so it wasn't so bad for me when she cried.

It's only been a week or so, you need to give it more time. I stopped putting mine in her crate at around 7 months, she's absolutely fine downstairs now on her own with the run of the place. Doesn't chew or mess or attempt to go upstairs, so in my opinion the crates can be a good thing.

I used to think crates were horrid & cruel & didn't use one with my staffie when he was a pup, and guess what, as soon it came and was put up, he was the first one in it

 

[CorvusCorax]

While I agree it may be frustrating, this puppy is only ten weeks old, a baby, we never home until nine weeks - and it is still early days.
I would agree with people who say crate him while in the room with you.
Also, if you are frustrated and upset, he will pick up on that and it will not help his behaviour.
Our 9mo bitch is very yappy and my mum will storm outside and say 'will you be quiet!' in a very high-pitched voice - she is just mirroring/perpetuating what the puppy is doing!
Trick is to be calm and firm, although I know how hard that can be sometimes.

 

[danhappy]

Also I cant see if anyone has mentioned it (apologise if they have), feed him in the crate too, lots of good boys when he goes in there, break him into it gently, when comfortable going on on own accord, you can start closing the door, but I wouldnt let him out if he is whining, wait for that 2 sec break when he stops then good boy and out.

Also have you considered clicker training him to the crate?

 

[nijinsky]

PS

I seem to be talking a lot about the crate. I don't think the crate is the issue.

IMO the puppy is crying because he's on his own, not because he's in a crate.

He has company all day in the form of human or dog & then at night he is on his own so of course he's gonna cry, until he's used to this routine.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I too get v worried about neighbours etc hearing noise. But think about it rationally - if you had a human baby it could scream all night for months and months and there would be nothing they could complain about.....as with a baby this will pass if you stick with it. Explain to the neighbours all your efforts but dont apologise, this is a temporary phase and youve done nothing wrong!

The crate really will help if you can stick with it, we have with our rescue Doberman and our Border Terrier. Maybe get a bi crate so doglet doesnt feel its so much of a cell. Ours is enormous. It gives somewhere for time out and the dogs really do settle once in.

 

[Louby]

Thanks again for all your advice. I cant believe I am sat upstairs on the computer and he is downstairs in his crate

I put him in it and left him awake and yes he did whine but only for a short time.
It is a 48 inch crate, the biggest I could get and I have half of it bed and half paper as he wees loads in the night. I feel this is a bit confusing but if I didnt do this he would wee on his bed as he has done so before. Am I doing the right thing?
He did go out before on his own accord in the pouring rain and had a wee. I was so pleased.
Also when I go down, do I let him straight out of the crate? make a fuss of him? or leave him a short while.
Thanks again everyone, I will postpone buying the baby gate for the kitchen and persevere.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I would take up the whole crate with his bed. You might have an occasional accident but generally he will try to avoid soiling his bed. You might need to take him out a couple of times in the night to start with but if he gets fuss and maybe a biccie when hes performed and goes back in cage he will soon get the idea!

And ideally go into the room and ignore him until you are ready so the timing is in your control, then let him out pat and gently fuss him without going OTT or he will get hyper. Then a few mins later have mad games or whatever outside or whereever is good.... mind you I dont follow my own advice on the last part, its open door and mayhem so you can maybe do better than me

)

The baby gate might still be useful to stop him snaffling your sausages, them lurchers have a hungry look )))))

 

[Louby]

Thanks haffieliesel. Im a Cocker Spaniel fan and always said if we had a dog it had to be a cs so how I ended up with a lurcher is beyond me

. He is lovely though.

 

[ShadowFlame]

[ QUOTE ]
I would not recommend ditching the crate

[/ QUOTE ]

Each to their own; personally I think that shutting a dog in a tiny cage is cruelty. A dog (or puppy) can be trained perfectly well (even if they are left alone periodically) without the use of a cage, plus it is much kinder on the dog. My girl is nearly 9mths old, I've had her since 7wks. She has never so much as seen a crate and she is perfectly behaved.

 

[Bess]

I've got an 18 week old cocker spaniel pup, so I'm going through much the same as you, except I didn't get him till he was 14 weeks old.

Mine was used to a crate, I have one in the house and one in the car. I gave a blanket to his breeder and his mother slept on it for a couple of nights. And that blanket is still in his crate.

He did whine a bit last night but I think its because all my kids are away and its hard to be there for him all the time. Keep with the crate and have fun with him when he#s out and it wil work out.

 

[JACQSZOO]

For a puppy I would make your cage much smaller, its far too large for such a tiny baby. They like to feel secure in their den and they wont if it is far to big.

 

[CAYLA]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would not recommend ditching the crate

[/ QUOTE ]

Each to their own; personally I think that shutting a dog in a tiny cage is cruelty. A dog (or puppy) can be trained perfectly well (even if they are left alone periodically) without the use of a cage, plus it is much kinder on the dog. My girl is nearly 9mths old, I've had her since 7wks. She has never so much as seen a crate and she is perfectly behaved.

[/ QUOTE ]

You where lucky then, none of my own dogs are crated either, they no loger need to be crated...but not every dog/puppy is content to be left in a wide open space, they need boundaries and a guide from which to learn...for every dog/puppy that is happy to be left and cause no mess or destruction there is one that does not.
For those that have these problems and cannot introduce a crate due to sorrounding factors, neighbours and noise e,t,c then I would not agree it is kinder on the dog, as the options they face are p,t,s or rehoming...all for the sake of training, and for those puppies/dogs that have chewed through cables and ended up with a lovely big whole in their tongue or worse dead,

im sure they would have preferred to have been in a crate well out of harms way.

It can be very daunting when taken away from mother and siblings and to find you are all alone in a wide open space, a crate provides security. and it's not a permanent routine...once they have learned to feel comfortable and secure in the smaller space then this can be gradually increased until the crate is not needed, but u will find some dogs will still go and lie in them