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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

need desperate help with 8 week old pup. (essay, but im desperate lol)

27 replies

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 12:29

Hello, just need a bit of help really. weve had an 8 week old dachshund cross jack russel pup for two nights now. I knew that he would winge and cry in the night due to him missing his mum and litter, but i want to get him out of the habit of sleeping next to me as soon as possible. The first night we had him we brought him home at night and had no bed or crate. So i made him a makeshift bed out of 2 big cardboard boxes. Cellotaped them together and cut a hole in the middle and put blankets, toys and one of my old jumpers (someone said my smell would soothe him) in one side of the box. And then put puppy pads down in the other side. He only woke up winging 3 times in the night then went back down after a bit of a moan. Did a poo and a wee on his pad side which i was happy about.

Now, yesterday i bought him a crate. I put all his.blankets and toys in 2/3rds of the crate and a puppy pad in the other 1 3rd of it and tried to keep him in the kitchen. As soon as i walked out of the room he started crying and howling as if he was being murdered. I was gutted and stood outside the kitchen door crying my eyes out cause i felt so bad leaving him. DP told me that he will learn and get over it. I went to bed still crying and he was howling blue-murder. After 20 mins i couldnt take it any longer so told DP to bring his crate up to the bedroom, i caved, basically. He ended up stayin in the bedroom and woke up every hour like clock work crying his heart out. I kept sitting up and just saying "shhhh" and "no". A couple of times he stopped after a "shh" but mostly he jus howled and howled. He did a couple of little wees on his pad side but no poos.

Now ive warned the neighbours about him (they said they cant hear which is good) i want to try and ride it out and keep him away from our room tonight. I was thinking that maybe he doesnt like the crate. So was going to put him in the downstairs toilet with a few puppy pads down and all of his toys and blakets and a bowl of water and put the heating on medium for him. Theres nothing in there that he can chew on. Literally a toilet, radiator and sink. Just wondering wether this is a good idea?? it broke my heart leaving him last night and hearing.him crying like he was. Filling up typing this now. Lol. I need some help please! xx

OP posts:

littlewhitebag · 04/10/2013 12:43

I would think he is crying because he is missing his litter mates rather than disliking the crate. Our dog was really unsettled for the first few weeks. We took it in turns to get up and let her out every few hours. She never ever went to the toilet in her crate. In between we let her yowl. Ear plugs were my friend. We only went in to her when she wasn't yowling to praise her for being quiet.

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 12:44

Ditch the training pads and have a look here fail safe toilet training

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 12:46

It is never a good idea to scold or ignore a crying pup. This can create separation issues and is a heck of a lot harder to sort out than missing some sleep.

CressidaMontgomery · 04/10/2013 12:48

Don't make a rod for your own back here and remember... This isn't a child it's a dog. Its fine to ignore the howling and the sooner you toughen up and ride it out, the quicker he will settle.

Don't confuse the issue putting him here there and everywhere at night. Decide what suits YOU. Place him in crate, make sure he is comfortable and fed etc. then leave him. Put your ear plugs in and go down again in the morning. Honestly, it'll take a few nights and then he will be there.

Unless you cave!

Original poster

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 12:48

He cries to be played with, too. Last night at 4am i let him out to see if he needed to poo cause he hadnt had one for a while, but he just ran around playing in the grass and biting my slippers.

OP posts:

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 13:04

Leaving a puppy to cry is very old fashioned. It is cruel and unnecessary. Crating in the bedroom with you is the way to go. Moving the crate once the puppy is settled and secure.

Original poster

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 13:10

Mixed responses there :( hmmmm xx

OP posts:

littlewhitebag · 04/10/2013 13:11

Does your pup stop crying at all? Does he have bouts of sleeping?

WiddleAndPuke · 04/10/2013 13:14

Lilcamper is right.

Having the crate in the bedroom with you, gradually moving it to where you eventually want it to be is kinder, will result in less whimpering and will massively shorten toilet training time.

CressidaMontgomery · 04/10/2013 13:16

I wouldn't crate in a bedroom . Unless you want a dog in your bedroom?

Of course you shouldn't leave a dog howling for hours on end but truly .... It's is not a human baby. It is absolutely fine to leave them and shove some ear plugs in. You'll be sorted in a few nights.

A tiny pup, yes, you'll probably need a toilet trip in the early hours but it should be just that. A few mins, no playing , straight back in bed

SkipandTink · 04/10/2013 13:18

I would agree with the people saying put crate in your room and gradually move it away in time as he matures and settles. Having been through this with one of my dogs, I tried the ignore thing for weeks and weeks on end and he wouldn't give in, he literally screamed his head off all night every night - we then moved house and as nothing was sorted we slept in the lounge with him for a week, and he was good as gold...After that it seemed pointless putting him back in kitchen, he just wanted to be near us, not on bed or anything, just in the room. With my second dog I was a lot more relaxed from the beginning and she was fab.

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 13:21

You move the crate eventually. This pup is a baby, just taken from it's mum and litter mates. Confused, scared and lonely. Why would you NOT want to be able to reach out and offer comfort when needed?

WiddleAndPuke · 04/10/2013 13:22

The dog doesn't need to stay in the bedroom indefinitely. Once it's started to sleep longer between loo breaks it can be gradually moved away.

A puppy of this size has a teeny tiny bladder. It will need lots of opportunities to wee in the right place to avoid getting into the habit of weeing in its crate.

Lots of play and fun in the evening to tire it out. By bedtime it shouldn't be able to keep its eyes open.
Go to bed. Puppy will nod off. When you hear it stirring, carry it to the garden. No fuss or chatting. Back to bed. Etc.
Sure you'll have a few interrupted nights but ultimately pup will be clean quicker.

Lonecatwithkitten · 04/10/2013 13:23

Crating the bedroom and them gradually moving to where you want the pup to eventually sleep is the way recommended by reputable behaviourists. Research has shown that this is the best way to develop a confident happy dog who is comfortable with being left.

swannylovesu · 04/10/2013 13:28

i slept on an airbed in the kitchen with our springer for a while...with my hand through the cage.
Then started leaving the radio on for a bit of background noise. (i'm too soft)

she took about a week to settle. but then unsettled for a few days after her injections

Original poster

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 13:37

We dont really want him in the bedroom. And it doesnt seem to help anyway cause he still moans when hes in there with us. He sleeps for an hour-ish at night then wakes for 20-30 mins and has a winge then goes to sleep for another hour. When he was in kitchen at beginnin of last night it was constant howling an crying. Xx

OP posts:

whosshe · 04/10/2013 13:38

I think crating in the bedroom, and then moving the crate downstairs once he is sleeping through works really well. The advice given here to take him outside for a wee, then straight back in the crate, if he stirs, is perfect. You might even have to have the crate right next to your bed at first, then once he is sleeping ok you can slowly move it away, onto the landing, and then downstairs, bit by bit.

You also want him to be good and sleepy at bedtime, but dont walk him too far while his bones are still growing, especially as she is a dashund cross. Little and often is good, mixed in with some playtime at home, training and ball in the garden.

The same goes for food, he needs small meals bit often through the day.

It's not great to teach him that it's ok to wee in his crate. He needs to learn that if he needs a wee, then he needs to let you know about it so you can let him out.

Also, lots of praise for a wee outdoors, but dont scold him for weeing indoors or he might think that you are simply against him weeing at all.

It will be hard for the next few weeks, he will cry at night and wake you up all hours. You might even question why you ruined your nice quiet life with the boomin puppy, but it will get better, and he will sleep longer and longer. Then you can move onto sleeping alone. Right now you need to work on sleeping without crying all hours, only waking you if he needs a wee, and weeing outside. The best place to learn this is in his crate in your room.

Shropshiremummy2B · 04/10/2013 13:44

Just throwing my hat into the ring....

If you want to, keep the dog in a crate in your room and try moving it further and further away.

I have had lots of dogs from puppies. It is heartbreaking to leave them at night for the first few days. Once you have left them alone ALL NIGHT for a couple of nights DOWNSTAIRS (or where ever you eventually want them to live) they will stop crying. Guarenteed.

The crate will become your pups own nest. Feed him in there and let him sleep in there and as long as you never put him in there as a punishment he will always treat it as his sanctuary.

It seems harsh at first, and it is very hard, but I promise you he will settle down soon. The only way he will not settle is if you keep changing the routine. Dogs love routine. Moving his bed further from yours im sure will eventually work, but it will be a slow process with many sleepless nights.

I think its very unfair to suggest any of the above is cruel. Many dogs sleep in kennels outside remember, and this is not cruel at all, it is that dogs home and space away from children etc. As an aside, if you do have children, dont let them climb in his cage or bed, let it be his sanctuary away from play. If you leave the door open all day he will potter in and out as he pleases.

I havent read any books on puppy rearing, and certainly can't advise on what is cruel or not, but I genuinely believe it is fairest on the dog to give it routine, its own space (that is not interferred with) and teach it who is in charge from day one and you will have a fantastic dog.

On the otherhand one of my dogs sleeps downstairs and the other one on my bed, so please do feel free to ignore me!

Original poster

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 14:06

So i should take the pads out of his crate, keep his blankets etc in there? then if he wakes up crying take him downstairs immediately into the garden, no talking, wait for him to wee, then take.him back??

this is.what i did last night and he didnt do a wee, then got back in his crate and still carried on crying.

OP posts:

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 14:08

Then you wait 5 min and try again. Read the link I posted. It will really help.

Original poster

BunInMyOven93 · 04/10/2013 14:14

I read it. It does make sense but i thought pups had no control over their bladders until they're 16 weeks?

OP posts:

Lilcamper · 04/10/2013 14:16

You need to get the routine established from the start.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 04/10/2013 14:18

We had a small crate in a pen in the kitchen. Pads and newspaper in the corner nearest the door. He could sleep in his crate and then get out and have a pee without having to do it in his bed or anywhere we didn't want it. We had some mesh panels that fixed together, like a play pen, that cordoned off one end of the room.

We were lucky though, we neve heard him whimpering in the night. I can't say I wouldn't have gone down!

moosemama · 04/10/2013 14:32

Lilcamper's advice is spot on.

We couldn't have our pup in our bedroom, as there isn't enough room. Instead we took turns sleeping on the sofa. First night his crate was right next to the sofa, then we gradually moved it to the other side of the room - so same process, just not in our bedroom. We eventually moved his crate into it's final place in the kitchen with our other dog and he didn't bat an eyelid.

You need to do plenty of work getting him to love his crate as well though. Feed him all his meals in there. Sit quietly next to it and drop treats in for him to encourage him to go in there on his own, then once he's going in on his own start giving the treats for staying a second or two and gradually build it up, then try handling/rattling the door and treat if he stays in, then close the door and treat, then extend the time he's in there.

It might also help if you cover it with a blanket or something so it feels safer and more den-like and a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or something to stop him chewing it might also help. My boy is a lurcher pup and he started waking again as soon as the nighttime temperature started to drop, he stopped again as soon as we gave him his hot water bottle back (we stopped using it after about the first week initially).

Some 8 week old pups will need to go out to toilet a couple of times a night. When we first got our current pup he went to sleep at 10.30 then needed to go out at about 2.00 and 4.30/5.00 am. It only took a week for him to drop one of those and then another week to drop the other. So he was going through the night at 14 weeks - although that's him and all puppies - and their bladders - are different. He's nearly 18 weeks old now and sleeps from 10.30 to 6.00 am without a peep most nights unless next door's cat decides to wake both dogs at 3.00 am like it has done this week.

Oh yes, and try not to let him sleep the evening away. Play with him, do a bit of training, take him out for a carry around the block - anything so he'll be good and tired come bedtime.

moosemama · 04/10/2013 18:36

Forgot to say earlier, but do come and join us on the New Puppy Mummies Part 2 thread. (The title is tongue in cheek, we're not all simpering puppy mummies, I promise.)

We've all been where you are and it really helps to share our experiences, congratulate and commiserate with each other.

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