Those who didn't crate train and dealing with behaviour

[Poppypops123]

I've had numerous dogs throughout the years and never crate trained any. We did it the old fashioned way and never had many problems other than the odd chewing in the house. All areas were puppy proof so the pup couldn't hurt themselves. We've recently had a new pup added to our family who is now 15 weeks old and my word she's the most hard work. We decided again not to crate train and stays in the living room when we are in bed or out. We don't leave her for long periods of time and have a camera in the room to check on her. We set an alarm for 3.30am to let her out and back to bed. However, the past 3 nights have been a pain. She'll sleep until we let her out and go back sleep for an hour and then she'll wake and start whining. We leave her of its a quiet whine. If she's still unsettled we go down not talk to her and let her out and back to bed. I was watching her on camera this morning and she's jumping up the sofa, TV, and wall and get frustrated when she couldn't grab or chew anything. I know people can suffer puppy blues etc but I'm really feeling it with this pup. My older dog is great and I was hoping pup would copy the older dog which she did to begin with but now starting to test us. For those that didn't crate train how did you deal with such behaviour? Its really draining me but I'm trying to keep up with it and hoping it will pass but I have a feeling this pup is going to be the death of me. Starting to think why did i have another when life was so calm and quiet. Send help lol

We've gone through it with one like this, so I know how you feel!

Maturity helps, so some of it is just a waiting game.

As for what you can do, leave her toys so she has something to chew when you're not there. Also, in the day time do things to tire her mentally and give her some fulfillment - not just walks, but training (including teaching her to settle on her bed, so she knows how to keep herself calm).

Mine sleeps on my bed with me, so this was never an issue. Good luck!

Ours slept in our bedroom overnight and still does at age four (almost five).

I'm afraid there's no way I would trust a 14-15 week old puppy alone in the living room overnight lol. Mine would have caused carnage.

If she's already jumping up at the TV and the sofa then it's only a matter of time before she does some damage - pulls the TV over or rips the sofa etc.

So I think you have three options - puppy proof a room of the house and leave both dogs in the puppy-proofed space, crate train her and have her in a crate downstairs while the older dog has free rein as normal, or have her in your room so you can supervise while the older dog is downstairs as normal.

Thanks for the replies. I felt so tired and drained this morning. I'm just so used to my older dog being calm I forgot how much work a pup was to be honest. I'm trying not to reward the whining which is hard because sometimes it's a sign she needs go out wee. We have a thing at the back of the TV attached to the wall so it can't be knocked over and when I watched her on camera she jumps up and sniffs then comes off. She does get her toy in the night when bored and take it to older dog for a game of tug then fall asleep. She hates being parted from my older dog and tends to curl up with her. It tends to happen same time each night when she wanders around and whines. Everytime I leave the room in the day she whines but at nighttime she'll happily go in her bed and is fine until that certain time of night. I've thought about taking her bed too but not sure if she would settle. I'll perhaps wait it out and see how she goes but my god it's hard work. I feel guilty for getting so hyped up and have to remind myself it will pass but in the moment it's just hard. I'm also thinking of puppy training classes too

Do you think the clock change has affected her in some way , my dog is being a total pain around tea time because he’s not quite caught up yet and it’s odd because he’s 12 and I’ve not noticed it any other year . We didn’t crate but until he was reliably housetrained we fenced off an area of hallway for when he was alone .

Can't help ours always slept in the kitchen at this age, no arguments.

I took on two baby Chihuahua brothers and remember standing in the hall crying at one point as they were so relentless (and I NEVER cry). Fortunately they were adorable, too.

Now one is gone and his elderly brother sleeps a huge percentage of the day; it's hard to recall that energetic pup.

I know it's not for everyone but they were on my bed, at the foot in their own little bed, from babyhood. No issues.

One thing I read that helped: Reserve some of his dry food and scatter it about when you leave him, so he associates that time with a good thing rather than loneliness. I used to fling their kibble onto the tile kitchen floor as I left for work and they would get so excited, running around gobbling it, while I'd slip out unnoticed.

@Floralnomad I never even thought about that to be honest. She was going from 11pm until 3.30am then out for wee and back sleep until 6.30 so this is a possibility.

The kitchen may be a possibility as she does like to lie in there during the day due to it being abit cooler I just didn't want her to have run of 2 rooms just yet but if I go to the shop which is only 5 minute walk she lies in the kitchen and I watch from the camera and hasn't attempted to chew anything in there yet and she can't jump up anything either.

I normally ask her to go to bed and stay whenever I leave the room and this works 9 times out of 10. She will get out Ince I leave to play with other dog or chew a toy which I don't mind. Night time was going quite well but last night just threw me as she was whinning from around 4ish I think and I knew she didn't need go out so on the last whine I went down and told her bed and she stayed there until 6 before i saw her on camera jumping up the sofa. I completely ignore her when I come down I make it feel boring so there's nothing exciting for her to cry for. It's so hard not to tell her off when it's constant for a couple of hours and then when she is settled I lie there waiting for the next cry. I have shed couple of tears myself, she's so clever in other ways and easy to train but some things really get to me and drains me. It's like having a baby again. Have a dog they say...its fun they say....lol

Realised used other username as one works sometimes and other times doesnt so i had to do another username and have to flick between the 2 I'm not sure what the problem is there but my apologies if it confuses anyone. Good job it's nothing to be outed for isn't it lol

Do you have anywhere more boring than the living room they could sleep in - a utility or kitchen are - maybe with a baby gate?

They do eventually grow out of it but you've probably got another 3 weeks to a month of it. But if you don't want them in the bedroom with you - it's probably worth it.

The living room isn't overly big and I have moved ottomans etc out for the time being, orniments up high covered wires and plugs etc. Shed probably have more fun in the kitchen due to chair legs, cupboards, fridge. I'll see how she is tonight and tomorrow and if nothing seems to get better or ot gets worse ill have to swap rooms I think. My partner has taken over coming down at night so I can sleep but once he's up I'm up. I know it's going to take time and we will get them eventually it's just the feeling of being drained and thinking why did we do this again