Miss Monster Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 (edited) We bought our little boy home yesterday... if he fell asleep on us we'd put him in his crate - he was fine with that until we wanted him to go to bed at 11.30pm - I had been closing the crate door while he was asleep then when he woke up open it and take him to the toilet (wouldn't go waited up to 20 min - would wait till he came inside then pee in front of his crate) we put the crate in the laundry and left the door open so if he did need to go then he could (planned on getting up a couple of times for toilet breaks but there doesn't seem to be a routine yet). He cried - and I don't just mean whine - screamed, jumped, cried, barked, jumped into walls you name it... Tried to do the tough love thing until 1.30 but our neighbours do shift work and he was so loud there was no doubt he would've been keeping them awake too... Russ went in and calmed him down and put him back to bed - he slept until 3 then cried again for another half hour - I went in he crawled into my lap wouldn't go in the crate until he'd fallen asleep and I put him in there then the same at 4.30am... I don't want him to hate his crate but now he's crying as soon as he can't see any of us - I don't want to get this into a habit. Help please! Edited August 27, 2007 by Russ_Ren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Either tough it out or move the crate into your bedroom. What ever you do, keep him where you intend he will sleep. Is the crate covered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Monster Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 Thanks Poodlefan. Yes it's covered with a a big blanket. I tried the hot water bottle but he kept trying to dig at it - I thought it might be too hot so left it out and put it back in next time once it had cooled down and he still didn't like it. We did intend on having the crate in the lounge room but didn't want to freak him out about the crate by locking the door on him the first night and didn't want him running around anywhere on the lounge,dining, kitchen which is all open plan in case he got into something... We don't really have enough room for the crate in our bedroom. We thought we might try to keep him awake most of the day so I hopefully he'll be knackered tonight... Should I leave a light on? Tried leaving the tv on in the next room but that seem to make him think that someone was still awake and made it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I don't think the light makes a lot of difference. Put something that smells like you in there.. a T-Shirt or similar. I leave the radio on... try ABC Classic FM He's too young to be kept awake all day but I'd be having a play, putting him in his crate and letting him get used to time out while you are still doing things around the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I agree with toughing it out........I feel your pain, but this won't last forever, I promise. Going in to him will reinforce that crying gets attention. I found that leaving a nightlight on and the radio playing softly helped when we had a pup. whenever you feel despairing, just picture how wonderful he will be when he is all grown up, and how all this will be worth it in the end remember too that his world has just been turned upside down, and that takes a bit of getting used to. nothing lasts forever, this will pass. Maybe take a bottle of something nice round to your neighbour and take puppy too so they can meet him. good luck, and please don't worry, everything will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Avanti* Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 (edited) Hi Russ_Ren, I can understand your distress and puppy's. I've known a pup to do that on the first night or two when first arriving but they soon settle down. Putting the crate somewhere near the bedroom might be a good idea. Pics of puppy please ... Edited August 26, 2007 by WhiteEagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlitznBear Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Definately tough it out, it is sooo hard but it is worth it in the long run, ignore him when he cries, during the day try putting him in his crate where he can see you, carry on doing your normal duties etc and then when he stops crying after a couple of minutes reward him, give him a treat, tell him he's a good boy. After a while he should see that your not going anywhere, he's safe and eventually he should become comfortable within his new environment. We done this with our pup right from the beginning, even the kids were told to ignore his cries, he would cry for a few minutes, see that we were doing our normal thing, eg breakfast, cleaning etc and he eventually just went to sleep, when he was quiet, or started playing with his toys we would give him big pats and treats and tell him he was a good boy. It took a good week for him to settle into to a routine, toilet times, time out , sleep time and play time, and now he goes in when he is tired, or has had enough of the kids, his older brother or just wants his space. Be consistant and try and get yourself and pup into a routine, good luck and and remember it is only his first night, new environment, away from his mum and siblings, new mum and dad, it willl get better!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Monster Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 Thanks everyone! The tough love part is hard! I didn't think it would bother me so much! Hopefully we have a better night tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trisven13 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 It will quiet possibly be worse tonight - don't mean to bring you down but better to expect the worst and get the best! He is a hound after all and they are loud dogs when unhappy! From advice received for our new puppy who was screaming for our attention - I would be rewarding his quiet behaviour once he has been quiet for a minimum of 15 seconds. That doesn't sound like very long but with a hound, 15 seconds of silence is enormous . Gradually increase the time you want him to be silent before he gets good things. Marie is learning but has just had a bad screaming fit - took her about 5-10 minutes but that was my fault - I was stressed and made the mistake of yelling at her . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kymbo Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Oh my...Some great advice above. I wish I had asked when mine was a pup. He ended up sleeping draped across my head, against the pillow, just so we could get some sleep! I suppose it is a lot like teaching a baby to sleep through. Lots of luck and what a lovely pup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I found it helped to put Ziggy to bed after his last toilet break with a Puppy Kong full of his biscuits.....it gave him something to do before falling asleep and when he woke up...I left a soft lamp on so he could find his way to the water bowl and to the newspaper (open crate in the laundry too) and a radio on talk-back outside his door...we also did lots of practice during the day by putting him to bed for a few hours whenever he was tired....good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belijae Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Good advice from every one - tough it out. He will probably have good nights and you'll think 'Yes, we've cracked it... good nights sleeps from now on" and then bad nights and you think "Oh no, what did I do wrong? Why won't he go to sleep?!?" You'll make it in the end, just be consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdogdog Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 When I got my boy we made his bed up in the laundry and had to put up with crying for about a week. 18 months later get a girl. By now I have wised up and I got a crate. Put the crate next to my bed and she slept soundly from that first night. She could hear and smell us. Yes she would have preferred not to have been in the crate but still she was reasonably happy. Also she never messed in the crate certainly helped with house training at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhi*Jak*Ed Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 You poor thing :-( It's REALLY hard, but you just have to ignore him. Like someone has already said, if you go in to him it will just show him that crying gets him what he wants - i.e. you :-) My pup cried, howled, scratched etc for the first 4 nights and I never thought I would get through it. Of course I did (thankfully haha). She's now 6 months old and knows that her crate means quiet time or sleep time. Usually she sleeps. And of a night time when I put her in there now I don't hear a peep out of her until she hears me moving around in the morning. Stick with it, persistence and patience are the key. All the best with it :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 And your puppy is just GORGEOUS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainey Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Russ_Ren, please make sure you give us an update in the morning, I really think things will get better from here on in. We've got our boy into a routine already after 3 nights (fingers crossed). What seems to be working well is the final feed at 9pm or slightly earlier... then remove access to water about 30 minutes afterwards. Scud then likes to have another nap which takes him till about 10:30, when he gets up I toilet him, then have a vigourous play session and then toilet him again (ensuring he's done no.2), once this has occured I settle him down and then put him in his crate and we take ourselves to bed. He's crated in the dining room (open plan house) and last night only sulked for maybe 5 minutes then slept right through till 7am where he was awake but peaceful and quiet. I've yet to use the crate for 'quiet time' because we've been home and he's never been too naughty to warrant the time out. I will need to begin this soon however, so that he's not too dependant about us being around. All dogs are different but hopefully something of our routine might help you out, but I'm no expert we might just have an angel, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 It will quiet possibly be worse tonight ... Yes - so I think the OP should give their puppy to me. RR = heartdog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I've yet to use the crate for 'quiet time' because we've been home and he's never been too naughty to warrant the time out. Rainey, please accept my apologies if I have misinterpreted your post, but this line just caught my eye....if he is naughty & needs time out, it would be best to use a seperate place like the laundry or bathroom rather than the crate, otherwise you may build up an association that crate = punishment, when what you really want him to think is crate = happy place to be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainey Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Ahh thank you, I wondered that but I'm sure I'd read that people put their dogs in their crates after they have done the wrong thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Monster Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 Ok last night wasn't AS bad. Put him back in the lounge room and blocked off the other rooms - so he was in a room that he knew. Russ got up to him a couple of times after he'd been quiet for a bit to go out to wee. The 2nd time he got up he came back in laughing - Bakari couldn't hold on so had peed on the newspaper at the front of him crate and then was barking because he couldn't get back in his crate without walking through it! I had to go out this morning and apparently he was a right little shyte - he's starting to get comfortable enough that he's starting to chew - so I bought some brisket bones, chicken wings and he's got his kong so hopefully we can keep him busy with that! Thanks heaps everyone for your suggestions. And Erny - you can have him if you train him and give him back in a month or so I'm sure he'll put you off at least getting an RR puppy for a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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