First Day Home - Problems

[Nixter]

Hi all

First day home with 7 week old Mini Schuanzer and slight regret is starting to sink in... did we make the right decision on buying a puppy at all...

All was good at first but decided to start the crate training and confining her to her pen for small time periods after the first hour with us. Was recommended that the sooner the better, as we both need to go back to work full time on Monday.

She is fine in her crate, will just sleep once we settle her, need to pat her with a finger through the wire and she is ok... Its when she is left alone in her pen that she goes nuts.

Problem is that she wont stop barking, crying, howling. We are waiting for periods of up to 20 minutes for her to settle herself but she is just going nuts. Then we let her out and she just wants to be with us but still whines. I am going stir crazy.

We are trying to restrict her to just the dining/kitchen (in her pen) as this has wooden floors.

If I didnt work full time I'd just leave her out, to be with me, but the house will be empty on Monday (except for our lunch breaks when we will stop home).

What can we do to settle her???

All help glady accepted

[Sandra777]

At 7 weeks, IMO she should still be with her litter mates.

Wait until she is asleep before putting her in the play pen. When she wakes up let her come fully awake and even play a little perhaps, but before she starts crying, get her outside to pee. Feed her in there every single time. Put her in there for a few moments with some really exciting toy or treat. Make it a nice place to be, not a place where she is ignored and gets distressed.

She wants to be with you - this is normal and I think you'd find it pretty strange if she didn't want to be :-) - so of course she's going to cry and carry on if separated from the only comfort and safety she knows. IMO she's better off being with you than being alone (which is not right at her age) in a pen. Yes, she does need to learn to be alone (being alone is not a natural state for a dog) but 7 weeks is too young for this lesson. She will not learn to be alone in the next 36 hours so Monday is going to be absolutely awful for her.

Personally I think it's appalling someone has let you take a seven week old puppy home knowing that the pup will have to be left alone during the working week.

[poodlefan]

Have posted in your other thread. I suggest you ask the Moderators to combine the two.

[puggy_puggy]

Reputable breeders do not let their puppies go to new homes till they are at least 8 weeks old. Your baby is to young to have left it's litter mates and other dogs the breeder may have. Shame on the person who sold your puppy to you.

Most people who bring home new puppies either take holidays for a few weeks, work part time, work from home or do not work at all.

All you can do is make sure her crate & pen are comfortable. Perhaps leaving the radio or tv on might be of some comfort to her.

[misspup]

Hi

try putting a soft cuddle teddy in with the pup. I also have a 11 week old and this has been a life saver, he cuddles into the teddy and thinks its one of his brothers or sisters. I also feed my pup in his pen, I also stick to a routine, take the pup out for regular toileting, feed around the same time, and at night when it gets dark I put an old bed spread around his pen, so he knows its bed time, and it seems to be working well.

Just a question though, puppies need to be fed lots during the day, how will you do this is if you are both working?

I work but my kids go to tafe and college and are home by lunchtime to feed him.

good luck with your little one, if you have probs ring your breeder, maybe he might need to go back to his siblings for another week or two.

My little boy was 9 weeks old and has never cried at night since we got him.

take care

Maree

[Cockerlover]

Poor little baby!!should still be with its litter mates!!!shame on the so called breeder for letting baby go @ that age

Maybe you should have given more thought to getting a puppy

It is a lifetime commitment !!!!!!!

& as with having a human baby ,needs to be secure & loved & taught .which doesn't happen over nite

[Red Fox]

Do you think that you could take a few days off work? Or how about taking your puppy to work with you in his crate? 7 weeks old is a bit young to be leaving a puppy alone for the day and he will get distressed. It will also be very hard to toilet train him if you're not there to take him out side every hour. Will you use puppy pad in the pen?

We brought our boy home at 9 weeks and the first 2 weeks were like having a newborn baby... dont expect a lot of sleep for those first few weeks, he will wake up to go to the toilet every few hours up until he is at least 10-12 weeks old, if not longer.

I would suggest that you buy some Kongs so that puppy has something to keep him occupied in the day and feed him everything in his pen. That way he will form a good association with the pen and want to be in there. Also try putting him in the pen with some toys or treats and staying in the same room. I used to give my boy a Kong and then sit down at the table next to the pen and read the paper. That way he could see me and did not become distressed, he would chew on his Kong and then fall asleep with me there until it became routine and he learned to do it on his own. I also have a big tedy that would play music when the ear is squeezed. I always had that in his pen and would play the music every time I put him to bed. Kei formed an association with the sound (over a period of a few weeks) and would go to his bed and snuggle with the teddy when the music played.

You could also try a heat pack or hot water bottle (in a cover) to help settle the puppy, but you cant leave him alone with it though. Leaving the radio or TV on is a good idea too.

If you got the pup from a registered breeder you coujld more than likely return it for a few weeks if need be, if not I would definetly be calling in to work sick on Monday

Oh.. and dont expect puppy to settle in staight away, give him lots of (supervised) time to explore his surroundings, it will take at least a week for things to settle down.

ETA: Do you have any toys or blankets from the breeder? If you are able to get hold of anything that has a familiar scent it will help the puppy settle.

I've also attached a pic below of our bed set-up in the pen, lots of things to snuggle into an feel safe

Edited March 21, 2009 by SecretKei

[Gayle.]

Gotta love the righteous brothers and sisters on here. What's done is done, puppy IS going to be left alone on Monday as the OP has to work. So how to make little pupster less anxious.

Soft cuddly things. Constant sounds. Warmth. Somewhere to "hide" such as a cave made from cushions and rugs. Yes she will be an unhappy little sausage, but she'll get used to it and before you know it she'll be all grown up and you'll wonder why you worried.

Not everyone takes time off work when getting a new puppy. I didn't when I got my first Aussie Shepherd, two days after he came home he was put in the backyard and there he stayed til I got home late in the afternoon. He is now a happy, well balanced 2 year old with a lovely outgoing nature.

Don't feel guilty, you have a lovely breed of puppy, she'll grow up to be an absolute delight, I'm sure.

[Christina]

Enough said about expectations & puppy age, no suprises about behaviour, its with you now.

How long do you expect puppy to stay crated in the day ?

Try a safe room 1st, like kitchen/dining. Where you are in & out a lot, not isolated. Put the crate in the room with the door open. Bed, food & water, newspaper etc. Let puppy get used to going in & out at will & just crate overnight for the 1st few days. If you shut the door every time puppy goes in there it will not like it.

When you go to work make the room safe, remove everything off floor, anything that can be climbed on & unplug & move any cords/plugs etc.

Puppies are only babies, they cry, pee & chew things, all normal.

[Fordogs]

Try your local charity stores, they always have lots of soft fluffy toys for your puppy to snuggle in also a nice thick blanket to lay on as well and yes leave the radio or TV on for company. You also need to give him lots of play time outside then when you put him in the pen he will be ready for a sleep.

Good luck, don't feel guilty I have heard many people wonder a few days after they have the puppy home if they have done the right thing. Puppies are fun but they are also a bit of work at first.

[Dogsfevr]

Minis are very much people dogs & usually adapt very well to there new home but how they adjust also depends on the breeder & how they have raised there pups.

Your puppy is doing normal things although maybe moreon the extreme side BUT owning a puppy wont get any easier for the next 6 months.

Minis are very quick learners & very adaptable so stick to an easy routine.

The pen needs to have a comfy bed, a good non spill bowl,couple of safe toys .If you get on with your neighbours let them now you have new pup & it may be vocal during the day.

Many of our new mini owners dont get time off work either ,it isnt always possible & people work around it the bets possible,In an ideal world it would be better .

Work out your feed routine before work & dont leave to much food down as Minis are giant pigs & will happily over eat.

Leaving the radio on is a good idea & deadly silence can be very overwhelming

If you want more assistance there is a schnauzer thread in the breed pages

Edited March 22, 2009 by settrlvr

[luvsdogs]

I think the op has been scared off.

If your still looking on here, I would love to know how you & your pup are faring.

[Nixter]

I think the op has been scared off.

If your still looking on here, I would love to know how you & your pup are faring.

Hi all

No not scared off just havnt, as yet had time to write anything back.

My OH and I have both had puppy's before, our last dog recently died of very old age, so it has been some time since we had a pup. We just had the feeling with this one that something wasnt right.

Pup slept really well during the night but was crying all this morning, even when playing with us and being cuddled, so we reaslised that she was simply just too young. We have taken her back to be with her original doggy family (mum dad and siblings) for a few more weeks until she is more developed.

Although we would be able to make a few trips home during the day on Monday, pup wasnt ready to be left on her own for any period of time - the next few weeks will do her the world of good.

Thankyou all for your comments.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Nixter

[gareth]

We have taken her back to be with her original doggy family (mum dad and siblings) for a few more weeks until she is more developed.

Did she come from a registered breeder?

[KnucklesDutchnUs]

Good for you Nixter.

If your anything like me ( and a lot of other posters on here) you may still have the "what have we done", "are we doing something wrong" thoughts.

But it's obvious you have the puppies best interests at heart. Trust yourself and ensure you set the puppy rules and give it a stable environment.

Oh and post some pictures.

Cheers

Bob

[Dogsfevr]

We have taken her back to be with her original doggy family (mum dad and siblings) for a few more weeks until she is more developed.

Did she come from a registered breeder?

I hope not.

Sadly minis are being over run by BYB ,puppy farmers & pet owners having one off litters.Its very sad seeing this happen to our breed

[luvsdogs]

I'm glad you're giving her a chance to learn some doggy things b4 you bring her home again.

[lucylotto]

Hi all

First day home with 7 week old Mini Schuanzer and slight regret is starting to sink in... did we make the right decision on buying a puppy at all...

All was good at first but decided to start the crate training and confining her to her pen for small time periods after the first hour with us. Was recommended that the sooner the better, as we both need to go back to work full time on Monday.

She is fine in her crate, will just sleep once we settle her, need to pat her with a finger through the wire and she is ok... Its when she is left alone in her pen that she goes nuts.

Problem is that she wont stop barking, crying, howling. We are waiting for periods of up to 20 minutes for her to settle herself but she is just going nuts. Then we let her out and she just wants to be with us but still whines. I am going stir crazy.

We are trying to restrict her to just the dining/kitchen (in her pen) as this has wooden floors.

If I didnt work full time I'd just leave her out, to be with me, but the house will be empty on Monday (except for our lunch breaks when we will stop home).

What can we do to settle her???

All help glady accepted

Lots of people are going to give you lots of good advice on here which you will find extremely helpful. One thing to remember is that a puppy is a baby and in some ways similar to a human baby, toddler, teenager and that its needs are met by you. It will grow faster than a human baby which is great news but a hell of a lot slower than what many people anticipate and requires lots of patience and training and love with consistency being of paramount importance in all these areas. There will be many things you will want to happen fast, say in a few weeks and it may take months instead of weeks, but it is worth it all if you are prepared for a journey. Good luck and soak up all the great advice.

[swazzie]

Just thought i'd pass on what our breeder told us to do for first few weeks when we brough Bru home. He said put some hot(not too hot) water in a bottle,wrap in something( we used some thick towels) and put it into bed with the pup. Apparently it reminds them of being nice and warm with it's littermates. We tried it and it worked, he would snuggle into it for the first week or so then he didn't need it.

[jacqui835]

Do you think that you could take a few days off work? Or how about taking your puppy to work with you in his crate? 7 weeks old is a bit young to be leaving a puppy alone for the day and he will get distressed. It will also be very hard to toilet train him if you're not there to take him out side every hour. Will you use puppy pad in the pen?

We brought our boy home at 9 weeks and the first 2 weeks were like having a newborn baby... dont expect a lot of sleep for those first few weeks, he will wake up to go to the toilet every few hours up until he is at least 10-12 weeks old, if not longer.

Wow, we got our puppy when he was just 7 weeks old and we haven't even had him for a week yet, but already he sleeps from about 10pm until 6am. During the day we take him to the toilet every hour or 2 and he goes but only does a little, but in the mornings he does a lot more. Is this perhaps because he's a larger breed? I've read that smaller breeds seem to need more time with their litter mates whereas in our case, his mother had been ignoring all the puppies since they were about 6 weeks, to the point where the breeder had stepped in to try start their bite inhibition training. Originally we had wanted him to sleep in the laundry at night, but that distressed him so much that he actually had an accident in his bed (I'm guessing he's just too young to sleep alone) so now he sleeps on his bed in our room and he's very good about it, no accidents since. Now we can ask him if he needs to go to the toilet, or he'll tell us but when he does it means we literally have about 10 seconds before he goes lol. Are we just incredibly lucky with him or is this typical of larger breeds?