Help! Hysterically Crying Pup 8 Week Old Gundog Pup Need Advice&#3

[jessie86]

Hi,

I am the proud new owner of a beautiful Weimeraner pup, who is 8 weeks old.

He is a very sweet boy and it is only our 3rd night with him, however I'm a little worried about his constant whining and crying.

I know he is missing his litter mates and is in a strange and foreign situation, however he is unable to be on his own without crying, unless he is asleep.

He has been absolutley fantastic with toilet training and eliminated in the spots we take him to and repeatedly gone back on his own accord, however at night time he becomes very difficult.

We woke up every 2 hours from 1030pm, not just crying, but howling. We tried to wait as long as possible to go down stairs however he was getting quite distressed and scratching at the door. We went down a total of 6 times, and now i'm worried that he's only crying because he knows that it leads to either myself or my husband going to him.

We have him sleeping for the time being in our laundry which is a warm room in the middle of our house (under the stairs) it is dry and warm, and I put him to sleep with a hot water bottle and a ticking clock as well as a Kong at night time, and his favourite toy. He seems to love the laundry and when tired during the day if I am home he takes himself in there for a nap on his own acccord.

I know he is very tiny with a small bladder so I am fine with waking up once or twice to take him outside to urinate however this many times feels crazy!

Should we move his bed next to our bed at night? Or is this setting him up for bad patterns (we are not crating him).

Another issue is leaving him in our back yard, I had to work today, and we had him alone for 3 hours before my mother came over to feed him lunch, and the minute i got to work I called our lovely neighbour and he was crying and wailing the entire time, so loudly my mother could hear him on the street =(

How do i teach him that he is safe and okay during the day or by himself? At the moment I can't even put him outside to have a shower without him crying and wailing, and it's very loud and distressing.

Is it better to hold out on his cries and dish out a little tough love?

Or is this just part of the joys of being a new puppy owner and should we should tough it out?

Sorry, we are just so very worried that he's upset.

Also he is enrolled in Puppy School with Doglogic at Chippendale in two weeks time.

I have the next 3 days with him during the day, should I stay with him in the backyard and put him outside for short periods of time to get him used to be outside and alone?

Thanks so much, any advive at all would be so greatly appreciated!

Edited August 9, 2010 by jessie86

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

I would rethink crate training him , but if you want him to sleep in your room you may as well move him in as it is less than a week since he came home he may well need a bit longer to settle as well

by all means he should spend some time outside or away from you on and off each day when you are home , but work on not letting him back with you when he is making a fuss or the behaviour will not extinguish

Some babies are more dependant than others and it takes time , have a chat to your neighbours and let them know he is only new and will settle soon and thank them for their understanding as you are trying to get him to settle down

enjoy your new pup looking forward to pics :dancingelephant:

[Sky_Mel]

When my girl was that age she was crying for atleast a week, mainly when I went to work. She slept in my room in her puppy pen so I never had her in the bed with me as I didn't want her to get into bad habits. She had her bed, toys and toilet mat which she used during the night

At night she slept really well being in my room but during the day I had reports of an upset puppy and I would come home after about 4hrs and spend time with her then off back to work. She did very well being in my room with me, she is now 2yrs old and I have no issues with her. I'm not a trainer or anything so this was just my experience.

[Kavik]

I know it is hard, but the best way to fix the barking and whining is to ignore it. Mine only took a few days before they were quiet at night. I crate my dogs though, really made the whole thing so much easier!

If you go back to him when he is barking or whining you are showing him that carrying on works. Since he has gotten attention that way, it will take longer to get rid of the habit, and it will get worse at first (extinction) before it stops.

Hopefully some Weim people will come in and give some advice, I have heard that they are prone to separation type behaviours.

[Dogsfevr]

I know he is very tiny with a small bladder so I am fine with waking up once or twice to take him outside to urinate however this many times feels crazy!

Not crazy at all.

You have brought home a new baby & like a human baby they are work.

Personally all new pups here start off in the bedroom & then with time move to the area we want.They sleep in there crate & no drama's at all moving them to the preferred sleeping area.

The hot water bottle & clock are fine but in reality the door is shut,it is dark & no one around.

Some pups are total gems when they come home some just need some extra time & requirements to settle quicker & with confidence.

Whilst i am not a believer of fussing & am also not a believer of letting a pup get distressed so there is a middle line we use for each individual pup & the stage it is at here

[Christina]

If I were an 8 week old puppy I would cry too out in the back yard alone for 3 hours.

Its bloody freezing, the back yard is a big unknown place & he is not used to being alone. Not the safest place either.

Haven't you got a room you can puppy proof to leave him in while you are at work.

[Sky_Mel]

If I were an 8 week old puppy I would cry too out in the back yard alone for 3 hours.

Its bloody freezing, the back yard is a big unknown place & he is not used to being alone. Not the safest place either.

Haven't you got a room you can puppy proof to leave him in while you are at work.

Definitely, I never left my girl outside on her own at that age. I was so worried about her getting out of the yard despite it being puppy proofed as they can get into all sorts of mischief. Also hear horror stories of young puppies being stolen from peoples yards.

[Tilly]

For the first couple of nights when I got my GSD boy he was extremely vocal and would only sleep in his crate when I was laying on the floor beside him with my fingers through the side of the crate.

Over time I moved the crate into the bedroom beside my bed so I could sleep on my nice soft bed rather then the hard floor ... and then over time moved the crate further and further away from the bed before eventually moving it out into the lounge room.

[jazawayaya]

My girl (who is four months old so quite a bit older) sleeps in a crate beside my bed. When she wakes up at night and cries I just stay in bed but put my hand on the side and she sniffs it and falls back asleep.

As soon as she is toilet trained she will probably sleep on my bed with my other dog if we can all fit

[aussielover]

Yep my 4 month old sleeps in a crate next to my bed.

She sleeps thru the night till 6.30am so i don't actually have to get up though.

[Genabee]

The idea behind the crate, is that it is like 'their room'. And it is small and cozy. I too have always had my dog in the laundry and after the second night, I didn't hear anything out of her (until much more recently, but we have established that is due to other issues, not separation). As someone who was a bit iffy about the crate concept to begin with, I would totally recommend it. It is so useful in so many ways. I believe (after have one non crate trained dog and one crate trained dog), they contribute to a far more secure, self reliant, obedient dog.

You will probably find it will take a couple of weeks for him to form new habits and adjust to the new home. I found my dog would literally follow me around and sit on my feet and she wouldn't eat unless I was sitting next to her. I couldn't have a shower without her jumping in!!!

Be consistent in your approach and if you decide you want something from your dog, make sure he does it. Don't give up half way because you will be doing that for everything. But yes, they may toilet more than twice in the night at that age.

[jazawayaya]

As someone who was a bit iffy about the crate concept to begin with, I would totally recommend it. It is so useful in so many ways. I believe (after have one non crate trained dog and one crate trained dog), they contribute to a far more secure, self reliant, obedient dog.

100% agree.

When I first heard about it I thought no way.

But then I realised it really is the best way.

She is so used to it already (only been a few days) that she takes herself in there so sleep most of the time.

[Nushie]

Hi! Dont you just love having a new puppy in your house?!

When i first got my guy home he cried for weeks! We had a play pen set up in the lounge room and this was his 'home'. When ever we put him in there he would cry and howl and pull at the gate. The first few days were torture. But he eventually calmed down to just whimpering after the first week. Even then it drove me mad as each morning while i got ready for work he would be crying and i felt like the worst mum in the world.

Eventually we got over it. We started putting him in there for random amounts of time to give him some alone time. So he would be locked in there while we ate dinner, while he ate dinner, while i folded some washing. Started out for only a few minutes while i was still in sight and then i would move briefly out of site, so ducking down and rummaging through a cupboard in the kitchen, going into the bathroom for a second or two. Eventually we moved up to putting him in there for 15mins while we were solidly out of the room, then for 15mins while we went to the corner store. He calmed down. It was a really slow process but now he gets his breakfast and then grabs his kong and lays in his crate with that for god knows how long. Doesnt even care that i have left, doesnt watch me go. Me leaving = yummy kong.

As for nights. Best thing i did was get him a crate. Granted eventually he will be sleeping in our room so it made it easier. But the use of a crate i think saved me from many sleepless nights. He cried for about 10mins the first night, in which case i eventually just put my hand down between the crate and the bed so he could sniff it and he was quite. Didnt talk to him, just ignored him but he knew i was there. He now goes into his crate happily and he sleeps soundly next to my bed. If he starts to get restless and it wakes me up, i still put my hand down, he usually has a sniff and then he is quiet again. It is also a great way to toilet train.

Good luck.

[silverdog]

Baby weims can be a challenge, that's for sure. This is a breed that is EXTREMELY attached to people. They do not do well on their own without some training, especially as young puppies.

You can gradually train him to be on his own, but that will not happen instantly, and to expect such behaviour from a baby weim is just being unrealistic.

Get a crate. (It will be the best investment you can make). Put it right beside your bed. Pup will fuss a bit at first, but if you ignore it, he will settle and go to sleep knowing you are close by. At his age you will still need to take him out once or twice during the night, and if he is beside you, it is much easier to hear him when he needs to go out. You can always move the crate to the laundry during the day.

Be prepared to be strong. Weim puppies can put on quite a show when demanding to be let out of that crate at first. You will swear that he is being murdered in there and will be amazed at the volume and creativity of his howls. But, if you can tough it out for three or four nights, he will realize quickly that no matter how much he carries on, he is not coming out of there. Weims are smart, and you can use that to your advantage. However, give in just once during this critical period and let him out for a cuddle or a nap with you, and you will plant the seed of hope in his clever little head and he will just double his efforts to convince you that he MUST come out of the crate right now or he will DIE.

I have crate trained many, many weimaraner puppies, and they all follow a very predictable pattern. They all start out in a crate beside the bed, they all put up a fuss for the first few nights, and eventually they end up happily in whatever room I want them to be in. They all love their crates and go in them of their own accord to sleep, chew bones or just hang out. The trick is to not put the crate is such an out of the way place that your weim feels isolated.

Also, do not leave him out in the yard alone while you are out. Again, this is breed that HATES being separated from their humans. Even my well trained, well adjusted adult weims HATE being banished to the backyard (and that is how they view it.. banishment) Unless I am out there with them , of course. Then they are delighted to be out there. Additionally, this is a breed that is renowned for being very clever, very stubborn and very determined. A lonely desperate pup will soon decide to take matters into his own hands and will try to either dig his way out of your yard, or chew his way into your house. Or, to dig up your shrubs. Not tricks you want to be teaching him. Really, you are setting yourself up for all sorts of problem behaviours if you leave him out in the yard alone at this point.

Crate him inside during the day if you need to go out for short periods of time. (I would say, at his age two hours max, and then only after he has had a good romp, has peed etc). Give him a stuffed kong to keep him entertained.

Also, crate him when you shower, make dinner or any other times you cannot supervise him. This will accomplish two things. It will keep him out of trouble and hasten the whole process of house breaking because he will not have any opportunity to accidentally poo or pee in the house when you are not looking, and it will get him used to the idea that when you put him in his crate he is meant to stay put until you let him out again.

And no, this will NOT make him hate his crate at bedtime. He won't care what he is in, as long as he is close to you.

If you have to go out for long periods of time, either crate him and arrange for someone to come in at regular intervals to let him out to pee and stretch his legs or set up a SMALL area of your house that he will be safe in. (And be prepared for possible chewed baseboards, chewed drywall, chewed chair legs... well, you get the picture. Basically, my way of saying that a formal dining room is perhaps not the best place for a weim puppy. ) You really do need to weim-proof any area he will be left alone in for extended periods of time.

Weimaraner puppies are NOT good candidates for roaming the house or yard unsupervised for long periods of time. They can get into all sorts of trouble.

On the other hand, a good foundation of crate training, and learning to be alone now, will give you lovely, easy to live with weim once he is grown up.

Good luck. It can be done.

[jessie86]

I would rethink crate training him , but if you want him to sleep in your room you may as well move him in as it is less than a week since he came home he may well need a bit longer to settle as well

by all means he should spend some time outside or away from you on and off each day when you are home , but work on not letting him back with you when he is making a fuss or the behaviour will not extinguish

Some babies are more dependant than others and it takes time , have a chat to your neighbours and let them know he is only new and will settle soon and thank them for their understanding as you are trying to get him to settle down

enjoy your new pup looking forward to pics :D :D

Thank you so much for the advice! He is getting used to more alone time and I'm doing exactly what you suggested spending time away from him when I'm home that way he is able to settle himself to sleep instead of me settling him.

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

I would rethink crate training him , but if you want him to sleep in your room you may as well move him in as it is less than a week since he came home he may well need a bit longer to settle as well

by all means he should spend some time outside or away from you on and off each day when you are home , but work on not letting him back with you when he is making a fuss or the behaviour will not extinguish

Some babies are more dependant than others and it takes time , have a chat to your neighbours and let them know he is only new and will settle soon and thank them for their understanding as you are trying to get him to settle down

enjoy your new pup looking forward to pics :D :D

Thank you so much for the advice! He is getting used to more alone time and I'm doing exactly what you suggested spending time away from him when I'm home that way he is able to settle himself to sleep instead of me settling him.

That is so good to hear , it is so much easier when they start to settle down and you stop wondering what on earth you were thinking when you brought home this howling little monster LOL

[jessie86]

If I were an 8 week old puppy I would cry too out in the back yard alone for 3 hours.

Its bloody freezing, the back yard is a big unknown place & he is not used to being alone. Not the safest place either.

Haven't you got a room you can puppy proof to leave him in while you are at work.

Thank you for your advice, it only ended up being 90 minutes that he was alone, and trust me I felt absolutely horrible leaving him, but the hard reality was that I had to go into the office.

I left him a hot water bottle and a kong and lots of toys, and he was so good! Slept in his kennel which has sunlight all day so is nice and warm and stopped crying after 5minutes (according to my neighbour) so he is definitely starting to get used to alone time!

[jessie86]

Baby weims can be a challenge, that's for sure. This is a breed that is EXTREMELY attached to people. They do not do well on their own without some training, especially as young puppies.

You can gradually train him to be on his own, but that will not happen instantly, and to expect such behaviour from a baby weim is just being unrealistic.

Get a crate. (It will be the best investment you can make). Put it right beside your bed. Pup will fuss a bit at first, but if you ignore it, he will settle and go to sleep knowing you are close by. At his age you will still need to take him out once or twice during the night, and if he is beside you, it is much easier to hear him when he needs to go out. You can always move the crate to the laundry during the day.

Be prepared to be strong. Weim puppies can put on quite a show when demanding to be let out of that crate at first. You will swear that he is being murdered in there and will be amazed at the volume and creativity of his howls. But, if you can tough it out for three or four nights, he will realize quickly that no matter how much he carries on, he is not coming out of there. Weims are smart, and you can use that to your advantage. However, give in just once during this critical period and let him out for a cuddle or a nap with you, and you will plant the seed of hope in his clever little head and he will just double his efforts to convince you that he MUST come out of the crate right now or he will DIE.

I have crate trained many, many weimaraner puppies, and they all follow a very predictable pattern. They all start out in a crate beside the bed, they all put up a fuss for the first few nights, and eventually they end up happily in whatever room I want them to be in. They all love their crates and go in them of their own accord to sleep, chew bones or just hang out. The trick is to not put the crate is such an out of the way place that your weim feels isolated.

Also, do not leave him out in the yard alone while you are out. Again, this is breed that HATES being separated from their humans. Even my well trained, well adjusted adult weims HATE being banished to the backyard (and that is how they view it.. banishment) Unless I am out there with them , of course. Then they are delighted to be out there. Additionally, this is a breed that is renowned for being very clever, very stubborn and very determined. A lonely desperate pup will soon decide to take matters into his own hands and will try to either dig his way out of your yard, or chew his way into your house. Or, to dig up your shrubs. Not tricks you want to be teaching him. Really, you are setting yourself up for all sorts of problem behaviours if you leave him out in the yard alone at this point.

Crate him inside during the day if you need to go out for short periods of time. (I would say, at his age two hours max, and then only after he has had a good romp, has peed etc). Give him a stuffed kong to keep him entertained.

Also, crate him when you shower, make dinner or any other times you cannot supervise him. This will accomplish two things. It will keep him out of trouble and hasten the whole process of house breaking because he will not have any opportunity to accidentally poo or pee in the house when you are not looking, and it will get him used to the idea that when you put him in his crate he is meant to stay put until you let him out again.

And no, this will NOT make him hate his crate at bedtime. He won't care what he is in, as long as he is close to you.

If you have to go out for long periods of time, either crate him and arrange for someone to come in at regular intervals to let him out to pee and stretch his legs or set up a SMALL area of your house that he will be safe in. (And be prepared for possible chewed baseboards, chewed drywall, chewed chair legs... well, you get the picture. Basically, my way of saying that a formal dining room is perhaps not the best place for a weim puppy. ;) ) You really do need to weim-proof any area he will be left alone in for extended periods of time.

Weimaraner puppies are NOT good candidates for roaming the house or yard unsupervised for long periods of time. They can get into all sorts of trouble.

On the other hand, a good foundation of crate training, and learning to be alone now, will give you lovely, easy to live with weim once he is grown up.

Good luck. It can be done.

Thank you so much for your fantastic advice! Weim pups are absolutely beautiful but they are very demanding! I grew up with Weims my whole life and have completely forgotten the angst of the puppy period, but loving it at the same time!

We're still a little apprehensive of the crate, the breeder swore by them and I know a lot of people love them and I see the positives of giving the dog a safe and secure place, but the system we have going at the moment seems to be working for now so we'll soldier on, I was told there is a crate manufacturer in QLD that makes really great crates, it's going to take two weeks if we get it, so tossing it all up at the moment.

We don't want him to sleep in our bedroom, is it worth while putting the crate in our laundry??

[jessie86]

If I were an 8 week old puppy I would cry too out in the back yard alone for 3 hours.

Its bloody freezing, the back yard is a big unknown place & he is not used to being alone. Not the safest place either.

Haven't you got a room you can puppy proof to leave him in while you are at work.

Thank you for your advice, it only ended up being 90 minutes that he was alone, and trust me I felt absolutely horrible leaving him, but the hard reality was that I had to go into the office.

I left him a hot water bottle and a kong and lots of toys, and he was so good! Slept in his kennel which has sunlight all day so is nice and warm and stopped crying after 5minutes (according to my neighbour) so he is definitely starting to get used to alone time!

Also, we life in a terrace, and our backyard is completely puppy proofed and empty with only his kennel and lots of toys, so he is quite safe and we have a lock up garaged so there's no way he could escape.

[jessie86]

I would rethink crate training him , but if you want him to sleep in your room you may as well move him in as it is less than a week since he came home he may well need a bit longer to settle as well

by all means he should spend some time outside or away from you on and off each day when you are home , but work on not letting him back with you when he is making a fuss or the behaviour will not extinguish

Some babies are more dependant than others and it takes time , have a chat to your neighbours and let them know he is only new and will settle soon and thank them for their understanding as you are trying to get him to settle down

enjoy your new pup looking forward to pics

Thank you so much for your wise advice! He's such a clever smart puppy, toilet training is so easy with him, he already has the hang of it, and he is now fine spending alone time at 15 minutes outside.

At night time, he walks himself to the laundry when he's tired of playing and literally puts himself to sleep, so we're pretty confident that he likes the laundry as it's nice and dry and warm!