Puppy Anxiety

[scottie_hines]

Hi everyone my name Scott and first time posting here been reading abit. I just pick up my adorable Border collie pup yesterday and his 8 weeks old.

I have owned dogs but never a pup. My question is yes he is a baby and wants to be around me 24/ 7 and i was really surprised last night for his first night he only carried on once at 3am and was up at 6 but he had a bit of diarera and alittle chuck at 3 am i am not overly concerned as he is eating this morning and is happy and playful.

Now to my actual question whats the best way to start whining him off my total supervision i rather get him used to me going inside and him outside for periods of time so he gets used to and it is not a huge shock to him when i go back to work on the 16th. I have got him a kong and started trying to teach him that it has food and abit of peanut butter in it and i also have my house mates 7 year old kelpie which has settled down with the pup. Should i just leave him outside with his toys for say 15 to 20 min to start with and ignore the crys and stuff and come back out and ignore him for a couple of min than give some attention with the keplie inside with me ? Any advice will be helpful last thing i want is a stressed out dog every time i leave his sight.

Thanks everyone loves puppy photos so here is one of him

[dancinbcs]

First male Border Collies prefer to be wherever their owners are and do not do well being left on their own. Given the choice they will sit on your lap and follow you everywhere including the bathroom so you need to make them secure in the knowledge, that wherever you go without them, you will come back. My current 8 year old male sometimes still sits outside the door and cries a bit if I go to have a shower. I'm sure he thinks there is a secret exit in the bathroom and all my other males have been the same. The girls don't give a toss.

If they are left with another dog they usually cope better. Are you going to be leaving the puppy with the Kelpie for company when you go back to work? If so I would be starting to leave the puppy with the Kelpie for a few minutes at a time. You can also put him in a pen or crate on his own in the house and leave him alone for gradually increasing amounts of time, always with something to chew or play with. Make it all matter of fact, no fuss on leaving or coming back and he will gradually adjust.

Good luck with your new baby.

[scottie_hines]

yeah thanks its only really early days atm and my house mate works shift so the first 2 weeks when i am back at work the pup will be left completely alone for no more than same 3 or 4 hours and when i can trust the keplie i will be leaving him with the pup his pretty good atm just doesnt like the pup trying to come up to him when he laying on his mat and stuff. The pup isnt really food driven just yet but i chucked some left over pork in the kong and he took to it alot better than kibble and abit of peanut butter cheers

[scottie_hines]

oh i didnt attach the photo woops

[Tassie]

Welcome to you and your new pup - looks super. (Don't forget to come over to the Border Collie pics thread in the Breed Sub-forums!)

First male Border Collies prefer to be wherever their owners are and do not do well being left on their own. Given the choice they will sit on your lap and follow you everywhere including the bathroom so you need to make them secure in the knowledge, that wherever you go without them, you will come back. My current 8 year old male sometimes still sits outside the door and cries a bit if I go to have a shower. I'm sure he thinks there is a secret exit in the bathroom and all my other males have been the same. The girls don't give a toss.

dancinbcs - you are so right. (BTW Scott, dancinbcs is hugely knowedgeable on all things Border Collie :D ) It's one of the nice things about this breed, and one of the things that makes them so trainable, and so very willing to learn - anything! - that they think being with their person is the best thing since sliced bread. But they can and do learn to wait patiently on their own. I find that a crate or playpen really helps - it becomes their safe place, and since you' will be showing that you will always return, they can settle down in there.

[dancinbcs]

yeah thanks its only really early days atm and my house mate works shift so the first 2 weeks when i am back at work the pup will be left completely alone for no more than same 3 or 4 hours and when i can trust the keplie i will be leaving him with the pup his pretty good atm just doesnt like the pup trying to come up to him when he laying on his mat and stuff. The pup isnt really food driven just yet but i chucked some left over pork in the kong and he took to it alot better than kibble and abit of peanut butter cheers

Very cute puppy. I find the best way to have an adult and puppy together is to have an area set up for the puppy with with something the older dog can jump over into that area but the puppy can't get out. So the older dog has the option of interacting with the puppy or not. This is of course easier said than done with Border babies who seem to be as agile as monkeys and have the ability to chew through or climb over just about anything.

A good pupy pen will help with leaving the puppy alone. Make sure it is a tall one with less footholds. This can be moved around to suit where you want him confined and he will learn he is safe in the pen until you return. Google puppy pens and you will see lots for sale. You need one at least 36" tall like this one.

Puppy pen

Otherwise put the puppy in an enclosed room with nothing he can destroy and use a sturdy baby gate so he can see out but not escape. His confined area becomes his safe haven while you are away. Once he is a lttle older he can be left in a secure outdoor yard with suitable shelter but I always advise keeping Borders under lock an key until they are out of the really cute stage at 4 months. Puppies do get stolen while they are cute but when they hit the gangly stage at 4 months they are not so appealing to thieves.

[mumof4girls]

What a cutie :-)

Edit: sp

Edited December 29, 2011 by mumof4girls

[Dogsfevr]

Wit our pups they have access outside at all times we find withing a week of settling to life changes they will happily spend hrs outside without needing us on there terms .

We encourage our puppy owners to follow the same thing ignore pup to teach it venture of on its own but not making it cut/dry with the door shut .

I guess it depends what the routine will be latter on house.outside or both .

We find allowing them to think there brave & successful works so much better than our way or no way & never had an issue in 25 years

[scottie_hines]

thanks dancinbcs well i have found already that if i close the sliding door to keep him outside he will cry when i go for 5 min than quieten for couple of min than start up again louder i left him out for 15 min 3 times today and only go back out when he is quiet, but however i gave him abit of a training season and had a good result with sit which i am surprised he picked it up so quickly and than had a play and sat out the back with him and he fell asleep and stayed out there after i left him for a good 2 hours with the door open than he ventured in and piddled on the tiles thank god. The only reason why i dont want him venturing inside to much atm is because of the carpet and we are in a rental. So i cant trust him atm so i am trying develop him only going to the toilet on the grass outside. The play pen is a good idea and i will try and get him one next pay. And as far as the older dog is concerned he is showing no interest in the pup at this stage which is alot better than being aggressive i guess.

I am going to take him for a little drive down to the road to get him a high sided box or something similar so i can have him in my room tonight to try and get him to sleep quietly by making him feel abit more secure than his bed in the laundry by himself. When i am in the same room he falls asleep really easily its only when he realizes i am not in the room he has a cry. And my house mate comes home tomorrow and i cant have him in the laundry crying all hours of the a night. so with the box or what ever i find as i dont really have enough money to buy a create atm put his kong with some treats in it and say hide a little bit of meat or a chew stick in there for the night with a heat pack under his beding and a clock to help whats everyone's thoughts ??

[scottie_hines]

I tend to agree showdog with letting him gain his confidence rather than discipline seems to stress him out abit more and when i mean discipline i am more referring to mine to not go out to shut him up and i think its just a little odd he seems to be happily staying out there atm with the door open to the house but as soon as i close it he would start crying and whinging. And would the crate / Box sleeping box be good for him to be in while i watch tellie or should i let him on the carpet and just keep a bloody good eye on him to when he needs to go to the toilet he seems alittle unpredictable atm with when he needs to pee as he went a hour and abit without this morning and than did one this afternoon on the grass and i praised him than he followed me into the house and about a min later peed on the tiles.

cheers

[dancinbcs]

Male Border babies are usually really quick to housetrain.

My routine will all of mine has been for them to sleep in the laundry with a baby gate or a playpen with a bed at one end and newspaper at the other. They are fed 3-4 times a day and have access to water from the first thing in the morning until last thing at night, then it is taken up. I leave them with toys to chew overnight but not food type items because theose chews make them thirsty.

Puppies need to pee as soon as they wake up whatever time of the day or night, straight after meals and at any time they get excited. They should poop first thing in the morning then after each meal. Mine are taken out to toilet at these times and given a command word (I use "hurry up) then praise when they go. Also stay out a little longer with them in case they go a second time in a few minutes. Then they are allowed in the house for a game, training and cuddle while under strict observation. If I cannot concentrate on them 100% they go back into their pen or outside with a baby gate for them to see in. I toilet them last thing before I go to bed and only get up to take them out if they cry. Most sleep through the night after a few days and may pee on the newspaper overnight for a week or so, but it is usually first thing when they wake before you get to them. After about a week they usually have the idea and toilet on command and hold on all night. You still need to watch them closely on carpet until they work out the difference between grass and carpet and that can take a few weeks.

Putting the puppy in a large carton probably won't work. If it is high enough for him to not scramble out of, he will not be able to see out and will cry. He will also most likely eat a hole in it with a few hours. Borders need a steel crate or playpen that has an enclosed top or a sides too high to climb to confine them. I am always amazed to see litters of other breeds at the vets sitting in open top boxes. By the time you put a second Border in the first one would already be out. They never just sit still but have to be doing "something" unless they are asleep.

Edited December 29, 2011 by dancinbcs

[scottie_hines]

yeah thanks your right the box didnt work just stirred him up more last night was easy i ended up putting him in my en suite and left the door open he fell alseep quickly and every time he moved to go on the carpet he got a firm NO and caught onto it very quickly i took him out at about 4 this morning he went to the toilet got praised than straight back to bed took him alittle bit to settle down again but he got the point and was up at 6. Still crys the house down when i put him into a room and close the door i might try a grate across it and leave him in there till he settles down could take awhile cheers.