[anthony1832]

Going to do this in a number style so it can be answered in the same format.

1.) I just got a new puppy on Monday, and whenever she is left in a room without someone she barks and crys like crazy. She is only 8 weeks old, and I want to nip this in the butt before it becomes a real problem. Is she too young to try and stop this? Should I wait until she is older, then train her?

2.) Also, when I crate her she goes insane and crys/barks. When I first brought her home she loved her crate, now she hates it. I haven't tried feeding or treating her in it yet, but I am going to now. I put her in at about 8:15AM, feed her and let her out at lunch,around 12:15-12:45, and then put her in until about 4:30-5:30, is that too long? Whats the best way to keep her from crying in her crate? At night she is fine as long as I am near her.

3.)Also, this morning she peed in her cage and she was only in it for 1.5 hours, I let her outside before I put her in, and she peed. Is there something wrong with her? She has some intestinal worms but they are being treated.

4.)All in all, I really want her to be able to occupy herself and be happy without human contact for some part of the day. When I am home I spend every minute with her, but I would like to train her to be in a room by herself and be happy, so I can get some chores done. Should I spend every minute I can with her? Or should I force her to be by herself when I am home? Either way I don't mind, I just don't want her to become so attached that she can't play without me.

Sorry for the long post, I'm stressed to the max about this! I just want her to be happy, please help!

 

[TooneyDogs]

Going to do this in a number style so it can be answered in the same format.

1.) I just got a new puppy on Monday, and whenever she is left in a room without someone she barks and crys like crazy. She is only 8 weeks old, and I want to nip this in the butt before it becomes a real problem. Is she too young to try and stop this? Should I wait until she is older, then train her?

It might help to understand why she does this: Puppies come with a hard-wired survival instinct to stay close to the pack...her very life depends on it as in the wild separation from the pack is often a death sentence. Training starts on day one..

2.) Also, when I crate her she goes insane and crys/barks. When I first brought her home she loved her crate, now she hates it. I haven't tried feeding or treating her in it yet, but I am going to now. I put her in at about 8:15AM, feed her and let her out at lunch,around 12:15-12:45, and then put her in until about 4:30-5:30, is that too long? Whats the best way to keep her from crying in her crate? At night she is fine as long as I am near her.

See #1. You're staying close is important but, you also have to teach some independence that comes with confidence building and age. Older dogs learn that being alone is OK but, it takes lots of small steps.


3.)Also, this morning she peed in her cage and she was only in it for 1.5 hours, I let her outside before I put her in, and she peed. Is there something wrong with her? She has some intestinal worms but they are being treated.

Way too long. Puppies need to go out every hour.

4.)All in all, I really want her to be able to occupy herself and be happy without human contact for some part of the day. When I am home I spend every minute with her, but I would like to train her to be in a room by herself and be happy, so I can get some chores done. Should I spend every minute I can with her? Or should I force her to be by herself when I am home? Either way I don't mind, I just don't want her to become so attached that she can't play without me.

Confidence building takes time. That's why socialization is so important....teaching the puppy how to cope with fears. If this is all new to you (socialization, confidence building, trust building, potty training, etc.) then I strongly recommend puppy kindergarten classes.

Sorry for the long post, I'm stressed to the max about this! I just want her to be happy, please help!

P.S. Good luck with your new puppy!

 

[briteday]

You just took an 8 week old baby away from its mother and siblings. It's going to cry. Get used to it. Crating that young of a pup for 4 hours is not a good idea. You need to have someone come mid-morning and mid-afternoon to let the pup out. If you need to get a few chores done around the house (without the pup under foot) I would suggest that you do something to tire the pup out (fetch, play outside, long walk) before chores. Then put the crate in a room that has an easily cleanable floor (bathroom, kitchen, laundry room) preferably where the dog can see you moving around, and gate the room off so the pup stays there. Maybe he will go into his crate to sleep or lay down on the floor and watch you.

Puppies are a lot of effort but the rewards are enormous!

 

[rosemaryninja]

1.) I just got a new puppy on Monday, and whenever she is left in a room without someone she barks and crys like crazy. She is only 8 weeks old, and I want to nip this in the butt before it becomes a real problem. Is she too young to try and stop this? Should I wait until she is older, then train her?

Never too young to start training. First of all, remember that she's a baby, only recently separated from her mother and littermates. Being alone is instinctively dangerous for a puppy; it usually means death. So try to spend as much time with her as possible. I realise this isn't feasible 24/7, so when she does cry, it can help to leave in her crate an old t-shirt that smells like you and a durable chew toy. Don't give her attention or uncrate her every time she cries; you don't want her to think that she'll get attention every time she barks.

2.) Also, when I crate her she goes insane and crys/barks. When I first brought her home she loved her crate, now she hates it. I haven't tried feeding or treating her in it yet, but I am going to now. I put her in at about 8:15AM, feed her and let her out at lunch,around 12:15-12:45, and then put her in until about 4:30-5:30, is that too long? Whats the best way to keep her from crying in her crate? At night she is fine as long as I am near her.

Put the crate in your room, next to your bed so she can see/smell/hear you. That will help a lot with the crying. Also bear in mind that she cannot hold her bladder for more than two hours right now, so she should not be crated for any longer than that. She needs to be let out to pee every two hours or so, or she will mess in her crate.

4.)All in all, I really want her to be able to occupy herself and be happy without human contact for some part of the day. When I am home I spend every minute with her, but I would like to train her to be in a room by herself and be happy, so I can get some chores done. Should I spend every minute I can with her? Or should I force her to be by herself when I am home? Either way I don't mind, I just don't want her to become so attached that she can't play without me.

You need to be slightly more patient with her... remember that you are dealing with a baby animal here. She's not yet built any confidence or independence, and you need to help nurture those qualities.