He is 8 weeks old; I have had him 4 1/2 days. He has no leash training so walking him isn't really an option. Not to mention that he doesn't really want to move around much at all. He doesn't even explore the house. He will not come out of his kennel. I have to pick him up to take him outside. I'm worried that if he keeps being this way he will learn he has to be picked up out of his kennel that he can't just walk out on his own. I have opened the kennel door and sat down across the room. He lays on the bed inside the kennel and either watches me or goes to sleep. I sat on the floor with kennel door open for 4 hours and nothing but naps or watches me; with hardwood floors those 4 hours were very uncomfortable. He has an activity ball that slowly feeds him treats, but he honestly has no interest in it. Perhaps he just doesn't like the treat, if so I bought 4 bags of them and they're useless. I want to start slowly training him like to use the bell to go outside, sit, lay down; just simple commands, but without him having any interest in the world around him or treats I am stuck.
Overnight he is in his kennel with several toys, a water bowl (I don't put a whole lot in the bowl for overnight), and his activity ball. I have read in several places that it is not good for you to scold dogs inside their kennel, so to remove myself from temptation of scolding him for crying I have started wearing earplugs to bed. Half way through the night I will take my earplugs out and if he is crying I wait for him to be quiet at least 15-20 seconds before I get up to take him outside, if he is quiet when I take my earplugs out I get up and take him out. The last two nights when I have woken up he is quiet. Half the time when I take him outside in the middle of the night he will sit down where I sit him and just stare at me, sometimes he will walk around a bit and go potty. The first night with him he was completely quiet other than the sounds of him chewing on his stuffed alligator. The second night he whined all the way through. I kept calmly talking to him. The third night I decided that I would try the silent treatment, this is where I decided to start wearing the earplugs. He was a bit whiny but not as bad compared to the night before. The fourth night he was slightly whiny at the start of going to bed, but from then on I couldn't hear him through the earplugs. I plan on tonight trying it without the earplugs and see how he is truly doing.
During the day I like to keep him in the same room with me. Usually the kitchen because it has the door to outside right there. He lays under the table and either sleeps, or plays with himself and his toys. If I try to join in the play stops. I have baby gates up to control his wondering, but he doesn't explore any further than under the kitchen table.
I know he is still adjusting to the new home and the separation. I think he is slowly warming up to me as he wags his tail when I pet him or when I walk into the room.
Also, I work 7 1/2 hours every Saturday. I can't come home and let him out during my shift; I don't have the extra money to hire someone; my neighbors aren't friendly; my boyfriend works an ever changing schedule, so I don't really have any other choice but to keep him in his kennel all day. Its a large kennel, built for Great Danes. He is not a Great Dane, but he is going to be a BIG dog.
