Hi
I have just got a 8 week old chocolate lab and am having problems at nignt time.
I put her in the kitchen in her bed and shut her in but she spends most of the night crying, barking and sratcing at the door, It is sad to hear but do not want to get in the habit of coming down to try and quieten her down all the time as I know this iswhat she wants, does anyne have any suggestions!
Puppy
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Re: Puppy
Hiya,
She's very young and is scared of her new environment. Coming to a new family is a big change in her short life, and she misses her mother. Until she's used to her new home and family she'll do that. You're doing the right thing by not running to her. Try putting a clock under her blanket, the ticking sound will sound like her mother's heart beat, it helps a lot. Did the breeder give you a blanket or anything that smells of her mother? Admittedly, it would be easier/increase her trust and bond with you, if she spent time in your room in a crate for the first few nights. All alone is pretty rough on a baby.
http://www.petco.com/product/10534/Comf ... SiteSearch Things like that also help soothe their worries.
She's very young and is scared of her new environment. Coming to a new family is a big change in her short life, and she misses her mother. Until she's used to her new home and family she'll do that. You're doing the right thing by not running to her. Try putting a clock under her blanket, the ticking sound will sound like her mother's heart beat, it helps a lot. Did the breeder give you a blanket or anything that smells of her mother? Admittedly, it would be easier/increase her trust and bond with you, if she spent time in your room in a crate for the first few nights. All alone is pretty rough on a baby.
http://www.petco.com/product/10534/Comf ... SiteSearch Things like that also help soothe their worries.
Re: Puppy
Congrats on your new puppy. We too have a new 9 week old yellow lab, Izzy. We got her one week ago today. We are using a crate for her at night. My husband made it smaller with a divider so she can only sleep and turn around in there. The first 3 nights she was crying and yipping most of the night. THe last 3 nights she whines for about 2 minutes and sleeps for 7 HOUR stretches. I have a blanket in there and a piece of my worn clothing (for my scent). I withhold water for 2 hours before bedtime and feed her at least 3 hours before bedtime. She seems to be adjusting beautifully. This also worked with our now 10 year old lab when he was a pup and our labs growing up as a kid. Helps tremendously with potty training (especially at night!) Dogs are den dwellers naturally and a smaller area helps with security. Hope that helps.......
Re: Puppy
Put the puppy in the bedroom next to you in her crate. Theres no reason for her to be so far from you at her young age. Follow the suggestions of keeping space small & having a blanket, old t shirt with your scent on it, or better yet her mothers. Can you give a blanket to the mother to sleep on for a night then bring it back for pup to sleep with? It does take about a week(more or less) for pup to stop whining at night. With pup next to your bed you can easily comfort her, or whisk her out to potty. Do not get irritated or fuss at her. Remain calm, & in no time it'll be a distant memory. Slowly you can move crate away from your bed then eventually out of the room if that's your preference. But for now its best to keep pup next to you until she is potty trained thru the nite.
Re: Puppy
I agree with maximoo. For everyone's sake right now, she would probably do better closer to you. As maximoo said, it doesn't have to be permanent, you can transition her out of your room when things get better.
But, hearing you breath, and move in your sleep, that can really be comforting to a new puppy. Right now you are the sole provider of everything good: food, shelter, treats, cuddles, toys, etc. When you shut her downstairs in the kitchen, she is so far from everything she knows, and she can't hear or smell you....
But, hearing you breath, and move in your sleep, that can really be comforting to a new puppy. Right now you are the sole provider of everything good: food, shelter, treats, cuddles, toys, etc. When you shut her downstairs in the kitchen, she is so far from everything she knows, and she can't hear or smell you....
Re: Puppy
when i got my pup I kept the pup in my room made a little bed for her and i put a heating pad next to her it helped her alot because sleeping with her mom and brothers and sisters there was warm body heat i did that for the first week and after that she seemed fine.
Re: Puppy
Yep, in a crate in your room by your bed, so you can dangle a hand in there, and you can wake up and take her outside to potty the second she stirs rather than not until shes screaming, or done it in the crate.
The old idea about leaving them in another room, to scream, is horrible, quite honestly.
What they actually learn from this is that humans will yell and shhout at them, and will EVENTUALLY come back, IF they scream for hours on end.
Some pups have more stamina than others, some will scream themselves to sleep in the end, some will just scream until you come down, and they WILL think that it is their efforts that brought you back.
Two things happen here - firstly your neighbours hate you and hate your dog - thats a bad bad plan if you intend on living there for the rest of your dogs life. Secondly the first few impressionable weeks of your pups life are filled with stress, distress, fear and anxiety, and probably learning thatyou are a grumpy stroppy sort of person (you can pretend to be happy getting up after no sleep to a pup covered in wee in a crate, or a kitchen covered in wee and poo.... but the puppy will see through these lies!).
The priority when a new puppy comes home is bonding with you, and toilet training. Learning to sleep in another room on their own comes later, when they are mature enough, have the bladder/bowel control, and are confident enough to handle it.
Forcing puppies to sleep in another room and ignoring them yelling is building the foundations for seperation anxiety!
The old idea about leaving them in another room, to scream, is horrible, quite honestly.
What they actually learn from this is that humans will yell and shhout at them, and will EVENTUALLY come back, IF they scream for hours on end.
Some pups have more stamina than others, some will scream themselves to sleep in the end, some will just scream until you come down, and they WILL think that it is their efforts that brought you back.
Two things happen here - firstly your neighbours hate you and hate your dog - thats a bad bad plan if you intend on living there for the rest of your dogs life. Secondly the first few impressionable weeks of your pups life are filled with stress, distress, fear and anxiety, and probably learning thatyou are a grumpy stroppy sort of person (you can pretend to be happy getting up after no sleep to a pup covered in wee in a crate, or a kitchen covered in wee and poo.... but the puppy will see through these lies!).
The priority when a new puppy comes home is bonding with you, and toilet training. Learning to sleep in another room on their own comes later, when they are mature enough, have the bladder/bowel control, and are confident enough to handle it.
Forcing puppies to sleep in another room and ignoring them yelling is building the foundations for seperation anxiety!
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant