How to get puppy to sleep

[shane_c]

We got a new puppy on Friday afternoon and she refuses to settle down unless we are there with her. I know she's going through seperation anxiety and probably missing her mom and siblings and afraid because everything is new but what can I do to help her out? Yesterday evening we were out playing for about 2 hours (hoping to tire her out) and then we came in, put her down in the basement and stayed with her for a bit until she laid down. We went to bed at 10. She was crying and howling at 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, and 6. She will not stop unless someone goes and sits with her. I took this week off since it's her first week. She's been crying and howling since 7am and it's 8:30 now. I don't want to go and see her because it just reinforces that if she cries enough someone will go to her. But I don't want her to cry like this either. What has worked for those who have gone through this?

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by shane_c

We got a new puppy on Friday afternoon and she refuses to settle down unless we are there with her. I know she's going through seperation anxiety and probably missing her mom and siblings and afraid because everything is new but what can I do to help her out? Yesterday evening we were out playing for about 2 hours (hoping to tire her out) and then we came in, put her down in the basement and stayed with her for a bit until she laid down. We went to bed at 10. She was crying and howling at 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, and 6. She will not stop unless someone goes and sits with her. I took this week off since it's her first week. She's been crying and howling since 7am and it's 8:30 now. I don't want to go and see her because it just reinforces that if she cries enough someone will go to her. But I don't want her to cry like this either. What has worked for those who have gone through this?

For my pup, i kennelled her at night but kept the kennel/crate in the room. Dogs are pack animals and don't like being alone, so for the first week i slept beside the kennel/crate, then moved up to the bed. 2 years later she still sleeps in her crate, its her security blanket. Also, I know this will be time consuming, but everytime she cries you should take her outside to set the mind set that crying means let me out.

[Bobblehead]

I've been told a wind-up clock under a blanket that the puppy sleeps on sometimes helps. Apparently it simulates another dog's heartbeat.

I don't know if it works, but if you have a clock like that around it may be worth a try.

[Cowperson]

I'm no expert and not a dog trainer . . . . . so be careful with the notes below.

We have an attached two car garage and a detached two car garage. . . . . . the attached garage, which has no vehicles, is where we have the dogs in the evening. They have two sofas, blankets, etc.

When Abby was a newly acquired puppy, I hauled a mattress in there and stayed with her the first two nights, then left her alone from then on.

The howling . . . .!!!

But it eventually ends.

Leave a ticking clock with your pup. Or maybe a radio turned on softly.

Give your pup a treat when you leave her alone so she associates the action with being a good thing. Say "bedtime" or some similar word so she comes to associate it with a routine.

These days our dogs run up to the garage door and can't wait to get inside because they know I have treats for them.

All of the above does have a caveat . . . . there is legitimately something called "separation anxiety" that can be quite profound and real in certain dogs.

I think its too early to apply it to your pup without engaging in some of the strategies above . . . . . its all very new for her and she doesn't know how she fits into your pack yet.

But one thing you don't want is your dog learning that if she howls, you'll come running.

Also, puppies are little terrorists.



Abby turns eight in a few weeks . . . . but there was a time . . . .

Cowperson

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by undergradflame

For my pup, i kennelled her at night but kept the kennel/crate in the room. Dogs are pack animals and don't like being alone, so for the first week i slept beside the kennel/crate, then moved up to the bed. 2 years later she still sleeps in her crate, its her security blanket. Also, I know this will be time consuming, but everytime she cries you should take her outside to set the mind set that crying means let me out.

She only seems to want to play with her toys in her kennell. She always takes them in there and plays with them and leaves. If we try to put her in there, even if we are right outside the door, she cries. She seems to prefer to sleep right at our feet when we go down in the middle of the night.

[underGRADFlame]

She's beautiful. So a dog being a pack animal will follow the lead of the Alpha dog (meaning you). I really believe that you should try sleeping outside the kennell, once you sleep she should follow suite.

[Kybosh]

I have a couple suggestions that seemed to help with my dog when I first got her.

1) As already mentioned, keep the kennel in your room (at least for a week or two). When your pup whines do not take them out of the kennel, only stick a finger or two inside and see point 2).
2) When it's time for bed cover up the kennel with blankets to keep it nice and dark inside. That way the pup will learn when it's time to sleep and when it's time to play.
3) Put an old t-shirt or towel or something in there that smells like you. Better yet is if you could find some old towel that her littermates/mother played with.
4) Get one of those microwave heating pads and put it in the kennel at night. It will give the pup some simulated warmth.
5) Assuming the kennel is completely covered and your pup can't see outside, give the kennel a little shake or make some noise whenever they whine/howl. Make sure that they don't know it was you doing it though. I wouldn't try this one though unless the situation doesn't improve in three weeks or so.

Just remember that the howling won't go away until the pup is relatively settled. I was functioning on four or five hours (in one hour increments) of sleep every night for the first couple of weeks and it was brutal. It took Abbey about four months before she would sleep through the night (read six or seven hours). Now she is up to eight to ten hours depending on how tired she is.

[shane_c]

Thanks for the replies. I will have to try some of the suggestions.

[GrrlGoalie33]

You could also try getting a big stuffed animal to put in the kennel with her when she goes to sleep. Only give it to her in the kennel though as you don't want her thinking it's a toy.

I would recommend finding one that is approx. the same size as one of her littermates.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by Frankster

You could also try getting a big stuffed animal to put in the kennel with her when she goes to sleep. Only give it to her in the kennel though as you don't want her thinking it's a toy.

I would recommend finding one that is approx. the same size as one of her littermates.

Yeah I forgot about that, it helped with my pup too.

[Hemi-Cuda]

another reason why i like cats. solitary animals and they'll sleep where ever there's a soft spot. i also noticed that having a purring cat sitting next to me in bed will put me out like a light

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

another reason why i like cats. solitary animals and they'll sleep where ever there's a soft spot. i also noticed that having a purring cat sitting next to me in bed will put me out like a light

Yeah well sleeping next to a cat would kill me due to my allergies... And I just don't like them, just a animal I don't connect with, I'll take a dog with separation problems any day.

[browna]

Crate train ASAP. Best thing we could've done.
Have the crate in the bed room so he/she can see you while sleeping.

The sooner you do it, the less stress you put pup through, and less stress you'll have.

The sooner you do it, the sooner you teach them that it is their own "safe" or "comfy" place.

Ony recently (she just turned two) have we allowed our dog out of the crate at night, andd even during the day at home. Many times she will still retreat to the crate for a rest/nap/sleep...but only after constant reinforcement for the better part of two years..and that we started the crate training from Day 1, so she new nothing else with us.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by fotze

We crate trained for a while, then we realized it would be the best for us so we stopped. The problem is that husky's (if that is what it is) need ALOT of running, not just playing. Get it used to the off leash park as soon as you can, they will run until the puke. Also a doggy daycare like the superdog spectrum is a nice treat once a week. A tired dog is a good dog. Pretty much any dog that is acting up at home, isn't getting enough running.

I have an acquaintance who refused to take their retriever off leash ever, and needless to say it is a horrid dog. It eats its own ****, ALL THE TIME.

I'll second this in a big way. A good run off leash is the best medicine and also gives the dog good socialization. The one thing I would add though, that I'm sure everyone already knows, is that the dog should have basic obedience before being let off leash. . . to avoid problems.

On a sidenote I can't believe how expensive things like doggy daycare or pet insurance are. . . . it costs more than what I pay for myself consarnit. The pet industry is a bunch of no good cheats.

[Clarkey]

I'm horrible at training dogs. I'm a big suck and give in all the time and my girlfriend is worse. I've heard a lot of good things about crate training but I'm not a big fan of locking dogs in those things. I would say put a little bed or crate in the corner of the room and put up with the yowling for a few more days, it will likely subside a bit.

[Flames89]

You could always hit it over the head and knock it out ... ... :|