Seeking answers ASAP for new puppy issues

[Melissa]

(Also posted at Doodlekisses main group)  Hi everyone!  We are new to this group and glad we came across this site.  We have had dogs before, but this is our first venture with a puppy.  We just picked up our 9 week old goldendoodle puppy from the breeder one week ago.  While we realize each dog is unique we are seeking some general answers to help guide us to be better parents for our new puppy, Buddy.  Specifically:

 

1.  What is the TYPICAL period of adjustment we should expect for a puppy going from the breeders home to the new owners home (a couple weeks, several months)?  Of course we want him to feel comfortable and to be well adjusted, but how long should we allow before becoming concerned?

 

2.  Our 9 week old puppy intensely dislikes being confined to his sleeping crate or a larger playpen-sized enclosed area.  He barks incessantly if we are not present (within view).  Yesterday, he barked for two and a half hours nonstop until we came to let him out.  We have tried covering his crate with towels to no avail.  It is difficult for us to listen to his barking without wanting to respond.  The only time he doesn't bark is when he finally falls asleep (usually in our arms).  Then upon putting him in the crate to sleep, he wakes up.  Is this normal?  Is there a solution? 

 

3.  My husband and I both work from home so there is always someone here 24/7 to provide attention and companionship to Buddy.  We believed this would be the optimal situation for him, but he seems to need an exorbitant amount of attention.  Indeed, during the first week that we have had him we find that we are attending to him during most of our waking hours (and not getting much sleep at night either).  This situation is not sustainable, and we are puzzled about how people who work outside the home fulltime are able to manage.  What makes for a good balancing act?  Are we doing something wrong (being over-attentive)?

 

4.  We have introduced Buddy to a puppy-sized Kong.  Everyone says this will keep him occupied for hours.  In reality, he works at it for about 20 minutes before finishing it or becoming bored with it.  We are using the Kong stuffing instead of peanut butter, does that make a difference?  How should we load the Kong so that it is effective for a longer period?

 

5.  We suspect his barking may be due to pain he is experiencing from teething.  Is this possible?  Buddy has chew toys (different textures) but at this point he preferes to nip at the fingers that are holding the chew toys.  Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

 

Any suggestions and guidance is greatly appreciated to give us insight into this process that should seemingly be joyful and not so exasperating.  Thanks!

[Lu]

HI there

We picked up our pup just over a week ago (at 9 weeks) and certainly for the first 4 days we were with him 24/7 playing loads and loads. I very very slowly built up time away.

I read that to wean him off company 15 secs out of sight 10x, only re-entering the room when he is quiet and then doubling the amount of time away. But only extending the departure once he is happy with the time you are out. I worked at this constantly for 20 minutes and managed to get up to 3 mins.




I can now leave Ted sleepy but awake when I leave for 1 1/2 hours - when it gets up to 2 he starts pulling his pen apart.

I froze a Kong this morning just with kibble and water and a tiny amount of paste to stop the water leaking out of the whole - he liked this much better and it kept him going longer. There are some Kong recipes: http://www.ttlntl.co.uk/2/Health/kong_stuffing.htm, at various websites. But I'm with you: Ted is only bothered for minutes rather than hours.

Ted seems to have a sensitive tummy so we are sticking to frozen kibble at the mo.

The other thing that has been fab for Ted is really sticking to a routine. At 8.35 each morning I sit next to him in his pen until he is calm and then we all leave for the school run. I know that shortly after he falls asleep and the evidence suggests that he wakes as a play (read flid) and then is asleep when I return at 10.30 ( we did this this w/e aswell to keep the routine up).

At night he settles if one of us just sits patiently at the side of the pen - looking away until he settles. I spent the first 7 nights sleeping next to him, but have moved to my bed now, if he barks for a wee in the night I return him to the pen and sit until he settles again (usually no more than 2 mins now)

I will be following this with great interest.

[Leigh & Allie]

My dog is 6 months old now so I can still remember those times very well. I have a few thoughts that might be helpful.
1.It took Allie about 2 weeks to be adjusted. I work mostly from home so I am also home most of the day. 2. Do you put something in the crate for him to chew on? Is it possible to get his mom's scent on a toy or towel. I don't know how close you are to your breeder but I sent a puppy pal to my breeder and she rubbed the mom's scent on it. That seemed to help Allie a lot. She never cried or barked at night. She did wake up in the middle of the night for a few weeks but then slept through the night after that. When I took her out at night I did not talk to her at all. Just business and then right back to her crate. I did have her crate in my room at night. Have you tried that? Also I always leave a t.v. on and light on for her. 4. Have you tried bully sticks or deer antlers? I figured out bully sticks gave Allie an upset stomach so we cut that out but a lot of doodles love them. Now we give her deer antlers. 5. as far as the nipping, my vet told me to pinch her lip when she starts to nip at you. You are not pinching to hurt just to annoy her. Basically you are just holding her lip and you say "no bite" at six months old Allie no longer does this anymore. Hope this helps.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

This is gonna be long, but I'll see what I can do to help you out based on our experiences. My dogs are 1 year and almost 2 years old now so I'll have to reach back in my memory and remember this time.
We had the same trouble that you're having with both of our pups when we brought them home and started on crate training. It was absolutely miserable and I thought we'd never get through it, but they both eventually got used to their crates and run to get in them when we tell them to get in their kennel. I'm not sure if this was due to time or some of the things we did, but I'll tell you what we did and see if it works for you. Our trainer instructed us to make the crate only big enough so they could lay down comfortably and turn around. He also instructed us to block the part of the crate the puppy wasn't in so they couldn't see it (we bought the size crate our doodle would eventually need with a divider). We were sent home with a blanket for one of our pups and a stuffed toy with our other that had the litter's scent on them that we also put in the crate. We put a sheet over the kennel so that it was enclosed and a little darker for our puppy. From the time we came home we had the crate in whatever room we were in with the pup with the door open so they could go in and out as they pleased. We placed treats in the crate so they could find them and we also fed them in their kennels with the door closed once they were engaged with the food so they would associate good things with the kennel. When they would fall asleep after playing we would also place them in the kennel with the door open so they could get used to sleeping inside. At first we stayed in sight of them while they were in the kennel but one thing we tried to never do was remove them when they were crying or barking. Now all of this is great in theory if it works but I'll be honest both of our pups still cried and almost drove us crazy during the crate training phase and we broke many times and removed them from the kennel after a prolonged period of the crying. Some things we tried from there was to sit next to the crate while they were in there and give them a high value treat saying "good quiet" when they were quiet and ingnoring (looking away and pretending they weren't there) when they were barking/crying. We also placed the crate next to our bed and during the night I would often just put my fingers into the kennel which would quiet them. Just like others have said I never talked to them when taking them out to potty in the middle of the night. Make it all about business. We did not get to this point with either of ours, but my brother finally had to put his puppy in a part of the house where he couldn't hear her when she was in her kennel and wouldn't go back until the morning or after a period of time if it were not at night because he couldn't hold out against her crying, but knew he needed to. When we left the house both of ours would cry and whine, but we stood outside of the door to see how long it lasted and realized once we weren't in the house it only lasted about 5 minutes.
As far as how much time they take up during the day is, I think, dependent on the dog. Fenway our first needed a lot more time than Dustin our second, although maybe this had more to do with him already having a built in playmate in Fenway from the day he came home. Although Fen needed a lot of time she also slept A LOT. I was home for the summer at the time so was here all day. I would usually take her out for a romp in the morning after which she would sleep for quite a while and then we'd play again outside or in the living room (this is the place we designated as ok for her to play in) later in the day, which would again tire her out. She was in the same room with me all day long playing with me or on her own. It was puppy proofed so if I was working I really didn't worry too much about what she was doing and because she could come up to me even if I wasn't playing with her, she was ok. Doodles seem to be in my experience very attached to their people and they follow you everywhere!! Even as a puppy this was the case. So I guess if at all possible, let them be in the room with you while you work and I would imagine you would get more done. If it's not possible then perhaps they could play in an ex-pen in the room with you, but in sight of you. Play in the ex-pen with them to get them used to and let them know what to do in the pen. Put some of their favorite toys in there and do some of the same things with this pen as with the crate.
Kongs!!! These have never lasted our pups for very long either, but freezing them seems to make them last longer. We've put cut up apples with yogurt in there and frozen it. Apples/carrots dipped in peanut butter and frozen. Kibble and beef broth frozen. You name it and we've tried it. They love it, but I don't know how long it lasts once we're gone. Both of our doodles also love the antlers and cow knuckles, although you can only let them have a little of the knuckle at a time until the outside is gone because all of it at once can upset their stomach.
As far as the nipping at your fingers, I did the exact same thing as Leigh does. Hold their mouth closed, squeeze lightly and say "no bite." I also tried to then put something they could chew on in their mouth. We also used Nylabones for puppy teething when ours came home, but from some things I've read on here I'm not sure I would do that now because they can break off and cause problems.
I hope some of this helps. I know it can be a super frustrating time, but consistency, enforcing the discipline/rules you've set, and lots of exercise so they are tired out and you should be ok. If not there are tons of awesome people on this site that are always willing to help you out. Good luck and have fun with your new puppy!

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin is seven months old now. We were off work the first week, so we could devote time to training and adusting. I would hide treats in his crate randomly through out the day. He got in the habit of going in the crate on his own to check for them every time he walked by it. If I caught him I gave him praise. We would also randomly put him in there for 15 minutes at a time and then let him out. Sometimes we would be in sight, sometimes not. I also put him in his crate during out supper time so we could have a break too. He really only cried the first night, after that we moved the crate to just outside our bedroom so we could coo or offer soothing words when he started to whine. Gavin was 10.5 weeks old when we got him, so maybe being a bit older led to an easier adjustment. The other thing was we walked him and played and exercised him alot so that he was good and tired. It will get better Melissa; don't give up. Things always look worse through sleep-deprived eyes.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Lucy turns 4 months old next week, so all this is very fresh in my mind. It WAS very hectic/time consuming for several weeks when we first brought Lucy home at 7-1/2 weeks old, although I don't believe she had ANY amount of adjusting to do with our household. Maybe she wasn't the norm, but from the moment we held her to take her home she seemed to know she belonged to us. Never cried that first night, never once cried for her littermates. The breeder did give us a stuffed toy with mom's scent on it, and we also had a couple stuffed animals with our own scents on them (we slept with them one night). Those seemed to help her a lot, at least that I could tell. We kept them in her crate 24/7. The first day home we kept her crate door open and put her food and water dishes in them. She took to her crate immediately and loved it from the start. From Day 1 I had a routine I followed with Lucy. I don't work outside the home either, so I stuck with a schedule, basically, potty-feed-play-train-potty-nap-potty-feed-play-train-potty-nap... etc. Again, maybe Lucy isn't the norm but she had no problem going into her crate for naps... starting out with 1hr and now up to 3. She doesn't always sleep when she goes into her crate, but she goes in none the less, about twice a day now. And during those times I sometimes am in the same room with her and sometimes not. Sometimes I leave the house. One other thing that helped a lot in the beginning was playing the CD, "While You Are Gone, Music Pets Love". We have 2 copies and play one in the car only. I played it during nap times in the beginning. It really relaxes Lucy (even now) and relaxes me as well! Just playing classical music will help if that's all you do.

One of my 'can't live without' chew toys for Lucy is her bully sticks. I buy the stinkless kind online in bulk. She absolutely LOVES them and spends what must be hours a day chewing on them. They are my sanity's saviour! Lucy has never had any digestive problems with them. The Kongs never did engage Lucy's attention, although if I fill it with plain yogurt/peanut butter and freeze it, it does keep her interested till the filling is gone.

Nipping, now there's a dilemma! We're STILL working on that one, as Lucy nips when she gets excited or when we do something she doesn't like, like brush her or dry her feet after being outside. Spraying Binaca breath spray on our hands helps (especially if you spray your hand WHILE your pup is intent on biting it. A good deterrent, but so far it hasn't been the complete answer. We've tried everything I think, and saying, "NO" while looking into their eyes helps, although it taken Lucy all of 4 months to actually figure out what NO means.

These first couple months have been hard, filled with frustration, exhaustion and joy. But we're finally just now starting to realize how all the hard work and effort is starting to pay off, with a haiving pride in a well-mannered, well behaved, well adjusted puppy.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Melissa, It will get better. You already have received a lot of good advice. The one thing I did that was not mentioned was before I brought Fudge home, I purchased something called a Snuggle Puppy that has a heartbeat in it. You can get them at Amazon.com. The first night I put it in her crate and she snuggled right up to it and would bring it out of her crate every morning and carry it around. I positioned her crate right next to my side of the bed and if she would cry at all I just put my fingers in the crate to soothe her. She was very good almost from day one, but I was constantly shining a flashlight in that crate to see what was happening if I heard any movement. It drove my husband nuts, and probably Fudge too. I also started with a lot of blankets, etc. in the crate, but Fudge seemed to prefer the bare crate floor and still prefers the hardwood floors to any bed. She gets hot at night, so once we figured that out, things went even smoother. The other thing I did and I am sure there is probably arguments against this, but I kept her in bed with us until her last potty break and then put her in the crate. If she woke up in the night, I did not speak to her, just took her out, and returned her to the crate. If she woke up again closer to our getting up time, I took her out again, and then snuggled with her in our bed and many times we both fell back asleep. At about 6 months, I just opened the crate door and sometimes she would sleep in her crate, but other nights on her nearby dog bed. I have not had any accidents during the night and this worked for us. Also, I was very consistent in our bed time, etc. and this helped a lot.

Each day, from day one, I put her in the crate and left the house for short periods. I always leave the TV on, put a kong in her crate, and I use a fan to mute noises. I also crated her when I was in the room for short periods and would sit where she could see me, but I did not speak or interact with her. We never removed her from the crate until she was quiet. YOU need a break too, so Buddy will be fine in the crate while you take some time for yourself. Personally, I would love never having to use the crate, but it is a valuable training tool and allows you to leave the home and know your puppy is safe.

Bully sticks were my best friend the first weeks. They did keep Fudge occupied for a long time. Now, she demolishes them too quickly, so we have moved on to the elk antlers. Some chew toys I brought home, she was not interested in, but others she loved. You will figure this out. She did love to carry the Ty Bow wow beanies around too. Now, I save money and give her milk cartons, boxes, etc. and just watch her closely. She also loves to chew on carrots, but the food group is a better source than me about when to start introducing new foods. Plus, she would come running when we filled our glass with ice and she loved ice cubes.

Sorry this is so long, but we all went through it with the pups. I called my daughter almost daily telling her I thought I had made a huge mistake and was so tired at first I could have cried. NOW, I cannot imagine my life without my dog and am getting another puppy in March and starting all over. Try to enjoy Buddy. Exercise will help too. A tired dog is a good dog! Good luck. We are here for you!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

There is one thing that we did that isn't mentioned here, and I can honestly say that we had no seperation anxiety problems once we came home. WE GOT TWO PUPPIES! They still had each other for company! They slept in the same crate together and settled right down every night! Just a thought! lol .....

[Laura & Chewie]

Check my response out on the General Forum.

[Sandra Griffith]

You have been given some terrific advice here. To help with the nipping, I like to give puppies a "massage" for about one minute twice a day. You sit on the floor, hold the puppy in your lap and hook your thumb under the collar (the puppy can't reach your hand if this is done correctly). Start massaging or touching the puppy everywhere: paws, nails, tail, ears, mouth, butt, etc. If the puppy nips in any way that hurts even slightly, yell with an "ow" as forcefully as you can as though it really hurt. The puppy should look at you with surprise. You want her to think of humans as being incredibly sensitive things. After 12 weeks, the puppy should not be allowed to put her mouth on you at all. The reason for the two stages (before and after 12 weeks) is in the 1st stage, you are teaching the puppy how hard a human can handle the teeth on them(bite inhibition) and 2nd stage to teach no biting allowed. Continue massaging the puppy like this every day. The puppy should not be released if it is struggling, whining, or mouthing. Wait until it settles for a few seconds before releasing him. Otherwise you will be teaching him that struggling, mouthing, or whining are the way to get you to stop the massage. The reason for this exercise is to get Buddy used to being handled so that he is used to it when a vet, groomer, or you need to examine him. Of course be gentle, the idea is not to manhandle him. Should the puppy mouth you while playing, do the same yell and get up and walk away, completely ignoring him for about 30 seconds. Be consistant is very important. If some people allow this behaviour even some of the time Buddy will figure out that it is OK some of the time. Lastly, be patient. Dogs use their mouths to play with each other so they are having to learn that these human creatures have different rules. Lastly, try to relax and enjoy your puppy. Get as many photos as you can. This stage won't last long and I'm sure you'll do great!

[Melissa]

Thank you all for the advice. We are going to take it and see what happens. My husband is going to get some bully sticks on his way back from work this afternoon and see how they work. We do believe that the Kong Stuffing might not be agreeing with his tummy as his bowels have been soft the past few days (we thought it was the antibiotics he was on). So I think we are done with that. He didn't seem too interested in the peanut butter, maybe we will try it again. We moved the crate to his pen area and this afternoon has been pretty good! I was out of eye sight but only in the next room. So when he quieted down I went into praise him (every minute or so) and give a little treat...before long he was lying down outside of his crate and then actually inside of it. We also moved the food bowl in there as well. I am definitely hopeful and I just hope it continues. We know it takes a lot of patience but it is VERY helpful to have people to talk to who have gone through similar situations. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I will keep you updated on Buddy's progress!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Make sure he gets odor free bully sticks, or your problems will go from bad to worse as they smell awful if they aren't odor free.

[Melissa]

I told him to, so hopefully he can find a place that sells them locally!