Help!!

[Lindsey]

I posted yesterday about getting a Sheepadoodle puppy for my dad.
I told him I would keep her until August, work with her on crate training and house training.
I realllllly didn't think it would be that hard. Our Molly doodle was a breeze at both of those trainings.

However, this puppy whines and whines and whines in her crate!!! I don't know what to do at this point. Molly was a much older puppy when we got her (13 weeks old) this little doodle is only right at 8 weeks. So maybe it's because of her age.
I was prepared for her to wake me up in the middle of the night, to go potty, and she does wake me up...but she won't potty. She usually just wants water and then wants to play!
So from 11pm to 7am both nights I've had her, she held her bladder the whole time, but DID wake me up in the middle of the night to play.
She whines and then howls and then whines and then whimpers...it's heart breaking. However, I've always just let a dog whine it out and then they pretty much get over being crated all on their own. Not this little one, she has a set of lungs and can whine for long periods of time! Yikes!!

I've put a blanket in her crate, along with a stuffed animal and a chew toy. I'm wondering if she left her mother too young.

Pleasssssse, if anyone has any tips, please share!!!!

My dad is coming this weekend to visit and I don't want him to get discouraged because she's fussing while in her crate. I know and understand she's a puppy and I keep telling him that, I just don't want him to get frustrated with her, she's so little and I know she will grow out of this phase/stage. I just want her to be comfortable in her crate :-)

[Jaime and Barley Barker]

I think your puppy has typical puppy behavior for being ripped away from her mother and siblings. That's really stressful for a puppy. I have three suggestions:

 

1.) Try covering her crate with a sheet, quilt, or blanket. Then she'll have a secure little den and won't be distracted by things outside of her crate. It might quiet her down more quickly.

2.) Try getting a CD of harp music and play it softly while she's sleeping. Harp music has been found to relax dogs.

3.) Get one of those puppy stuffed animals that has a heart beat. I think they might be called Snuggle Pup. That way, the pup won't feel as lonely.

 

Good luck!

[shelly]

Lindsey... is she 'happy and quiet' when you hold her?  If so... maybe you're right and she IS too young to have been separated.  I think I heard 8 weeks is when they should leave and never before... in ideal cases - like receiving a puppy from a 'breeder'.  Tye wearing an old tee shirt for a day and then at the end of the night put THAT in the crate with her. Maybe your scent will help relax her and keep her comforted - as long as she's not chewing at it.  Where is the crate?  With you in your room at night??? What kind of crate are you using... maybe try the opposite... if you're not using wire maybe try that so she is able to see you... if you're using wire... maybe try and throw a blanket or towel over it to give her a 'den-like' feel... Is the crate too big for her?  Maybe she's smaller than Molly and the crate size was fine for her, but too big for the puppy. Last... maybe she needs some 'canine companionship'... could Molly sleep with her????  Sorry - I  don't know much about sheepadoodles, except they are so darn cute!  LOVE the panda look... can you call the breeder for some help?  Good luck!

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

I had a snuggle puppy in the crate with Bexter.  There is a battery-powered heart that beats & also heating pads inside so that they feel like a littermate or mommy is near.

[Eva and Fenway]

Hi Lindsey!

 

It sounds like you were REALLY lucky with Molly. I can relate to your situation with the puppy maybe being a bit too young. My Fenway was 7 weeks to the day when she left her mom and it was definitely identical to your situation when she first started with me. I can definitely offer some insight..

 

1. I second the snuggle puppy concept! It worked with Fenway

2. I second the suggestion to put things that smell like you in there. I actually slept with the snuggle puppy one night before I put it in the crate. 

3. Give it a few days before you worry - Fenway really settled down after about the third or fourth night. After that she put up a small fuss for about 2 seconds when I would put her in for the night. I think there is an adjustment period right at the start since it is SO new for them. 

4. Get her good and exhausted before your dad comes over   ;)

[Lindsey]

Oh my gosh, thank you SOO MUCH for the support and advice!!!

I am going to find a snuggle puppy now...hopefully I find one locally and I don't have to order it via the web, that may take too long :(
I didn't even THINK about my t-shirt or blanket.

I did put a stuffed animal in there for her, thinking it would feel like a litter mate. I also put the door of her crate (its the hard plastic side crate with a metal wire door) up next to Mollys crate so she could see Molly...she still whined and annoyed Molly...so I ended up moving her. I'm afraid to actually let her sleep with Molly b/c Molly is still not used to the pup...the pup actually tried to suckle on Molly! I'm afraid she really is too young :-(
Yes, she DOES quiet down and is happy when I hold her.
I have two crates, a larger one and a small one that is very snug. The first night she was in the small one, last night I tried the larger one and ended up moving her back to the small one.
I have put blankets and a towel over her crate...I can't decide if she whines more or less when I do that, she still just whines either way.
She is in a room far from mine, as to not wake DH...but I could put her in my room if I needed...I just didn't know if that was a good idea or not...I didn't want DH snoring or my moving around to wake her up and start the fussing all over again, lol.

Thank you again for the support, I am so sleep deprived and yet I feel better just hearing your advice and tips and support!!!!!

[shelly]

YES! music too!  Forgot about that one!  As far as snuggling....Poor puppy may need the warmth of another dog... are you afraid Molly will snip?  Maybe go on the breeder site here and check out what they think about that... perhaps supervised, short cuddles during the day may be all she needs to feel comfortable around the puppy... perhaps you will have an in the home puppy sitter ???

[Lindsey]

Oh! I'm also going to get harp music, RIGHT NOW!! lol. I've never heard of that...but I'm desperate and will try anything!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

SOUND MACHINES are awesome too.

[Jaime and Barley Barker]

My dog trainer suggested the harp music to help relax or calm dogs. I know there are CDs specifically for dogs, but I just used a CD my mom had called "Hymns for Healing" by the harpist Sally Fletcher. I found it helpful. Also, Barley's crate was in my bedroom near my bed. I think it might help your puppy if she's near you at night. Maybe the sounds of your husband's snoring or you moving around might comfort her since she'll know she has company. Barley was calm at night. The crying and whining would start when he was in his crate for a nap, quiet time, or time out. I covered his crate and played the CD softly, and he would calm within 10 or 15 minutes.

 

Good luck! It sounds like you are doing everything you can. Our dogs Daisy and PrisAnn were obnoxious at night, but it was a short stage. It usually stemmed from nighttime loneliness.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

We got our Gracie Doodle at 6 weeks and didn't have a problem at all.  She was well weaned from her mother so there wasn't an issue.  Maybe the breeder left these pups longer with the mother and that is why you are having the problem.  Yes, I will get tons of comments about 6 weeks being too young but in our case the pups were ready and to this day, four years later, Gracie has no issues or hang ups from leaving her "pack".  I used the Snuggle Puppy but I don't think she really related to it or cared.  She was sent home to us with a blanket that had been rubbed all over her mom and the pups so that might have helped.  We kept her in a very small area of her crate (it had partitions) since it was said to prevent them from soiling their sleeping area.  I had Gracie next to the bed on our side.  The bedroom crate was a soft side crate without a top and if she made a peep I was able to just put my hand down to reassure her.  I have a feeling every puppy is different and it is just hit or miss as to how the first few nights go.  I do think having her beside the bed would be a big help.  If DH is not happy with it can you go to another bedroom with the pup for a few nights until this problem gets solved?  Also, the music is a good idea.  We would leave soft music on when we crated Gracie and left the house.  Good Luck!

[Lynn & Casey]

Casey's crate is in the living room area. We put it there so one night I would sleep next to the crate and the next night my daughter would sleep next to the crate. We would also put a blanket, favorite toy and a treat. We also put a planket over her crate. She was great with the training.

[Lauren <3 Jackson]

I found putting something like a towel or blanket over the crate, so puppy is in the dark works really well. Jackson used to cry if he could see me when he was in his crate. He will hold his bladder all night, but I found sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and want to play, and at 4am, i am in no mood to play... So when I put him to bed I include a few things in the crate: 1. Blanket with mom and siblings scents from the breeder, 2. Shirt I had sent to the breeder with my scent on it (and now also has whatever smells from the breeder on it)  3. the shirt I wore to sleep the night before, 4. his favorite snuggly stuffed animal and 5. Various kong and chew toys (nothing that squeaks) so that when he wakes up he can play by himself and not tear apart the crate pad. i'm a pretty light sleeper so sometimes i wake up to hear him playing in there, but he doesn't cry and just amuses himself until he gets tired and goes back to sleep.

 

Hope this helps and good luck!