Crying puppy

[Kim King Smith]

Just brought puppy home
He cried for 100 miles and then went to sleep for 20 minutes
He is 8 weeks old
He's home now, hasn't eaten for hours, I tried to feed him and he cried and cried
Trying to keep him on a feeding schedule
He did potty when I took him out (urinated) and I praised him
Should I hold him all night, crate him when he should be crated per schedule, feed him on schedule or ignore schedule first couple of days?
PSi haven't had a puppy to potty train, when should I take him out? Every couple of hours and how long after eating or drinking?

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I'm so sorry to hear this. The constant crying has me concerned. Has he been checked out by a vet yet? I think that would be my first priority. The only time either of my doodles cried continuously when they were pups was when Oscar had broken off a baby tooth, causing him acute pain, so I'd strongly suggest a vet visit to rule out anything medical. It may well be he's just anxious with having been separated from his mother and litter mates and needs to adjust to the change. There's plenty you can do to ease the transition. Limit visitors the first few days, play soothing music, give him a soft, puppy-safe toy with your scent on it, and put it in his crate as well (ideally, he should also have an article with his mama's and litter mates' scent, but not all breeders supply this without a request), let him be close to you and avoid leaving him alone until he's become accustomed to his new environment and you. I'd forego a strict schedule of crate time for the next few days and instead concentrate on ways to ease his transition. You can help him become accustomed to a crate by keeping it in the area where the puppy will be the majority of the time, with the door open and toys inside. Let him go in and investigate on his own.

Personally, I can't bear hearing a puppy cry and I would do everything in my power to comfort him. Do keep to a regular eating schedule and potty schedule, taking him out after eating, drinking, playing and waking from a nap. Also take him out immediately after any crate time. I took both my puppies out after the above, or every 30 minutes the first few days (only a couple times through the night). It was exhausting and often yielded no results, but I just kept at it. Good luck, and I hope the crying stops soon.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

BTW, there's a Puppy Madness group, here on Doidlekisses, you may be interested in joining.

[Moe]

8 week old puppies are like newborns. Some need constant attention. When we got our pup at 8 weeks she cried if she was not being held. She would howl and cry in the crate, even when she was very sleepy. There are 6 ppl in our family so someone just held her all the time. I joke around that her feet did not hit the floor for the first month. By 12 weeks she was much more independent. We just kind of let her dictate what she was ready for. She is now almost 5 and is a great dog but those first few weeks were hard. 

We used to take her out every half hour at 8 weeks. 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I am sad to hear your little guy is having a difficult day.  I would not a leave a young puppy at this age crying in the crate.  He should be right with you so you can bond.  Imagine having lots of siblings to play with and cuddle and then in an instant they are all gone.  Neither of mine cried much though because I could  not bare it - I wanted them close by. Charlie (our first doodle) slept most of the first day home, and was very quiet - but I had him near me all the time.  When I was at my desk, I made a bed for him under the desk near my feet. The second night he started whimpering in the crate and I scooped him out of his crate and just let him lay near my neck at the head of the bed.  He slept straight through the night for 9 hours. To this day he still sleeps at the end of the bed.  We now have two doodles.  When they were puppies,  I fed morning, noon and evening and that went on for the first year.  After that, they preferred to eat just two meals a day. They are 4 and 2 now and still eat twice a day.  Potty training - at least once every 30 minutes when they are awake.  I never woke either of them to go potty, but always took them immediately when they woke up from a nap.  Even though you take them out often, you are bound to have some accidents.  Hang in there, puppyhood really is so much fun.

I agree with Debb that you should take him in for a Wellness exam asap.  Most breeders  require you to take the puppy in for a wellness exam within the first week in order for the health guarantee to take effect.   

Keep us posted on your new little guy and post photos. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Puppies are like babies. As much as you prepare and plan, sometimes you just have to respond to their individual needs in ways that you couldn't anticipate. That said, I would loosen up on your planned schedule, and follow your instinct about what is best for your little guy.

Crying so much would trouble me, and I would be sure to take him to the vet as soon as you can. This is something that you should do, regardless, within the first few days.  

I would take him out immediately after he 1) eats, 2) wakes up, 3) plays actively, and 4) after a drink, and 5) before you put him into his crate. If he's awake and with you, I would take him outside every 30 minutes. If he's sleeping, wait until he wakes before taking him out. I'd also choose a word that you want to use for times when you need him to pee. I say, "Hurry up," and I trained my two to urinate on command when I say these words.  When your little guy is peeing, say, "Hurry up, Hurry up, Hurry up." You get the idea!

I'd feed him three times a day, but you can be flexible about the timing without worrying about keeping to a set schedule. I'd also be careful about coddling to him about eating. You don't want him to become finicky. Once your vet tells you that he is healthy, I would put his food down, and then pick it up after 15 minutes, and offer it again at the following mealtime. He will eat when he is hungry, and will learn to eat when you fill his bowl.  

It is traumatic for some puppies to leave their first family, and takes some time to adjust to a new environment and routine. Your puppy will be just fine, and so will you!  Which one did you choose?  Can you share his photo?

[Wynnie & Jim]

Has your puppy settled into your home? Or is he still stressed? Just wondering.
You received some good tips in a prior discussion. Have you tried any of them?