Puppies first few nights

GreenNinja

Any wrote: »

Hi everyone,

It is long time since I had a new puppy so I need few pointers about it's first few nights. Obviously being taken away from mum and put into new home with new people must be very frustrating for it, so I am wondering whether there is anything I can do to lower the impact?

I was thinking that I could take a blanket that I have for it's bed and leave it in a bed with it's mum while I am sorting out things with it's breeders. The blanket might retain some of mum's smell and having that in it's bed might make the puppy a little more comfortable. What do you think?

Also I have a bed buddy dog that I use for warming up my bed - maybe if I warm it up a bit and hide it in puppie's bed it will feel like mummy and the puppy will be again more comfortable?

Don't take me wrong - the puppy has been weaned from mummy and everything, but obviously until the moment it has been taken to it's new home it has never slept by itself in a room, there was always other dog around..

Please let me know your thoughts.

Please refrain from leaving comments like "why do you have puppy and not rescue dog", that has already been discussed and we decided for puppy. I am not here for discussion about getting a dog, I am here for advice on how to make the puppy most comfortable in it's new home.

Thank you

Hi! We have had a puppy for around 4 weeks now and the first night she did wail and cry for around 3 hours! despite hot water bottle, something with the scent of mum and pups on and soft toy. We got a cage (we got the next size up from the size recommended for her breed) for her and although she didn't like it on day one, she now considers it as her "bedroom". We have her in our bedroom in the cage as the neighbours are joined to me and 2 sides and could hear her crying very loudly n the first night! didn't want to upset the neighbours any further hence bringing her upstairs. When she gets a bit older we will try her downstairs again. They do settle better when you are in the room with them as they can hear and smell you.

Incidentally the cage is very good for when we are at work (myself and partner pop back for an hour or so each during the day) as she is calm in there and feels safe in there. She has got used to going in there very quickly and only cries for around 60 seconds now when we first leave the house then she settles very quickly). We do take her for a big walk every day, around 1 -2 hours off the lead in the woods or by the sea so she is happy in the cage when she needs to go in there.

I think you are bound to experience the crying etc for the first few nights if the puppy is in another room from you, but hopefully should decrease the more confident and safe the puppy feels with you.

As to your other comment, we looked at getting a rescue dog, but all the rescue places near us had dogs that couldn't be left for any time at all, were too old or too large for our small house, which is why we went down the puppy route, so don't let anybody make you feel guilty for not getting a rescue dog.

Good luck with your puppy!

suki1964

Any wrote: »

Right, I've read up a little on crate and I understand why so many people use it..

I need to read up a bit more, but in the mean time can you please advice how big should it be?

As large as you can afford - have space for and one that suits the breed

This " mess in the bed" malarkey - its tripe. A dog will mess when it needs the loo and doesnt have access to the outside - simple as that . A pup doesnt have bladder control and locking it up doesnt make bladder control happen over night

The bladder and bowel grows with pup as does control

A crate should be a den. For a small pup it should be big enough for feeding in and sleeping in. Ive always papered half, and made a bed of half.

A crate needs to be a fun place to go - hence feeding in it.

Puppys should not be left in a crate for long periods ( except when sleeping)

You need the crate to be big enough for your pup to be able to lie full stretch and to be able to stand up and turn about. Now Ive always crated till my dogs are full grown so use the size of the full grown dog as a guide - in my case about 3ft

Hughesy84

Really useful thread....im busy doing all my research for when my pup is ready.....Cant wait!!

Any

GreenNinja wrote: »

Hi! We have had a puppy for around 4 weeks now and the first night she did wail and cry for around 3 hours! despite hot water bottle, something with the scent of mum and pups on and soft toy. We got a cage for her and although she didn't like it on day one, she now considers it as her "bedroom". We have her in our bedroom in the cage as the neighbours are joined to me and 2 sides and could hear her crying very loudly n the first night! didn't want to upset the neighbours any further hence bringing her upstairs. When she gets a bit older we will try her downstairs again. Incidentally the cage is very good for when we are at work (myself and partner pop back for an hour or so each during the day) as she is calm in there and feels safe in there.

I think you are bound to experience the crying etc for the first few nights if the puppy is in another room from you, but hopefully should decrease the more confident and safe the puppy feels with you.

As to your other comment, we looked at getting a rescue dog, but all the rescue places near us had dogs that couldn't be left for any time at all, were too old or too large for our small house, which is why we went down the puppy route, so don't let anybody make you feel guilty for not getting a rescue dog.

Good luck with your puppy!

Thank you ever so much for your lovely and most helpfull post.

I have just spoken to my OH and he agrees with the crate and the bedroom.

I need to read a bit more on a crate training, but it all makes sense now. Hopefully the puppy will take to it as yours and Suki's and I will be able to move it downstairs later.

Suki - I think during the day when we should be away I will move the crate to the conservatory and just leave it opened. What do you think?
We are sorting out half days off at work and my OH working from home as much as possible in the next couple of weeks but there will still be instances when the puppy will be at home by itself.
We will start with letting it be at home by itself for couple of hours and then add another hour later etc to let it get used to the regime.. Is that the right way to do it?

UKTigerlily

At first Pups will need someone every 30/60 minutes, it's not good to allow them to go inside (Barring accidents), someone needs to be there to take them out (Assuming no unvaccinated dogs use the garden), then you can increase the time as the pup grows, 2hrs will be too long to be left at first, some may hold it for that long, I think most wouldn't be able to? May be wrong tho

suki1964

Do it minutes at a time at first.

A few minutes in a room on its own a few times a day.

I used to go upstairs and not go down for a few minutes, go out the door - all these a few times a day, slowly building up the time pup was left. Dont fuss the pup while hes crying and dont be going abck in the room when he is - he will learn that if he makes a big enough noise you will come running. Only go to him when hes quiet - even if its only a split second

It will take a good couple of weeks before hes trained enough to leave more then an hour or two, and even then the max should be no more then 4. And remember you need to be guided by him, some pups take to being left quicker then others

Any

No unvaccinated dogs, but couple of cats - next door neighbour's I am sure is vaccinated and one we don't know who she belongs to but she does wear a tag...

Minxy_Bella

I'm a bit worried now. I was planning on putting the pup in the kitchen overnight but after all I've read, I can see that that might store up problems for the future with separation anxiety. But I know my OH will not be keen on having the puppy in the bedroom - even in a crate - so I think I'm either going to have to put him (the pup not the OH, although don't tempt me!) on the landing so I can hear him or sleep with him downstairs.

Hmmmmmm.

Any

Minxy_Bella wrote: »

I'm a bit worried now. I was planning on putting the pup in the kitchen overnight but after all I've read, I can see that that might store up problems for the future with separation anxiety. But I know my OH will not be keen on having the puppy in the bedroom - even in a crate - so I think I'm either going to have to put him (the pup not the OH, although don't tempt me!) on the landing so I can hear him or sleep with him downstairs.

Hmmmmmm.

My OH isn't, but I promised it will be just for the fist week or so untill the puppy becomes comfortable in his new home.

I might have it in the bedroom, later in the hallway for a night or two and then down to kitchen...

We will have to see how it goes.. I live in semi detached house... poor neighbours...:rotfl:

foreign_correspondent

hope both the OHs are ready for the reality of puppy owning!!

Warn them to place anything they don't want chewed out of pups reach, and do be realistic about the mess and difficulties of owning a pup, and the amount of time it will take up - better to get this out of the way now than to have to deal with a disgruntled OH after the pup has chewed the remote, his best shoes, and widdled and pood on the carpet!

It may also be worth while considering who will pay for insurance, vets bills etc before the dog comes along to save conflicts later!