Night time

[Hazel]

Hello, this is my first post so I apologise if this question has been asked before.

We "rescued" a lovely male lab/staff/collie cross yesterday who is only 6 weeks old, but it was a case of we had him or the grim reaper did :mad:
He is off to the vets tomorrow for all the necessary checks and vaccinations.

Anyway, I appreciate the first night was going to be stressful for him, however what we are not sure about is, he woke every two hours and had a whine/cry, obviously we got up to him as we have in the kitchen, pacified him and put him back into his bed. Are we meant to do this or should we leave him, what we don't want to happen is for him to click on that he whines, we get up and see him, but at the sametime don't want to cause him anymore unnecessary stress.

Your comments would be appreciated

Thankyou
Hazel

[RuffLove]

I know many might not agree with me on this, but I have slept in the room with my new pup for the past two weeks and she will check on me to see if I'm there then go back to sleep. Each night she got up less, since she was convinced she wasn't alone, and she felt safe. Last night I went to sleep in the room with her, and once she was asleep I went up to bed and she slept fine until 9 am when I went to check on her. She hasn't ever cried at night, and she seems to feel secure knowing someone is nearby. We also have another dog, so that helps too.

I don't think any pup as young as yours would be alone naturally, so it makes sense that it would feel abandonded if left by itself, at least until it feels secure in the knowledge that you are somewhere close by.

One of those beating heart pillows they make for babies might also help, or at least a tv or radio for some sound.

I have made a point to fuss over my pup when she is quietly playing by herself and to ignore her when she cries.
(though she has not really cried much at all yet)

I have a mini beagle that we rescued at only 5 weeks (she's 11 now) and she really had some issues from being taken away from her mom so early. Like you, it was a circumstance that was a choice between trying to save her, or leaving her in deplorable conditions, so we risked it.

Even at this age, if she is stressed, she will "suckle" at a towel or her bedding. She is otherwise healthy and strong, so I hope yours also does well and enjoys good health!

[NahzisMom]

I just adopted a 12 week old aussie/lab mix... I am crate training her. I got her a small crate that I put next to my bed. I agree with RuffLove that a puppy that young will have problems being alone all night. And, also the kitchen might be too big and scary for him to sleep in at night. Dogs naturally like "dens", and a crate can mimic that. You'd get one just a little bigger than him. If you don't know anyone with a small crate you could borrow, or don't want to buy more than one, they sell crates that you can make smaller until they grow into them. I just went out and got a cheap crate for now since she is going to grow.

You could try the crate... put one of your tshirts in it to make it super cozy, and scoot it close to your bed. Keep things really calm when putting the puppy in and taking him out of the crate. You want him to enjoy it. The puppy might wake up less, or be easier to soothe. Eventually you can move it to the kitchen when a little older. However remember that at 6 weeks, she might be whining to go outside and go potty every few hours.

[sales@preparedpet.com]

Hi Hazel,
there is a product called the Snuggle Puppy. It has a heartbeat inside. It also has a warmer you can use. You put it in the bed with the puppy at night and turn the heartbeat on. New puppies miss Mom as well as their littermates. Good luck,
Jean in Co.

www.preparedpet.com

[BelovedJuggernaut]

I have to say that crate training with any pup is the way to go, even if the pup isn't beside your bed at night, it gives them a safehaven.

if you are not crate training and your new pup is having some anxiety issues, don't worry too much, especially if he is new to the home. If you spend a great deal of time with him during the day adn his only does this at night, try wearing an old sweatshirt during the day, all day, and when it comes time to put the pup to bed, take the sweatshirt off and let him use it as bedding for a couple of days. This worked for me in the past, both with crate training and without.


After he gets used to his new environment, he may stop. If he gets used to you answering him everytime he whines, he will keep doing it whenever he wants you there (which, in a dogs mind, is normally ALWAYS)!! Stop answering him after he gets settled and he should quiet down, just try to keep calm and live through the crying for the first few nights after he is comfortable in his new place...

Hope everything works out!

[ClarkFarm]

I agree that crate training, when done properly, benefits both owner and dog. I did crate-training with my previous dog, a GSD, and she would lie in her crate for years afterwards even though by that time, there was never a need to close her in it for any length of time. If you have children, it is also an obvious way to know when your dog wants to be left alone. My children have always been forbidden to play in the dog crate and when Candy, my old GSD, went in there, it meant she was left alone.

When I got Lucy, the lab mix pup, I took a different turn on crate-training. She has a crate, knows it, and will lay in it quietly but I haven't put her in it for the duration of the night. Perhaps I have become softer or perhaps I just became too accustomed to having a furry pal slumbering away beside me at night. This took more effort on my part and I lost two pillows, a handful of socks, and a stuffed bear to the insatiable appetite of Lucy's teeth.

On a more serious note; Because your pup is so very young, it would be wise to find a trainer that has experience in socializing a puppy taken too young from its mother.