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The doghouse

Pup is now 4 months old and stile whines/pines all the time and wakes me up in the night.

29 replies

Marne · 18/04/2013 17:03

I have posted before and was told 'he would grow out of it and to ignore it', we have tried to ignore as much as we can without pissing the neighbours off.

Pup is 4.2 months old, he's crated at night (as he anoys my other dog) and during the day he is in the living room (cant go anywhere else due to stair gates), he is walked every day and we do training (clicker) every day (so he's not bored).

Whenever i leave the room he cries, whenever he is crated (when the dd's are eating or when i mop the floor) he cries and whines. He wakes up in the night whining (wakes everyone up), i try and let him cry for as long as i can but often i have to give in (or the kids wake up), i let him outside for a wee and then back in his crate. Its driving us nuts, he's such a good dog appart from this, does as he's told and easy to train but he just wont start whining, sometimes when i ignore him (did it today for 2 hours) he starts barking and will poo on the floor to get my attention.

I know people are going to say 'ignore him' but theres only so long i can ignore him before i go around the twist' (or before he wakes the whole street up ). Help?

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Floralnomad · 18/04/2013 17:11

Nothing constructive to say really but I feel for you as this pup seems to have been quite a lot of trouble right from the start and I've posted on lots of your threads . I do wonder if a lot of his problems stem from his unfortunate start in life as if I remember correctly the mum was rehomed before the pups and it makes me wonder if he maybe has deep rooted psychological problems . I'm probably talking absolute rubbish and haven't said anything helpful but perhaps a behaviourist could help?

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Marne · 18/04/2013 17:23

You could be right, i think the fact he had to be rushed to the vets the 2nd day we had him did not help, he got very upset and was very scared Sad. He seems ok when i go out, doesn't cry when i leave but goes crazy as soon as he heres me pull up outside (will happily settle in his crate after a few minutes of leaving him ,have waited outside to listen). He mainly does it with me, when my mum looks after him he is fine (doesnt cry when she leaves the room). All i have to do is cough in the night and he goes crazy, i have to lie in bed and try not to make a sound.

Its such a shame as he is so well behaved other than this, we love him to bits but its getting tiring with the night time crying.

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Floralnomad · 18/04/2013 17:25

Would he better in your room so he can see you ?

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Marne · 18/04/2013 17:30

I havn't got enough room in my room for his crate, tbh he seems worse when he can see me (have slept on the sofa a few times), i would let him sleep in my bed but quite often dd2 ends up in bed with me and wouldnt be happy to find the dog in her place Smile.

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Marne · 18/04/2013 17:52

I think i might try walking him again (before bed) in hope to tire him out. How far can i walk a 4 month old pup? i keep hearing different rules, he has had a 45 minute walk alreay today and was still full of beans when we got home, he seems very hard to tire out.

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mimosaadorna · 18/04/2013 18:03

I've only just seen this so forgive me if Im going over old ground - have you tried leaving the TV or a radio on ?...also , does he sleep with something of yours ? - old T shirt or something with your scent for comfort ?....my doberman was a nightmare when a pup, a lot like yours. We eventually got him to sleep at night with both the above, and covering his crate at night with a sheet ( you know, like a budgie?? ). Took about 3 weeks and he started to sleep through...have you tried DAP ?...we found that quite good too.

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Marne · 18/04/2013 18:54

Have tried the tv, leaving my clothes in his crate (he ate them) and we cover his crate with a blanket. We have had him since he was 8 weeks old so has been with us for over 2 months.

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needastrongone · 18/04/2013 19:04

What's he like if you don't crate him but leave him Marne? Sorry if this has been covered before?

He seems very attached to you in particular. My puppy is a bit like this but doesn't have the stress. He keeps a very close eye on me all the time and is usually by my feet or staring intently at me! Won't go in the garden on his own or play with toys unless i am sat there with him. Our plumber came today to fix something with the boiler, said it was a good thing, waiting for his next instruction, he works labs. I feel rather unnerved tbh!!!

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Marne · 18/04/2013 19:58

If he's not crated then he tends to poop on the floor (i think as a attention thing), he's now curled up on the sofa with dh and my other dog, he loves my other dog but she gets fed up withhim after a while as she's used to her own space. He follows me around everywhere, he can be fast asleep but as soon as i get up off the sofa he jumps up and follows my feet. He's just started going outside on his own during the day but at night i have to go out with him. I do feel honered that he loves me so much but its like having a clingy toddler (i thought these days were long gone).

I have given him a extra walk and he had a long run and play with my other dog in the field so he should be tired, fingers crossed he will sleep all night.

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Lilcamper · 18/04/2013 20:02

He is basically still a toddler. As far as walks go it is 5 min per month of life. What is he fed on and what breed is he.

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Lucyellensmum95 · 18/04/2013 20:04

I'm sorry but i really think that this dog HATES being in its crate, i know that lots of dogs really like a crate and everyone thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread but not every dog will like that. Especially as there is another dog in the house.

Saying that, i sleep with two dogs in my bed Hmm I don't mind, they keep me warm DP is less impressed.

If your other dog gets pissed off with him she will soon put him in his place.

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needastrongone · 18/04/2013 20:22

I think the 5 minute rule is dependant on breed. Long legged dogs and certain breeds that are susceptible to hip problems you need to be careful with. Our vet was very chilled about the levels of exercise our dog gets, given it was off road and at his pace.

Sure the poo isn't stress Marne? Not that I know how to handle it tbh.

Poor you, must be hard.

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Marne · 18/04/2013 21:05

He asks to go in the crate, will sleep in there during the day sometimes with the door open but would much rather sleep on the sofa with the other dog, i keep thinking she will put him in his place but she just growls at him, a few weeks ago she charged at him in the garden and hurt his leg (she's a solid staffie).

Pup is a lab x (we are not thinking he may have german pointer in him) so likes lots of exersize. Most of his walk is spent off the lead on soft ground (field). He's fed on burns puppy food (after trying several other things which upset his tummy he has settled down on this), i am feeding him 3 times a day as he is a bit skinny after suffering with colitis.

I think the pooing is stress of me being out of the room but havn't got a clue how to deal with it. He never poo's on the floor when i'm in the living room with him, in the mornings he is fine for a few hours just chilling on the sofa, as soon as i leave the room he poops. This morning dh let him out, he pooped outside and then came in, dh left the room and i was upstairs and he pooped on the floor.

I have stuck to the 5 min rule up until this week (he has had a couple of longer walks), i might try 2 shorter walks instead of one big one (today we have done 1 long walk and one short one).

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Lilcamper · 18/04/2013 21:31

5 min rule would apply for a lab x. If you are on FB I can send you a link to a fab group run by qualified force free behaviourists that have oodles of good advice, and oodles of patience.

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Marne · 19/04/2013 07:21

I am on FB, will message you my name xxx

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daisydotandgertie · 19/04/2013 07:41

I haven't read the story of how you got him, or where he came from but regardless of that, he is too young to be reliably housetrained and too young to be reliably silent at night. Pooing on the floor when you leave the room, may well be stress that you've gone but it is also because he is too young to control his muscles well enough when that stress occurs.

Why is he so restricted in the house? Gated into one room in the day and crated at night and when you mop and when children eat? IMO, that's too much. Why does he need to be shut into one room?

With regard to exercise, with that breed combination I would definitely restrict to about 5 mins per month of age. It is intended as a guide, not the law but it is useful for gauging how much exercise a pup can take before it becomes over stimulated as well as being gentle on very fast growing bones.

Ignore the poo - or allow him to follow you around for a while. Don't shut him into one room - I can't imagine a situation where that is vital. Keep working on house training - he can't possibly have got it perfectly yet and don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because he has got brave enough to go outside on his own that he's linked that with pooing and weeing outside.

Are you concerned about the interaction between your two dogs? Is there any reason for it? Can you not leave them to just sort themselves out? A strong bond between them would do no harm, and would help your very insecure younger dog. Teeth and handbags along with lots of growling is quite normal interaction. A useful guide is if either dog is keen to go back for more of whatever it is they're doing, then it's not behaviour to worry about.

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needastrongone · 19/04/2013 09:24

Sorry, didn't know the breed of dog but agree re exercise. Ours is a small Springer with known (low) parental hip scores as a caveat.

Daisy - this is an aside, but your last paragraph was useful to a new dog owner, thanks. Especially, the 'going back for more' bit, I wonder why our puppy always does go back for more but clearly he knows more than I do Smile

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Marne · 19/04/2013 11:48

Daisy- pup is a rescue pup, probably taken from his mother too early as mum lost interest and then did a runner (slipped her lead on her first walk after having pups), on day 2 he was very poorly and passing blood, vets thought parvo so he spent a day in the vets (he got very upset), turned out to be very bad coloitis, he was in and out of the vets for the first month we had him Sad.

We have stair gates on each room, mainly to keep my severly autistic child in one place. The pup can jump the gate but has learnt that he's not allowed, when i'm home the back door is open so he has full run of the living room and large garden. I cant risk having him in my kitchen as i run a small food buisness (so no pets allowed near the kitchen), both dogs are only allowed in the living room and garden but are walked twice a day (so deffently not cooped up).

Pup is only crated when i'm out (10 minute for the school run and when i go food shopping) ,at night and when we are eating, he spends most of the day playing, walking of curled up on the sofa (so has quite a easy, happy life). He doesnt whine much during the day unless its close to feeding time, early mornings are the worst as dh gets up before me, he will whine until i get up (even though dh now feeds him breakfast and lets him outside).

He woke at 2am this morning, i ignored the crying, it lasted almost an hour, he then started again at 4am and dh let him out for a wee.

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Floralnomad · 19/04/2013 11:52

TBH it sounds like he might sleep better curled up on the sofa ,perhaps you should just risk it one night ( put lots of covers on it first) . It seems like he hasn't got a night time routine of going to sleep for the night .Where does the other dog sleep ?

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Lilcamper · 19/04/2013 12:45

I sent you a message on FB Marne. Check your others folder if it hasn't come through.

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thewhistler · 19/04/2013 13:01

Marne, expect you have tried this but

Walk last thing at night, but a calm one
Hot water bottle and alarm clock under his bed
And, what we have just discovered, snuggle him down to sleep on your bed with you in it first, then when he has been sleeping for 15 to 20 mins, pick him up, cradling him in your arms and take him.down to warm bed.

He will wake but should go back to sleep without too much difficulty.

Just like our Ds when little.

What are you feeding him on? Really important that it doesn't have too many additives if he is a nervy type.

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Marne · 19/04/2013 13:36

Thanks Flora Grin.

My other dog sleeps in the arm chair, dh is sleeping on the sofa (due to his very loud snoring and me wanting to suffercate him with a pillow) so no room on the sofa. We have bought him a new basket/bed which he will sometimes sleep in, i might try him in that tonight.

Thewhistler- he's fed on Burns Puppy food (so no aditives).

I might sawp with dh tonight and sleep downstairs without him in the crate (try the basket, though he will probably end up on the sofa with me), at least i will hear him if he asks to go out for a wee (dh could sleep through anything).

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Floralnomad · 19/04/2013 13:40

I'd let him sleep on the sofa with the OH ,they can snore together.

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Iamaslummymummy · 19/04/2013 18:51

We've ended up dumping the crates and he sleeps under the bed now. We got our dog at the same time as you and have many of the same problems despite him being 2 months older. No answers but good luck.

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Marne · 20/04/2013 17:04

Well, last night i slept on the sofa and left pup out of the crate, he slept on the floor (right next to me) in his basket and didn't make a sound until 5am, he did wake a couple times to check i was still there but after a stroke on the head he went back to sleep. He didnt even try and join me on the sofa. I think i will do this for a few nights and then gradualy move back to my bed leaving him un-crated downstairs.

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