New Puppy crying murder!! Please help..

She's just not use to it yet and hates to be away from you. What I'd do is when you are around I'd toss in some treats and feed every meal in the crate. Leave the door open as long as you're around to supervise her. Let her come and go as she wishes for a while. Play with her sometimes where you toss a toy in, she goes and gets it and brings it back out. Associate the crate with a nice time.

Another time, after some strenuous (for a puppy) exercise, coax her in with a treat and give a cue word when she goes in, like, "crate" or "go to bed." Close the door for just 15 seconds (with you staying right there) and before she cries, (never open it while she's crying or whining) open it up again. Toss in a toy and treat and close it again...just a couple of times a day. When you open it and she comes out, don't make it that fun for a few minutes.

Then maybe the next day, grab a chair and a magazine and sit next to it after coaxing (not forcing) her in with a high value treat. Don't talk to her if she whines or cries. Just be there. As long as she is quiet, frequently poke through the door a highly yummy treat and quietly (low key) say something like, "good girl." Do that a few times a day for just maybe 5 minutes.... for a few days. Then do the same thing but just be in the same room doing something rather than sitting right next to her....just for 5 minutes or so, gradually lengthening the time before you let her out. However, remember to never open the door or pay attention to her when she's carrying on....only when she's quiet.

This can all help her ease into getting accustomed to the crate. However, I realize that at night or when you just can't watch her, she's going to have to tough it out. When she cries and whines, you'll have to ignore her as long as you know she's comfortable, has gone to the bathroom recently, has water, isn't hungry, is tired from romping and running around in the yard. Then you just have to hold out on her. Don't cave. You've only had her 4 days. It can take a little while. She'll get use to it and you can help her with those little conditioning exercises.

Awesome advice, I wish we couldv'e stuck it out with ours, unfortunately, we caved big time and now they are all in our bed at night...LOL

Hello,
Thank you so much Doberluv for that wonderful advice..
We adopted Bella Saturday at a local shelter.. They said that she was 8 weeks old, she has an upper resp infection and has been on meds and I am currently also giving them to her.. Also something that concerns me is that she is already spayed and has a vaginal infection (which I have meds for aas well).. Poor little girl!!

She has been eating good, her housebreaking is going "ok".. Sometimes she goes on the wee wee pad.. Sometimes she doesnt..

I also think she might be younger then 8 weeks old.. She does not have a favorite toy, we dont give her snacks yet.. Shes has a tiny tiny mouth..

We are going to our Vet tomorrow.. I've had him for 30 years but she is worring me with the screaming and crying.. Im afraid she'll get so sick from screaming the way she does..

As you can see Im the protective Mommy.. But I will stand my ground and keep her in the crate..

thank you again!
Dawn

STICK WITH IT. This is obviously a strong willed puppy, and you don't want to start by giving in to her.

In addition to DoberLuv's (always excellent) advice, I might suggest getting several crates so she can be in the room with you. You can also try covering the crate so she cannot see out.

Hang in there. I guarantee you it will end.

You can also put something in there that smells like you, a sweat shirt or a small blanket. Sometimes that's comforting. Is the crate along side your bed at night? I'd recommend that so she's near you but also getting use to her own bed.

Treats can be soft and very small, like a tiny, pea sized piece of chicken. She's very young and it's a real change for her from being in the shelter. She'll be OK. I'm sorry to hear she has these infections. Hopefully the meds will work and she'll be fine.

Are you going to use pee pads forever or did you want her to learn to go outside? If you want her to go outside, I recommend starting her off with just doing that so it's less confusing.

For a toy, what about a small stuffed animal that she can snuggle up to....as long as she doesn't chew pieces off. Watch for sewed on small parts and remove them right off the bat.

She is awfully young and this is normal for her to feel insecure and fearful. It's important though not to over react to behaviors that you don't want reinforced or later on, you'll have all kinds of yucky behavior. It's good to give her lots of affection and comforting, but save it for when she's feeling comfortable and brave or you'll inadvertantly reinforce fearfulness if you fuss over her too much while she's having those feelings.

Puppies are good at screaming and crying. They have to be or they wouldn't have survived. They had to let their mother know that they were hungry or alone and vulnerable. For their own safety they have this instinct. Your puppy doesn't know (in a logical, thoguht out way) that she is safe in your house, in her crate. This instinct is still strong. It's self preservation. Without it the specie wouldn't have lasted so long like it has. Don't cave. LOL. As long as you know there's nothing medically or acutely wrong, use earplugs if you have to. She'll get over it. In time she'll come to feel safe and protected even if you're not present. But she won't develop that secure, confident feeling if you fuss over her too much.

Socializing too is vital now. Get her out to meet new people and see all kinds of environments. Do it now, don't wait. Take reasonable precaution that she isn't around a lot of dogs you don't know or in high concentration until she's had her puppy vaccines. However, don't be so careful that she doesn't meet any dogs. Make sure the ones she meets are ones you know who are healthy and friendly. She needs to have all good experiences when she is being socialized. Many people are so cautious that they don't get their pups out into the world...they wait until they're 3 or 4 months. That's too late. They must experience lots of places, environments, different sized/aged people, wearing different kinds of clothes, carrying umbrellas, wearing beards, dogs, objects, traffic noise, woodsie places, different scenarios, grooming, teeth, ears, having strangers "examine" them, go for a social call to the vets once or twice a week, just for a cookie, weight and some pats (5 mintues)....saturate without overwhelming or frightening her before 12 or 14 weeks of age (the critical period). That's when the "window" pretty much closes. They're personalities are formed. They virtually stop soaking up as much. Without ample socialization during this time, a dog will never be well adjusted and will have a difficult time accepting anything unfamiliar. I cannot stress the importance of loads of socialization. If you don't do any training or anything else. Socialize. You want a confident and happy dog, not a fearful, shrinking, unhappy, uncomfortable in new situations, fear biting dog. Keep it up. Don't stop at 14 weeks. You can slack off somewhat.....dilute it a little bit, but socializing never ends. It should be part of your dog's daily (or almost daily) routine forever.

There is a sticky at the top of the page (thumb tack)...... a thread on house breaking tips.

She just needs a little time to get use to things. She'll be fine.

Good ideas Red. We posted at the same time, so I just repeated what you said. (only, as usual....it took about 15 times as much space on the Internet.) LOL>

ahhh welcome to the world of those screaming aussies *vbg*..I have a couple and they can be VERY vocal dogs and yes, sound like they are being murdered.

I certainly agree with sticking with it, get some earplugs *vbg*.

But I will be the first to admit I have flunked nighttime crate training 101, time and again..Started with my GSD, she screamed like a banshee, and believe me I am no novice dog owner and did all I could think of, but the screaming drove me nuts,,sooooo out of the crate in the bed, which shut her up..The SAME for my aussies,,altho my male was crate trained when I got him at 12 weeks and really didn't have much of a nightime problem. My female,,forgetaboutit ,,she ended up in bed with me to, and shut up to sleep the night thru.. I count myself lucky they were happy to go to bed and stay there all nite without a peep..

Flunking crate training at nite, has not affected them for crating when it has to be done, during the day, if I'm gone, in the car or at dog shows,,quiet as mice..Mine apparently like to sleep with me *vbg*..

Just wanted to share my story,,not my advice LOL

Hang in there!
Diane

Hi Diane,

Thank you so much for that reply.. Actually my puppy took well to all the suggestions from this thread and she is whining for about 3 minutes in the crate and falls asleep.. I started feeding her in her crate and leaving a small piece of chicken in the crate and then put her in.. IT WORKS!!! She goes in, eats and roams around for like 3-5 minutes and the lays down and falls asleep.. DONE DEAL.. She’s a smarty!!!

She was not even wee-wee pad trained when I got her 5 days again and I'd have to say 80% of the time she is hitting her mark.. We'll have to work on it with her but she'll be just fine..

Now my new problem that just developed yesterday.. Which seems a bit scary.. I’m going to start a new thread on it because it seems like this needs action FAST!!

But thank you all so much for your wisdom!! :hail:

Great news! She'll get right onto the routine. You're doing a great job!

GOOD JOB! hey maybe the next one I get I'll send to you since you had such fast results *vbg*
diane

i can say from experience (last 2 weeks) that patience will definitely be the key. our princess is 8 weeks. we got her at six weeks. she screamed bloody murder for a week... and got a little more comfortable with passing days. she doesnt love the crate just yet, but she will go in occasionally when she doesnt want to be bothered... or to sleep. she sleeps all night now in the crate as well. be brave. stick it ou and it willl get better.