Stopping whining

We just adopted a 6 week old lab mix 2 days ago from our local shelter. I know that she is two weeks too young to be away from mom and siblings, but as she had already been removed from her mother, there wasn't much we could do about it. That being said, we are trying to be extra cautious about her developing any psychological/anxiety issues.

The problem is, she is now whining when she wakes up and wants to be let out of her crate (mostly for pottying) but for food and attention too. She also whines if she is awake in her crate and I leave the room. I want to discourage this behavior, but I'm kind of confused about when it is "okay" for her to whine.

I.E. I want her to let me know when she has to go to the bathroom, but I don't want her to whine and cry to get whatever she wants or develop separation anxiety.

Currently, my strategy is trying to catch her just waking up and before she can start to make noise to take her out of her crate to potty. I know she is very young so I'm not sure how much of this early training she can retain, but I want to nip the problem in the bud as soon as possible.

How can I teach her to feel secure in being alone in her crate but also continue to meet her needs as far as letting her out of her crate when she has to go?

She is a very young pup and will need time to adjust to being away from her mom and siblings.

You need to first concentrate on potty training. If you can & this does work. Take her out every 2 hours (24 hours a day) and also after eating, drinking, sleeping, napping, etc. This should help to prevent accidents in the house and she will get used to going outside to potty. I always say "good pee" "good poop" so they know how good they are. I did this for 2 weeks as well as a friend of mine after being told to do this and it works.

When she's in her crate, do you give her some toys to chew on to occupy her, like a puppy kong.

I would start with the crate near your bed. You can put a blanket over the top (leave front open) which creates a cave like atmosphere which they seem to like.

I know there are lots of other tips here on this board if you do a search.

The pup is probably just scared and lonely being away from his littermates for the first time, and so young. Some tips:
Put a used shirt/pillowcase/whatever with your scent on it in the crate with the dog.
Get a hot water bottle and wrap it in a towel, then put that in the crate. It will comfort the dog and may remind him of sleeping in a heap with his littermates.
Some people get a ticking clock and wrap a towel around that and put it in the crate because it sounds like the littermates heart beats.

Make sure when you take the dog out in the night time that you only take him out to potty and give a treat for pottying, don't cuddle with the dog or he may start waking you up for attention.

Eventually the dog will settle, she just needs to get used to her new life and mature a little bit.

Thanks so much for the tips, guys I've never had a puppy this small before. I've been doing a lot of reading but any info really helps.

I am trying the hot water bottle and it REALLY helps a lot! I use rice in a sock instead and then heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. She really loves it. The shelter also gave us a snippet of a blanket that she used to lay on with her mom so I've been wrapping the sock in that too.

I guess I'll concentrate on potty training for now. So far she has done really well with it and 90% of the time will go on her pads. I am keeping her on a consistent feeding schedule so I take her to go to the bathroom when she wakes up, after she eats, etc...which ends up being about every 2 hours anyway.

I have nothing to add, except congrats on your rescue.

yes congrats on the new baby! And thank you for rescueing!

I understand using the puppy pads; but, also bring her outside to the spot you want her to be going in when she gets older. This will make the transition much easier. I agree with having her crate next to your bed, and be sure to get a bigger crate for later (sooner than you think).

You need to quickly find a mentor for her. If you know someone with a calm, tolerant, friendly dog to become an aunt or uncle to your new puppy. The aunt will probably not pay much attention initially to the puppy, then will warm up to it, then growl and snap at her to teach her proper doggie manners. As she gets older, introduce her to more dogs. If you wait until she has all of her shots before letting her around other dogs it will be too late for sufficient dog socialization.

I wish you luck!

Thanks, Criosphynx and HayleyMarie!

Maura, in a week or so, I'll start taking her to her outdoor potty spot. We've got a big enough crate for her as an adult too so during the day she stays in there to nap with a divider to make it only big enough for her bed, water, and toys.

For now, Leela has her older brother, Jack to be a mentor for her They are already playing pretty well together and he is very gentle and tolerant of her. When she gets her second round of shots I'll go ahead and introduce her to other dogs.

Thanks for the tips!

Having Jack as her uncle will help her sooo much! Just don't be surprised when one day he snaps at her, he just teaching her manners.

Congrats on the new pooch Give her time to adjust and sure she'll be fine

Glad to hear that your puppy is now more comfortable!