He cries every time I put him down-how can I get him to lie down on his own? He's very young-4 to 6 weeks old (he was dumped at the shelter w/his littermates-they were so tiny and thin it's amazing they survived at all.....)-so will he maybe outgrow it? I don't want him to get so used to it he'll never let me put him down, but I hate to hear him cry!
my puppy doesn't want to be put down....
- Thread starter landkwold
- Start date
if he is 4 weeks old i'm not suprised that he is crying when put down... i don't really know that much about this but i know you were best off getting a pup that is 8 weeks onwards.
if i were you, i'd just keep holding it until he grows out of it, ofcourse he will one day because at one point he will be too big to hold.
if i were you, i'd just keep holding it until he grows out of it, ofcourse he will one day because at one point he will be too big to hold.
Try making him as comfortable as possible when you put him down. I'd suggest a soft blanket on top of a warm water bottle to mimic the presence of another body(heat). A xsmall kong could keep him distracted, but be careful with the treats because his digestive system, like the rest of him, is very young. It's probably going to be very hard for you to put him down, but the sooner he learns its okay to be down and is content that way, the better. He will soon learn that this is the way to manipulate you to get what he wants. Sooner rather than later, because you don't want him doing the same thing when he is a teen-aged monster 
It's going to be an important task for you to try and substitute for what this pup is lacking
I've just recently had another experience with raising a very young puppy, feel free to PM me if you need anything or have any questions - I will be more likely to respond faster that way
Hope That Helps,
Dana
It's going to be an important task for you to try and substitute for what this pup is lacking
I've just recently had another experience with raising a very young puppy, feel free to PM me if you need anything or have any questions - I will be more likely to respond faster that way
Hope That Helps,
Dana
Thank you for the advice-last night my husband put one of my t-shirts in the puppy's bed-and he was able to sleep for a few hours on his own (he snuggled right up in the shirt), which was a welcome break for me!! It really is alot like having a newborn baby in the house, lol....I have a bit of the new mommy delirium!!!
A lot of puppies are weaned at around 4 weeks so I don't think your pup needs constant contact with you. But being alone, he'll need a lot since he's a social animal. But I'd be careful not to pick him up everytime he cries and try getting to him when he's not crying so he doesn't learn that he gets his own way just because he cries or become too dependent. I wouldn't worry so much now, but in a few weeks, I'd keep an eye out for over catering to him. But your pup needs socialization and if you can find a litter of puppies who will accept your pup as a playmate, that would be optimum, as long as everyone is healthy. You do have to be careful about diseases. They learn so much from their littermates at this time as far as bite inhibition, how to get along with others, how to be confident and not shy... etc. It's just really important to their emotional make up. Make sure puppy is not kept from hearing normal household noises, pots and pans, doors closing, TV blaring, kids coming to see pup etc. Good luck.
I agree.
The thing about leaving a pup with mom until 8 weeks old that creates a well balanced pup is that they learn SO much about socialization and coping mechanisms.
Like Doberluv stated, they are weaned at around 4 weeks old, and they get left behind more and more frequently, for longer and longer periods of time. BUT, they have their litter mates to help sooth, comfort and protect them. A puppy who never had a litter or mother is off to start with a lot of disadvantages. You have to create both.. which can be hard, if not impossible at times.
By 8 weeks old a "normal" puppy has already developed the skills necessary to grow into an adult. I'm a firm believer that orphaned animals develop slower in this regard, which means that your dog is in an earlier stage of development, with entirely different needs then a pup the same age that was raised "normally".
In fact, in university it is this exact study that we participate in during the developmental portions of animal behavior studies. This is one thing that is monitored closely when we discuss the differences between learned behaviors and inherited behaviors. In the case of orphaned pups versus litter raised pups, certain things are simply not learned, and can't be taught by humans.. BUT, we can certainly influence the impact that this start in life has on their development into an adult animal.
Having said that, there is a vast difference between a 4 week old puppy and a 6 week old puppy. I suggest you have your vet age this pup, because how you handle the dog at these ages will differ.
I have to ask though, if the whole litter was abandoned at the shelter, then how is it that you have a 4-6 week old pup? Either the whole the litter is fostered out together, or they remain at the shelter together until they are "of age". These puppies should remain together for quite some time yet. At least 8-10 weeks old. They may not have a mother, but they will still learn a lot from having their litter mates around.
If at all possible, can you return the puppy to the litter for the rest of this developmental stage?
Does this puppy have a den/whelping box/crate/room/etc that is "theirs". A litter of puppies is only moved from their den in the event of danger, otherwise that is a "home base" for the puppy for quite a few months. Part of this puppy's reluctance to gain any sort of confidence while being left alone could be the constant change in environment. I would set up a safe place for the pup that it can get to know and trust well. It will learn to recognize its own scent, and your scent, and equate that spot with a feeling of familiarity, and it is this spot that you can begin to allow the dog to have some time to self sooth. Putting a homeless puppy on the ground in a strange room, in a strange environment is a lot for them to take. I'm not at all surprised your pup whines when you do this.
Creating a den is the first thing I would do.. and when you leave the pup alone, leave it in there.
It is very important that your dog LEARN to be alone. This is a part of life. I would not over "coddle" your puppy.. in fact, I would start introducing your pup to the idea of being a lone now, rather then later. Holding your puppy constantly, while soothing to the dog now, can be difficult to deal with later.
If you can, I would try to arrange "play dates" with this puppy's litter, or if possible, simply return the puppy to a litter environment for another few weeks. Like Doberluv said, they learn many things - confidence, bite inhibition, and basic "life lessons" during this time. It would be beneficial to this pup to socialize with pups of its own age, and if you can do that with his own litter mates, that would be ideal!
Good luck.
The thing about leaving a pup with mom until 8 weeks old that creates a well balanced pup is that they learn SO much about socialization and coping mechanisms.
Like Doberluv stated, they are weaned at around 4 weeks old, and they get left behind more and more frequently, for longer and longer periods of time. BUT, they have their litter mates to help sooth, comfort and protect them. A puppy who never had a litter or mother is off to start with a lot of disadvantages. You have to create both.. which can be hard, if not impossible at times.
By 8 weeks old a "normal" puppy has already developed the skills necessary to grow into an adult. I'm a firm believer that orphaned animals develop slower in this regard, which means that your dog is in an earlier stage of development, with entirely different needs then a pup the same age that was raised "normally".
In fact, in university it is this exact study that we participate in during the developmental portions of animal behavior studies. This is one thing that is monitored closely when we discuss the differences between learned behaviors and inherited behaviors. In the case of orphaned pups versus litter raised pups, certain things are simply not learned, and can't be taught by humans.. BUT, we can certainly influence the impact that this start in life has on their development into an adult animal.
Having said that, there is a vast difference between a 4 week old puppy and a 6 week old puppy. I suggest you have your vet age this pup, because how you handle the dog at these ages will differ.
I have to ask though, if the whole litter was abandoned at the shelter, then how is it that you have a 4-6 week old pup? Either the whole the litter is fostered out together, or they remain at the shelter together until they are "of age". These puppies should remain together for quite some time yet. At least 8-10 weeks old. They may not have a mother, but they will still learn a lot from having their litter mates around.
If at all possible, can you return the puppy to the litter for the rest of this developmental stage?
Does this puppy have a den/whelping box/crate/room/etc that is "theirs". A litter of puppies is only moved from their den in the event of danger, otherwise that is a "home base" for the puppy for quite a few months. Part of this puppy's reluctance to gain any sort of confidence while being left alone could be the constant change in environment. I would set up a safe place for the pup that it can get to know and trust well. It will learn to recognize its own scent, and your scent, and equate that spot with a feeling of familiarity, and it is this spot that you can begin to allow the dog to have some time to self sooth. Putting a homeless puppy on the ground in a strange room, in a strange environment is a lot for them to take. I'm not at all surprised your pup whines when you do this.
Creating a den is the first thing I would do.. and when you leave the pup alone, leave it in there.
It is very important that your dog LEARN to be alone. This is a part of life. I would not over "coddle" your puppy.. in fact, I would start introducing your pup to the idea of being a lone now, rather then later. Holding your puppy constantly, while soothing to the dog now, can be difficult to deal with later.
If you can, I would try to arrange "play dates" with this puppy's litter, or if possible, simply return the puppy to a litter environment for another few weeks. Like Doberluv said, they learn many things - confidence, bite inhibition, and basic "life lessons" during this time. It would be beneficial to this pup to socialize with pups of its own age, and if you can do that with his own litter mates, that would be ideal!
Good luck.
They told us at the shelter the dogs age was 8 weeks (and neutered him to boot-if that gives you any idea of the level of concern there-our vet was floored....). When we took him to our vet she said there was no way he was 8weeks and that she would estimate him to be 6 weeks old. All of the puppies have been adopted from the shelter, and because of the high amount of animals that leave there sick there is NO way I would take him back there to socialize with any of the animals. The Memphis animal shelter is EXTREMELY overcrowded and has a reputation for having some of the sickest animals (We didn't know this until we were there to pick him up and started hearing from some of the other people there who have had problems...)He has a crate that we use when we aren't around him, and try to use at night, but I'm home all day and the kids are home on winter break too, so he has constant attention. Again, because he came from a shelter with a high instance of illness, the vet has reccommended that we keep him away from other young puppies until we can be sure that he's healthy-he's already come down w/a resp. illness. We probably do still hold him a little more than we should, but he's just so darned cute.....
I'm glad that your vet (outside of the shelter) has aged the dog. Go with that.
I also agree that if the dog is showing signs of a respiratory illness, that it should not be exposed to outside dogs. Not only for their safety, but because a compromised immune system, plus an immune system that has not not fully developed, means that puppy is at an even greater risk of picking something up (although I think it is fine to socialize a healthy puppy with other equally healthy puppies).
I also didn't mean to say that you should not hold your puppy. Contact and interaction is important, and since socializing with other litter mates or puppies is out of the idea, YOU have to be the one to provide that. However, if you plan to prevent that whining from developing into something like separation anxiety, then it is important for the dog to learn to be separated. The best way to do that is to continue with the den/crate area so that they have a safe place to be while not being handled. You're doing that already, so I think you're set. You basically now have to just wait for the puppy to get a bit older and healthier so you can make the best of his impressionable puppy-hood and get him used to being around other dogs.
I also agree that if the dog is showing signs of a respiratory illness, that it should not be exposed to outside dogs. Not only for their safety, but because a compromised immune system, plus an immune system that has not not fully developed, means that puppy is at an even greater risk of picking something up (although I think it is fine to socialize a healthy puppy with other equally healthy puppies).
I also didn't mean to say that you should not hold your puppy. Contact and interaction is important, and since socializing with other litter mates or puppies is out of the idea, YOU have to be the one to provide that. However, if you plan to prevent that whining from developing into something like separation anxiety, then it is important for the dog to learn to be separated. The best way to do that is to continue with the den/crate area so that they have a safe place to be while not being handled. You're doing that already, so I think you're set. You basically now have to just wait for the puppy to get a bit older and healthier so you can make the best of his impressionable puppy-hood and get him used to being around other dogs.
