Whining Puppy

[Mom2Oscar]

Hello All!

Just a couple of days ago, I brought home an 8-week-old mini dachshund from a breeder. Oscar is a sweetheart, very smart, and seems that he will be very easily trained. (He is catching on quickly with his paper-training!).

He loves to be with people ... and whines pitifully when someone even leaves the room. He cannot stand to be alone!!

The problem I have is that, although I will get to spend almost a full week with him full-time (due to spring break), I will have to return to work on Tuesday, and I will need to keep Oscar in our half-bathroom so that he is safe while I am not home. The room he will be staying will have plenty of fresh water, toys, puppy training pads for when he needs to go to the potty, and a nice warm bed. He will be alone for about 6 hours.

Earlier today, we had a 'trial run' in the bathroom (for just 45 minutes) ... and he went BERZERK!! Oscar started out with wimpering .. then whining ... then what could only be described as 'screaming!'. He sounded as if he were being tortured. (Let me tell you, listening to that poor puppy cry WAS torture for me!).

I plan to continue with these 'trial runs' over the next couple of days, gradually increasing the time frame.

It has been a long while since I've cared for a young puppy. I don't remember ever dealing with a puppy who reacted this strongly to being left alone.

Is he too young to be left alone this long??? His vet said it would be okay.. and reassured me that he would probably sleep through during this time alone. He wasn't sleeping today ... :yikes:

Can anyone share a similiar situation .. or give me some advice??

Thanks!
Mom2Oscar

 

[Dekka]

did you do a search on this kind of thing, there have been lots of previous posts about these things. Having your pup go on pads in the house is a good way to set him up to go in your house when he is older too (lots of threads discussing that)

Welcome to Chaz... and we love pics.

 

[Mom2Oscar]

did you do a search on this kind of thing, there have been lots of previous posts about these things. Having your pup go on pads in the house is a good way to set him up to go in your house when he is older too (lots of threads discussing that)

Welcome to Chaz... and we love pics.

He is only using the puppy pads for a short period of time, due to his young age. I will begin with the 'outdoor' housebreaking once he gets a little older. I have no doubt that he will catch on ... and I'm willing to take the time to do it right (... and I'll be home full-time during the summer months to focus on his training).

Thanks for the reply!
Debbie

 

[Dekka]

Oh i know what you plan. I had the same 'plan' too. Unfortunately many dogs don't seem to get the memo that all of a sudden its outside only.

 

[gymangel812]

He is only using the puppy pads for a short period of time, due to his young age. I will begin with the 'outdoor' housebreaking once he gets a little older. I have no doubt that he will catch on ... and I'm willing to take the time to do it right (... and I'll be home full-time during the summer months to focus on his training).

Thanks for the reply!
Debbie

it's really best to start the puppy going outside. it is way harder to train a puppy to go outside if its used to going inside.

as for the whining, just ignore it. i know it sounds cruel but the puppy will eventually be quiet and learn that the "tantrums" will not get it anywhere. if you comfort the pup when he cries, it makes it worse to get rid of. by comforting, you are telling the puppy it is ok to cry and he will get what he wants.

 

[sisco16]

thats what i was gonna say 8 weeks isent to young. My puppy was only seven weeks when i brought her home and she went potty outside from when i brought her home no accidents at all. You may have to wait a bit longer outside for them to go potty and frequently go outside after they eat play, or wake up but its worth it. Its the investment you made when bringing home the puppy.

 

[sisco16]

Trust me it will be worth while my dog or shall i say somewhat still puppy not yet 2 now
Whines at the door when she has to go potty. And if im sleeping with nudge me and whine. So its worthwile and will pay off. yea those pee pads are crap dont use them unless you dont have an area outside for the dog to go potty.

 

[2ManyPuppies]

I agree with what everyone else says about potty training. Our puppy is nine weeks today and we brought her home at 6 weeks. We started her going outside right away and we took her outside about every 30 minutes when we were home and every 2 hours at night. She is doing very well now. She lets us know she needs to go outside by sitty at the door. We still have an occasional accident but we're getting there and for the most part she is getting the housebreaking.

 

[Mom2Oscar]

...we brought her home at 6 weeks. We started her going outside right away and we took her outside about every 30 minutes when we were home and every 2 hours at night.

Thanks for everyone's replies.

I brought Oscar outside today ...and introduced him to grass for the first time! LOL! I also bought a crate for him, he has gotten to go inside several times to chill out on the comfy cushion ... I've left the door open (for now).

Tomorrow we will begin the REAL potty training outside. I plan on taking him every hour or so ... he catches on quick, so I think he'll at least get an idea of what we're expecting from him.

My concern, however, is that he will need to stay in our half-bathroom for six hours each day while I'm at work (starting on Tuesday). During that time I will have to use the puppy pads. I hope that doesn't confuse him!!!

Debbie

 

[2ManyPuppies]

My concern, however, is that he will need to stay in our half-bathroom for six hours each day while I'm at work (starting on Tuesday). During that time I will have to use the puppy pads. I hope that doesn't confuse him!!!
Debbie

I'm sure most people here know more than I do and can maybe offer better advice...but I would think the puppy pads are probably the best choice when you can't be there to let him out. Are you going to put his crate in the half-bath?

 

[Sch3Dana]

My concern, however, is that he will need to stay in our half-bathroom for six hours each day while I'm at work (starting on Tuesday). During that time I will have to use the puppy pads. I hope that doesn't confuse him!!!

I think for a dog that will eventually go outside 100% of the time that a piece of sod in a litter box makes the most sense. You can buy sod at the home depot. It's a bit of a nuisance, but the little guy will be going on the right surface from the beginning. I've never used the sod inside the house (I had lots of clients with outdoor patios that were set up with the sod boxes), but I do think it would make the training clearer for the little guy.

Good Luck!

 

[Sanas_K]

Earlier today, we had a 'trial run' in the bathroom (for just 45 minutes) ... and he went BERZERK!! Oscar started out with wimpering .. then whining ... then what could only be described as 'screaming!'. He sounded as if he were being tortured. (Let me tell you, listening to that poor puppy cry WAS torture for me!).

Ha! Sounds like you're going through the same exact thing that I am! My puppy is a chihuahua-dachshund mix and his cries are pitiful! The screaming when he has to be left alone has driven my room mate INSANE. I dunno how to calm the pup down when I'm not there...just ignoring him is all I can do when I AM there. I give him toys, food and water before I go and make sure he's got puppy pads in his crate, just in case...tough it up and shut the bedroom door as I leave. I have to hold in my own cries because I feel so bad. I only gave in the first night, when I let him sleep in the bed. -.- He now sleeps through the night in his crate quietly though...thank "Dog."

Best of luck! Adorable pics btw! Lemme know if you get him to stop his screaming!

 

[Barb04]

It might confuse him, but it's the best thing being that you are going to be working. I'm glad he will be able to have a small room to himself instead of being locked up in a cage the whole time.

I also want to ad that he is soooooooooooooooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mom2Oscar]

Are you going to put his crate in the half-bath?

Nope ... the half-bath is too small. I am going to let him have free rein of the bathroom (it area isn't much bigger than one of those dog pens). The goal is to gradually crate train him until the summertime when he will graduate from the half-bath to the crate.

Debbie

 

[Mom2Oscar]

...Lemme know if you get him to stop his screaming!

The 'screaming' is dimminishing. It seems like as the days go by, and the more I ignore, he is whining a little less. Don't get me wrong, he still cries ... but he's learning that we are not giving in to his whimpering.

So, my advice would be ... just tough it out! Don't give in (I know it's tempting!!!) ... eventually these little pups learn to adjust. I have found that if I dedicate a little longer period of time to 'playtime' just prior to putting him into 'his room' ... he is tuckered out and falls asleep pretty quickly.

Keep in touch ... we need to support each other through these baby days!

Debbie

 

[Sanas_K]

The 'screaming' is dimminishing. It seems like as the days go by, and the more I ignore, he is whining a little less. Don't get me wrong, he still cries ... but he's learning that we are not giving in to his whimpering.

So, my advice would be ... just tough it out! Don't give in (I know it's tempting!!!) ... eventually these little pups learn to adjust. I have found that if I dedicate a little longer period of time to 'playtime' just prior to putting him into 'his room' ... he is tuckered out and falls asleep pretty quickly.

Keep in touch ... we need to support each other through these baby days!

So ignoring him is working then hmmm?

I've been trying the same thing with my puppy, but he still cries just as much now as he did the very first night.

It's gotten to the point where his crate has to go into our walk-in closet with the door shut behind us because my room mate (and neighbors) can't stand his pitiful crying while we're away. I dunno what to do! I assume he cries while we're away, because he'll be crying when we leave and he's still crying when we get home. He has toys in his crate, he has a blanket...I make sure he gets food and water beforehand...I've tried leaving the food and water in there with him, he'll spill his water everywhere and trample and poop in his food...so I decided against that. The LONGEST he's ever without attention is 8 hours, and that's only on Thursdays. Other than that about an hour or two here and there. So he's not without attention. We tried to put him with our older dog, who's about a year old now. He adores her, so we thought it'd keep him quiet but apparently he doesn't enjoy her company enough to keep him quiet.

He's about 9 weeks now...and I've only had him about 3 weeks...but within that short time I think I've heard more screaming then than throughout my whole life. I'll get a pic of him soon.


EDIT:

Here's a pic the day after we brought him home.

Here's a pic of him today as I typed up this post.

He's losing his loose skin, his blue eyes are fading to a light greenish-brown, and his ears are starting to stand up straight. He's growing up too fast!

 

[Mom2Oscar]

Sanas K:

Oscar STILL has his bouts of whining. Actually, now we're hearing alot of it while we are home with him. We have a large area (2 rooms & hallway) sectioned off for him to roam freely while we're home(I'm trying to keep him off at least ONE of our carpets!!). If one of us steps out of the 'doggie zone', he cries as if he's being abandoned for eternity! He is very needy ... I'm wondering if this is a trait of the smaller breeds of dogs?

As far as his time spent alone .. IF he's sleepy, he'll stay in 'his bathroom' quietly after some initial protesting. I have followed the advice of my vet and I now leave a radio playing (very softly) in the bathroom during the day while I'm at work (6 hours). This seems to help. I leave his food and water in the room with him, and so far he hasn't spilled in too much. I also have a doggie bed, a blanket, and several toys to keep him occupied (I think he's sleeping most of this time, however...). Of course, he has his puppy pads in there with him and he has been using them (yeah!!). He is pretty good about peeing on the pads ... however, he doesn't see the logic in pooping on these pads ... he MUCH prefers the carpet for this! (ARG!)

If your little guy is spending his time in his crate -- you can puchase a doggie water bottle (similar to what is used in mouse cages) that can be attached to the side of his crate. That way he can get a drink without spilling it all over the floor of the crate. I would limit the amount of water you put in the bottle, however, to limit the amount of peeing.

Good luck with your little guy. He is ADORABLE! I like the mix of doxie and chihuahua ... very cute! How big will be be when he's full grown? Do you have issues with him getting off furniture/beds or climbing/descending steps? I live in fear that our Oscar will break something - he is fearless!

nOTE: This is a video I uploaded from photobucket ... I would NEVER actually do this to a dog!!!:yikes:

 

[lizzybeth727]

He has toys in his crate, he has a blanket...I make sure he gets food and water beforehand...I've tried leaving the food and water in there with him, he'll spill his water everywhere and trample and poop in his food...so I decided against that. The LONGEST he's ever without attention is 8 hours, and that's only on Thursdays. Other than that about an hour or two here and there. So he's not without attention. We tried to put him with our older dog, who's about a year old now. He adores her, so we thought it'd keep him quiet but apparently he doesn't enjoy her company enough to keep him quiet.

I would not suggest leaving him with food or water in his crate. At this age, he's going to have to go potty probably within about 30 minutes of eating or drinking - so if you're gone for 6 hours, that 5 1/2 hours he's having to "hold it," which is pretty much physically impossible for puppies this young! That probably explains why he's pooping in his crate. If you're using a larger area, large enough for a potty pad, you could leave food and water with him, but if he's only going to be in there 6 hours or less, he certainly doesn't need food or water. He's probably sleeping that whole time, and he's certainly not exercising or getting hot.

 

[Sanas_K]

lizzybeth727, that's what I figured. I have two crates for him, one of them was used for my bigger dog, it's big enough to home a Great Dane, so when he gets put in there he gets his soft comfy bed, a puppy pad and his food and water. I thought dogs weren't supposed to litter where they sleep...but he'll soil his bed and then sleep over it. I've given him more baths in these few weeks than my big dog has had her whole life. I don't mind it, the bath is a bonding time now, I just wish he didn't do it. ~.~

Potty training has gotten no where so far...even though I take him out and set him on the grass, he'll trot back onto the patio and wait at the door whimpering to get back in. If I let him in then he'll go hide and do his business on the carpet...the training pads were getting somewhere, but as soon as I introduced the outdoors, it all went to "poop".

Mom2Oscar, I'm not sure how big he'll get...since he's a mix it's hard to tell...I've had small dogs before, but never this mix. We'll see how he turns out.

As he's getting older one of his ears is straightening up, the other still is crooked down, lol...he's sure a character! I'll post a pic so you can see his funny ears. He got a new collar last night too...blue to match his eyes. Buuuut, he doesn't seem to be approving of it! He scratches at it every 20 steps or so, lol.

And as for the furniture issue...if he wants up, he'll wait at my feet and paw at me, if I ask him "Want up? Want up?" and place my hands down, he'll position himself to get picked up if he wants to get up, if not, he'll wander off and find something else to do. When he's up with me on the couch and he wants down, he'll dance at the edge of it...I wont let him even try to get up or down by himself...my previous dog was a toy fox terrier and he has major knee problems...my parents kept him when I moved, but he used to jump up and down when he pleased...I think this only worsened his condition, perhaps it was even what started it. He has a little pair of dog stairs now, to get up on the couch...hard part is getting them to use it. Keep an eye on your pup and I suggest not leaving 'em alone on anything where he might step off and hurt a leg or whatnot. So far, I'ven't had much trouble...Jin was afraid to take the step down to get outside, but he's a bit more bold now and his legs have gotten a little longer, so he can more easily "step" out rather than huddle on the step nervous.

 

[lizzybeth727]

I have two crates for him, one of them was used for my bigger dog, it's big enough to home a Great Dane, so when he gets put in there he gets his soft comfy bed, a puppy pad and his food and water. I thought dogs weren't supposed to litter where they sleep...but he'll soil his bed and then sleep over it. I've given him more baths in these few weeks than my big dog has had her whole life. I don't mind it, the bath is a bonding time now, I just wish he didn't do it. ~.~

Dogs usually don't go potty in a place where they'll have to sleep in it - but if he potties on a soft cushy bed, the bed will soak up a lot of the pee and he won't feel like he's sleeping in it. If he's going on his bed, then take the bed out. Dogs are perfectly capable of sleeping on the floor without a bed, and it's really bad for their skin to give so many baths (no matter how much you like doing it).

Also - take the food and water out of the crate! He won't need to drink unless he's exercising (like, running laps), or getting hot, and as long as the crate is inside, he doesn't need water in the crate. Just make sure he has a chance to drink when he comes out.

So, if you take out the bed (the place where he goes potty) and the food and water (the stuff that causes him to have to potty), it's very likely that his accidents will be greatly decreased!

Potty training has gotten no where so far...even though I take him out and set him on the grass, he'll trot back onto the patio and wait at the door whimpering to get back in. If I let him in then he'll go hide and do his business on the carpet...the training pads were getting somewhere, but as soon as I introduced the outdoors, it all went to "poop"

When he is inside the house, he should not be allowed to hide anywhere. Not only does this hurt potty training, but it'll also give him a place to chew on and eat things he's not supposed to, so your house manners will also "go to poop." You can keep him on a leash and tie the leash to you, so he has to follow you around all day. This also gives you a good opportunity to do some training and bonding!