Help! Puppy is driving me nuts!

[Pennymom]

We got our 10 week old puppy 2 weeks ago and I am having a rough time adjusting. I have worried a lot about whether we should return her to the shelter. I have had a lot of stresses in my life in the past couple of months but particularly in the past month and I worry we got our puppy at a vulnerable time. I have so many questions..... we crated her from day one but she still cries blue murder and whines and cries several times during the night which results in us getting no sleep. What should we do? She currently sleeps in our room but I wonder if we should move it to another room. Should we be letting her cry it out every time? Housetraining... should we be getting up in the night to let her out? Otherwise in the past day she is showing some small (very tiny) signs of "getting it". Biting.... she bites everything and everyone. What to do? I am trying everything. Anyone with puppy experience and advice that works please help! I have had many days of tears worrying about whether we should return her and the stress is having a major impact on me.

[Barkingdog]

How much time are you spending with your puppy during the day time ? Are you giving her enough exercise and feeding her enough food ? You could find a puppy playgroup to bring her a few times a week so she will learn how to socialize with other dogs and she will get a good work out . This should help her sleep better at night . Try spending some time with her before going to bed and take her out for a short walk on a leash . If you're going to so stress out all the time it just may be fair to bring the puppy back to the shelter , I hope it not a kill shelter . What kind of dog do you have ? It sound like the poor puppy is very lonely and not getting the attention it need.

[hazelrunpack]

Ten week old puppies are a trial...just no way to get around it! The little buggers are chewy, mischievous, noisy, curious, and still missing their dams and littermates. So they're real handfuls at that age. It can be overwhelming, but you're not alone, and keep telling yourself that this, too, shall pass!

First off, yes, it's normal for her to still whining at night. At 10 weeks she's probably only able to easily hold her bladder for about 4 hours, so you may find that you have to let her out at least once at night. She won't want to mess her kennel, so she'll cry to go out. Letting her sleep in your room is a good idea, though, imo--you can hear if she needs to go out, and she'll bond more quickly with you, sleeping in your room.

As for the rest of the housetraining, I'm sure you've heard at least some of this, but I'll go through it anyway, in case there's something useful to you:

At that age they should be going on at regular times--after getting up in the morning or after a nap, before and after eating, before and after playtime. With consistency and patience, she'll catch on, and it likely won't take too long.

Watch for signals that she needs to relieve herself--signals can be very subtle, so watch her carefully. When you spot those signals, take her out right away and when she goes outside, praise her.

If you catch her in the act of relieving herself in the house, make a corrective noise, pick her up and take her right out. When she finishes outside, praise her.

If she messes inside and you missed the act, just clean it up. Don't scold, because she's already forgotten she did it and will have no idea what the scolding is for. Make sure you clean up puddles with a good enzymatic solution formulated to neutralize urine. If she can smell any urine at all, she's likely to go in that spot again.

As for the biting...I'm sorry to tell you that that issue is likely to get worse before it gets better. Puppies teethe between the ages of about 4 and 6 months and they need to chew. There are some things you can do to spare your hands and arms, though--and remember that mantra: "This, too, shall pass."

When she bites, yelp. Turn away and disengage. When she figures out that the play stops when she bites, she'll learn not to bite.

Get her some chew toys. Make sure they're sturdy and always supervise her with them--puppies are surprisingly good at chewing pieces off the most 'indestructible' of toys...

Before she begins to teethe in earnest, buy yourself a pair of cheap bicycle gloves--the kind that cover your palm and the back of your hand but leave your fingers free. It won't stop the chewing, but it protects your hands and makes it easier to keep your temper when she's trying your patience. Remember to correct her when she bites--a throat noise, or say 'no', or something to catch her attention, then disengage. Remember that when she starts getting tired, just like a little kid, she'll get wilder in her play--a little time out in her kennel might not be amiss at that point.

Once she starts to teethe, you can soothe her sore gums with frozen wash cloths. We always had a store of old wash cloths--we'd dampen them in tap water, then throw them in the freezer till they froze. Our puppies always loved to chew on them. Again, though, make sure you supervise her because she's likely to try to chew off bits of the wash cloth and eating them could be dangerous.

Puppies are just plain demonic! But you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll forget the stressful puppy time once she's all grown up. At some point, you'll suddenly realize she's all grown up and find yourself missing all the puppy shenanigans. I know that sounds impossible right now when you're in the midst of things, but it's true! Because, seriously, this, too, shall pass! Honest!!!

BTW, this is the ideal time to start training her on some of the basics. Playtime in the yard is great for teaching her come, to fetch, to stay...and it's the perfect place to get her used to grooming--combing/brushing, handling her feet, her ears, her mouth, examining her eyes, and teaching her to get her teeth brushed if you plan on doing that. And remember, plenty of play--a tired puppy is a better-behaved puppy (at least once she's sleeping! )

But take heart and try to give her a little more time. She's just a baby and has a lot of learning to do--and you're her teacher. She'll look up to you her whole life!

Good luck and keep us posted on how it's going! And, when things calm down some, we'd love to see pics of your little addition!

[rhynes]

What kind of dog?

Bored pups get destructive. Take the dog out to an off leash park and let it burn off some energy. Vaccines be darned, you're missing out on the most important window by keeping the dog locked up. Socialization is key - with children, adults, dogs and everything you can find. Dogs - especially puppies - need physical exercise and real mental stimulation that you can't get from toys. There is an issue with our society today - and that is a crate, bag of treats and toys, none of which a dog needs.

I met a couple in an off leash park a couple of nights ago, seen this little head jumping through the grass. I melted, 9 week old miniature pinscher, really makes me want another one.

[Barkingdog]

You need to be careful bringing a puppy to an off leash park , some dogs play really rough . I took my dog to an off leash park, Marty is only 17 lbs. and some bigger dogs were pushing him down a hill and my dog and the dog walker did nothing to stop the dogs from knocking my dog over and stepping on him . This was the first and last time I went to an off leash park with Marty .

[rhynes]

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

You need to be careful bringing a puppy to an off leash park , some dogs play really rough . I took my dog to an off leash park, Marty is only 17 lbs. and some bigger dogs were pushing him down a hill and my dog and the dog walker did nothing to stop the dogs from knocking my dog over and stepping on him . This was the first and last time I went to an off leash park with Marty .

It depends on where you are I guess. My minpin is 10 pounds, does fine. Hundreds of hours, countless dogs of all breeds and sizes in off leash parks since I got him in October. Occasional large breed pup tries to play a little rough, but he corrects that in a hurry and rarely do I ever have to intervene. Ex's pin was the same. This 9 week old minpin I met was doing fine - and he's only a pound and a half. Not uncommon to see very small breeds running free.

They need to learn "dog" from other dogs, I can't teach that. They need to burn the energy off - beyond what a walk can give. They need to learn to be social, they need to learn to give corrections and take them. All the owners I've met were cool with their dog taking corrections from a 10 pound dog - they recognize it needs to happen.

Maybe it's just me.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by rhynes

It depends on where you are I guess. My minpin is 10 pounds, does fine. Hundreds of hours, countless dogs of all breeds and sizes in off leash parks since I got him in October. Occasional large breed pup tries to play a little rough, but he corrects that in a hurry and rarely do I ever have to intervene. Ex's pin was the same. This 9 week old minpin I met was doing fine - and he's only a pound and a half. Not uncommon to see very small breeds running free.

They need to learn "dog" from other dogs, I can't teach that. They need to burn the energy off - beyond what a walk can give. They need to learn to be social, they need to learn to give corrections and take them. All the owners I've met were cool with their dog taking corrections from a 10 pound dog - they recognize it needs to happen.

Maybe it's just me.

There are some really irresponsible dog owners in my city , people let their dogs run lose when there is a leash law enforce instead of bringing their dogs to one of 3 parks where dogs can run lose . Part of the problem is dog owners aren't training their dogs anymore b/c they're using the leash that are extendable . People just let their dogs walk way ahead of them so the dog become the leader of the packs and the owners wonder why their dogs don't follow their commands .