First few nites of crating heartache

[stella dormoy]

Hi to all readers!!

I picked up my 8 weeks mini dashsie last Thurs PM and spend 3 full days with her. She is a sweetie and a darling. I took her to the vet that Janet recommended and the vet was very good and gentle with my baby... she weighs 1 lb. She could easily sleep on my arm.!! I love her to bits!!!!

We have started paper training and she is doing so good in that dept. When we are home, kitchen is her space. She gets the run of the house ( I am trying to familiarise her with her new home) when I am just next to her to supervise and to pick her up to the papers when she wants to eliminate. She did her business on the papers 10 times out of 15. That's good isn't it?

My only dilemma is... crating!! My baby crying is breaking my heart and saddening me.

I had to put her in a crate from 10.30pm to 6 am the last 3 nites in another room because the 1st nite for the 1st hr she was asleep in her crate but then she starts to wimp, cries & bark and my husband needs to get to work in the morning... so I kept her in the crate through out the nite in another room with the door closed. She keeps on crying... every 3 hours.. I wake up to evedrop on her.. I did not go the room. I should not submit to every whimp, right?

At 6 am, I will find her in the crate with her eliminations and she had stepped and probably lied or sat on it... she sure stinks in the morning... I had to clean her and the crate. This made me cry because I feel so sorry for her. But I read in many books on crate/housetraining... I have to be strong.. and leave her there and she will learn to hold her bowel better... is this true??? Pls help. please tell me of another method .. if there's one.

I am taking 4 hours off work for 2 weeks starting today so that she will not be left along for 9 hours in the crate.. (this sounds to cruel and mean and wicked.. the thought of having to be away from her hurts. I was never a mother... this is probably the closest I will ever get to being a mum.

I am writing this in the housebreaking & Welcome to Dachsie forum as well... I pray someone out there can tell me if what I am doing is wrong or right or give me more ideas and advice.

Thanks alot. :raz: :)

[blazeman]

I left a reply in the other forum :)

So... does the baby have puppy breath? :)

[stella dormoy]

You know what, Her breadth smells nice and natural to me but her coat is a little smelly now due to crate potty accidents and I wash her in a basin of water with very little shampoo in it and wipe her down with a soft cloth. She is only 8 weeks and I do not know if I could shampoo her yet. The vet told me to wait for 2 more weeks. What do you think?

I stand her on her hind legs andI wipe her down with damp cloth in a basin of shallow shampoo water., could I put her on all 4s, will she attempt to drink it?

Thanks.

[blazeman]

She might try and drink... but I don't know for sure ;) Each little one is different!

It if is easier to get her back when she is on all 4s it might help?

[cruzenmac]

Here's just a hunch, when the pupper cries in the middle of the night, take her to potty. After all, she is a baby and babies go frequently. Dogs naturally do not want to mess in their crate. A puppy in many ways is work just like having a baby. During the day, if possible, avoid having her in the crate for more than 3 hours at a time. Perhaps you have a neighbor that can take her out if you work too far from home or you can look into pet-walking services.

Probably after a week or so of taking the dog out when she cries in the middle of the night to go potty she will be able to make it through the night. Kona is about 11mos old now...the first week he cried several times in the middle of the night to go potty. After that, he cried about 3am and then when I got up for work (he was my alarm). Now, it's very rare he wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Good Luck!
Melissa.

[LisaH]

Mei's Mom:

I strongly suggest that you NOT leave her shut in the crate for more than 2 to 3 hours at a time, tops. Rigiht now she's way too young to hold her water for more than a couple hours. When we brought Annie home at 8 weeks, whenever we had to leave her alone we gated her into a small pantry area with her crate (door open), water, toys, and a newspapered area. We did that at night as well. That way she could pee whenever she needed to. I highly recommend this. It *is* traumatizing your little one to have to sit in her own eliminations.

Do you have a nice soft blankie in her crate for her, or maybe a stuffed animal (with no sharp pieces that could hurt her if she chews on it)? You can try wrapping up a ticking clock for her too. She's just an infant; your most important job right now is to help her feel secure in her new home.

Good luck!
Lisa and Annie

[stella dormoy]

Thank you for your feedback and obvious concern.

Last nite, as advised by some members, to get up and take her out a couple of times at nite for potty... I was in the next room and she whimps 5 times and each time I got up to take her potty... and she only peed (on the paper) once on the first whimp , the other 4 times, I realise she just wanted to be hugged and be close.. so I stayed up and put her back to sleep (in 5 mins) on my lap before I return her asleep to the crate. When we all finally got up at 6am, there was no accident at all.!!

I could do this for 2 weeks in the middle of the nite because I am sacrificing 4 hours pay in the morning for 2 weeks.

My question is, although I sleep light, do I get up at every whimp or cries she makes? Should I only go to her when she gets louder. She will keep making that sorry whimp, if I keep submitting to her.

I welcome anybody's feedback, ideas or experience. Thanks.

[blazeman]

I hope this doesn't come out wrong... but don't let her train you. If you are going in each time she will know that her crying will bring you in each time. Jake is doing a little of the crying now in the middle of the evening (like 8... 9pm) first few days I reacted... but I then noticed if I ignored it... he stopped and got me a toy to play with him.

Sounds like you are already on the good road though! Keep up the good work and you will have a great little one in no time!

[Meemoo]

don't give in to that whimpering otherwise she has trained *YOU*. After a few whimpers you can try saying..quiet...and see if she quiets, if she does praise her ..good girl..good quiet... If she doesn't quiet down you can try banging on the crate which may stop her from whimpering. Again, once she DOES stop..praise her for being good. If you give in, even ONCE, they know it and will try even harder and cry that much more so be brave and strong.

[stella dormoy]

Thank you both for the vote of confidence!! I needed that!!Okay... I am going to.. no, I will be strong tonite! Hopefully she will be co-operative tonite. Mei Mei is such a sweetie and definitely crafty. I love to brag her but I do not know how to post photos on the forum yet and I will do it ASAP.

Talk to you tomorrow morning. Cheers!

[blazeman]

if you would like... email me the pics and I will post them for you :)

[stella dormoy]

Sure. Thanks.

[stella dormoy]

I placed her (crated) next to my bed and she sleeps 90 mins with interval of crying and wimping, she cries (for nothing) about 5 times From 11 pm to 3.30 am , I tried banging on the crate each time... the little one didn't take any notice and carried on. I did the in & out of crate thing for 15 mins to see if she wanted to potty .. because I do not know which is for real!! On the 3rd awakening and cry, I found she did #2 but she did not step on it or anything, so I clean and changed her sheets, throw in my worn t-shirt and ticking watch again. She wants to fall asleep on my lap or shoulder B4 I return her to the crate. After 3.30 am, I was really sleepy now...then I decided to put her in another room and she was even louder. I stayed put in my bed till 5.30am before I got her out for breakfast and found she urinated in her crate.

So, I was half strong last nite.. I will do better next time. I am trying avoid accident in the crate.. honestly, I don't mind the cleaning... I am only concern about her sleeping in a soiled crate and traumatising her in anyway and yet I do not want her to be training me!!! Clever... these dachsies..

When I am home and not sleeping, I don't crate her at all, I am with her most times, If I am in the shower room, she sits quietly in the closed bathroom. When she is napping she is gated in the kitchen, so that she can get to the paper to potty (which she does well) before she starts calling for me.

As usual, if anyone still wants to provide feedback, please do. Am I worrying too much?

[juliette]

Now, I haven't had a puppy, so everyone else here will give you the best advice - but it sounds like you are being a concerned Mom. One thing to remember, all dogs will be happier and more content on a schedule. You can't expect Mei Mei to understand her schedule immediately - especially since all her very short life she has had her mother and littermates to provide everything, and then you during the day since she came to your forever home. She has to adapt to being alone and having the security of her crate - and that might take a little time.

Cudos on you for the patience to go through it with her, the strength to NOT respond every time she cries and the love to bring her into your home and reach out to the experience here on this board.

More experienced voices will guide you on how/when to respond to her crying - but my voice congratulates you on the concern and love you are showing - that in itself means you will be a fabulous home for "beautiful"

[stella dormoy]

Thank you for your kind words. If you like, you can see Mei Mei at the Welcome to Dachsie Forum, Thread: Welcom to Dachsie-. Blazeman was kind enough to post it for me.

Cheers!

[Spencer13]

I had a similar problem with my Spencer at first. He didn't like to be in his crate at night (althought the crate was next to my bed). I finaly resolved the issue by raising the crate in a small table so that we were eye to eye. He could see me sleeping and would do the same. If he woke up in the middle of the night I would stick my fingers in and in a soothing voice tell him to go back to sleep. It worked!!!!. He is now sleeping all night, down in the floor (still next to my bed) and Im happy and no dark circles. Atleast for now, Im getting a female on saturday, I'll let you know if the same tactic works with her . Hope this helps.:dizzy:

[stella dormoy]

Originally posted by Spencer13
I had a similar problem with my Spencer at first. He didn't like to be in his crate at night (althought the crate was next to my bed). I finaly resolved the issue by raising the crate in a small table so that we were eye to eye. He could see me sleeping and would do the same. If he woke up in the middle of the night I would stick my fingers in and in a soothing voice tell him to go back to sleep. It worked!!!!. He is now sleeping all night, down in the floor (still next to my bed) and Im happy and no dark circles. Atleast for now, Im getting a female on saturday, I'll let you know if the same tactic works with her . Hope this helps.:dizzy:

Thanks for the tip.
I started last nite to put Mei Mei's crate on a small table next to my bed. She is still crying but I am going to keep trying. How old was Spencer when you starting him sleeping with you? Did you pick up your female last Saturday?

[Spencer13]

Spencer was 7 weeks when I got him and he currently is 15 weeks old. He took very well to the "same level sleeping" I also placed an electric blanket under his blanket to make it a warm comforting place. Yes, he did also whine at first, but it soon tapered off. Regarding our female, we dont pick her up until this upcoming saturday, and we have also named her Mimi. :raz: Keep me posted on your and her progress.

[stella dormoy]

Hi,

Well, last nite is the first nite that I get 7 hours sleep. The level sleeping is working rather well now. She whines and when I stick my finger for her to smell me, she falls back to sleep and if she didn't, it was because she wanted to potty. She got up to pee pee only twice. Somehow she will only poo after breakfast. She is a sweetie... it seems as though she knows I need a break, it has been 10 nites with waking up 5 times a nite for her.

I really hope she will keep up her good work! Well, she is paper trained pretty well too!! One time I left a paper-bag on the floor of the car, she peed there too!!

She'll be 10 weeks on coming Monday and I have started to gate her in the bathroom with water, toys, crate, paper and radio with news channel. (she seems to sleep better listening to voices). I came home from work and found her playing in her crate and she pottied on the paper! I was over-the-moon.... so ...I smothered her with praise, treats and kisses.

Life is good... what can I say!!!

[blazeman]

All I can say is thanks for not giving up! There are some people who would have through it was hopeless and tried to get rid of the dog.

Mei Mei... keep up the good work!!

Have any more pics? :)

[stella dormoy]

Yes, I do have new pics of Mei Mei, I am sending it to you via your email. Thanks alot!!

If it is not for DBB, I would be probably pulling my hair apart and extending my patience....

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all responsees for all your advices!!! They were very much needed and appreciated!!

[JanetC]

I am so glad that things are starting to quiet down for you at night. The babies always take a little while to get used to everything including their new mommies. Keep up the praises. She has to be loving them so much.

Also, I saw the new pics. What a cutie pie. Willie can't wait to check her out at the meeting.

Janet & Willie:flower:

[Caleb_Pearson]

you guys have a meeting? that would be nice...

[JanetC]

Look under the subject of "Special Events". There is a thread called April 19th Dachsie meeting. There are meetings all over the US. You can see if there will be one in your neighborhood. I hope there is.:circle:

Janet & Willie:flower:

[stella dormoy]

Yes, it's a Dachshund meeting. You can check in out on DBB, Special Events Forum for the website.

Janet, Mei Mei looks forward to meeting Willy very much. It's in her appointment book, we hope the weather will be good.!!

By the way, she got her second shot yesterday and thank goodness she is great and as usual sleeping alot. Does a 10 weeks puppy sleeps more than she's awake? She's like a little madam... she'll play only when she wants to play... I tried to play a little tug-of-war to give her a little exercise, she walks to her bed, look at me.. and close her eyes.!!


Cheers!

[blazeman]

When jake was a little 10 week old he did sleep a bunch. we had a routine... and when he started no needing the naps... we had to change the routine ;)

I think it is normal :)