Getting desperate!

This what I was supposed to post lol
Thank you for understanding, oddly or annoyingly (whichever way you want to look at it) he’s been in his crate within the playpen with the door shut for about an hour and he hasn’t even noticed, we’ve had a few wee accidents today which was actually improving.....but hey one step forward, two steps back (probably also to do with my mood right now)
 

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
This what I was supposed to post lol
Thank you for understanding, oddly or annoyingly (whichever way you want to look at it) he’s been in his crate within the playpen with the door shut for about an hour and he hasn’t even noticed, we’ve had a few wee accidents today which was actually improving.....but hey one step forward, two steps back (probably also to do with my mood right now)
The best thing for improvements and set backs is to write it down like you are here; in 2 weeks time you’ll look back and think wow, he’s changed so much!
 
Welcome @Georgesmum , I hope some of the info above helps. I feel a bit of a wimp as I've always started with an adult dog so far, we've never used a crate so I have nothing to offer except a kind ear. Your boy is a tiny baby and he will take time, but you will both get there.
 

Jacqui-S

Moderator
Location
Fife, Scotland
He has a kong, but I’m not sure what to put in it
For puppies we usually just start with softened puppy food, then start to gradually add in variety.
If you put the puppy food in the kong then soak in a cup of water it might be easier than softening the food and stuffing it in.
As puppies become more expert at getting the food out you can freeze it. Maybe just an hour or so to start with then overnight.
There are LOADS of kong filling recipes once your boy is hooked.Easiest and most often in my house it is an over-ripe banana, sometimes mixed with natural yoghurt, sometimes kibble. But you can put almost anything in it that a dog would normally eat.
 
he’s been in his crate within the playpen with the door shut for about an hour and he hasn’t even noticed, we’ve had a few wee accidents today which was actually improving.....but hey one step forward, two steps back (probably also to do with my mood right now)
That’s progress! Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work as well next time. Just persevere and he’ll get used to it.

Welcome to the forum!
 
Welcome @Georgesmum and your little one.
Having just (well a couple of weeks ago), got a second pup, we are going through the same with Honey.

We decided to set up an area downstairs lounge for her including the crate. This was so that Vanilla could have the main lounge and not interrupt her routine. Oh boy did we get that wrong. OH was at home for over a week and a bit, then went back just for a couple of hours for the first week. I can WFH at times to assist.

But boy did she shout, scream, bark, howl and whatever else the house and neighbourhood down. I could hear her as I was walking up the road. This was even after doing some training with her in being in the crate and play area. We had a baby gate across the hall to allow Honey to get more area.

Nope that would not work. We could not have her be so hysterical, where I would say it was like someone having a panic attack. Because we had to get her settles before we both went back to work, even with a dog sitter coming in to assist throughout the day.

We figured we would move the crate and set up the play pen within the larger lounge to be nearer Vanilla. I decided to spend time with her within the pen to try and settle her, she would play within the pen, would lay down and let her fall asleep. Once asleep, I would leave and that worked until she woke up. Would leave her crying for a few minutes, then come back once she was quiet. All this worked for a short period, but because Vanilla has the whole house when she disappeared all hell broke loose again. As much as when I got home one day the pen had become so small, due to her moving whilst trying to get out.

So we ended up with option 3. Honey got the lounge downstairs and Vanilla gets the remainder of the house. Baby gate between them and now when we leave Honey is OK and happy with her Kong chewing on it for about 30min, even though all the food is gone within about 5min. If she hears Vanilla upstairs, she will give a small cry for about 30sec. but then fall asleep. One thing we do do is if we need to leave through the front door (rather than garage), we open the door and leave slightly open. It makes a minor noise when opening, but I can control the noise when closing (just not opening).

Of course now we have a different issue which I will post separately.

What I am trying to say is you will get there it just takes time. I never thought it would be this difficult to settle Honey, given when we got Vanilla she was settled within a few days. They just need to know that you are coming back, which once they realise that you are, they are happy.
 
Hi there, I feel your pain as we had terrible trouble with the crate / playpen with Merlin. After six weeks of struggle we eventually gave up and just let him have the run of the living room with Poppy - but I didn't have to leave him alone for months as my husband was working from home.

You have set yourself a tall order though, it is quite an ask for a young puppy to go four hours in a crate. Generally speaking it takes weeks to get a puppy to a stage where they are happy to spend 1-2 hours alone in a crate or pen. It's good that you are thinking ahead and have got someone to come in and see him. You'll just have to get up really early and play with him in the morning, then hopefully he'll sleep after his breakfast!!! Good luck, let us know how it goes!!!
 
Hi there, I feel your pain as we had terrible trouble with the crate / playpen with Merlin. After six weeks of struggle we eventually gave up and just let him have the run of the living room with Poppy - but I didn't have to leave him alone for months as my husband was working from home.

You have set yourself a tall order though, it is quite an ask for a young puppy to go four hours in a crate. Generally speaking it takes weeks to get a puppy to a stage where they are happy to spend 1-2 hours alone in a crate or pen. It's good that you are thinking ahead and have got someone to come in and see him. You'll just have to get up really early and play with him in the morning, then hopefully he'll sleep after his breakfast!!! Good luck, let us know how it goes!!!
Yes it is, a tall order, I realise that now, talk about shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. I thought it would be simpler than it appears now (god knows why!!) 😕 if I’d have realised this before trust me I’d have thought twice about the whole thing 😕 but Ive got him now so I’ve got to get on with it.
 
Yes it is, a tall order, I realise that now, talk about shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. I thought it would be simpler than it appears now (god knows why!!) 😕 if I’d have realised this before trust me I’d have thought twice about the whole thing 😕 but Ive got him now so I’ve got to get on with it.
Don't feel bad, you're not the first or last to think like this. I was completely under-prepared for the complete shift in our lives during those first weeks and months and didn't handle it well. If you can afford to have a good puppy / dog walker come in for very regular visits that eases the pressure on you a bit and will really help. Also try and catch up on your sleep whenever you can.
 
Yes it is, a tall order, I realise that now, talk about shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. I thought it would be simpler than it appears now (god knows why!!) 😕 if I’d have realised this before trust me I’d have thought twice about the whole thing 😕 but Ive got him now so I’ve got to get on with it.
... and you have found this forum, and we all understand how difficult those first few weeks are with a puppy, so don't be afraid to come on here for support and advice. You'll get through this.
 
Don't feel bad, you're not the first or last to think like this. I was completely under-prepared for the complete shift in our lives during those first weeks and months and didn't handle it well. If you can afford to have a good puppy / dog walker come in for very regular visits that eases the pressure on you a bit and will really help. Also try and catch up on your sleep whenever you can.
Actually I feel terrible about the whole thing, think I overloaded myself with information, didn’t think at the time to read the horror stories, but no one likes to read those though do they, anyway my rose coloured glasses have been thrown in the bin in disgust now. It hasn’t helped that both my son and my brother said they’d be willing to help when I was talking about getting a puppy, since then, obviously they’ve decided they’re too busy so I’m literally on my own with him, (thanks guys 😳)
 
and we all understand how difficult those first few weeks are with a puppy,
And some!! It feels like it's never going to end, never going to get better, but it does and in the end, you have a wonderful companion who you would never be without.

We have a saying here, "This, too, will pass". You need to say it a lot with a Labrador puppy, but if you can hang in there, you'll suddenly realise that it's been a while since you had those troubles you were struggling with only a short time ago.
It's especially hard in these early weeks when you're sleep deprived; it's hard to not become emotional and anxious. Loads of our members have suffered in this period. You're not alone!!

Now, for practical solutions in the short term, if you can stretch your finances to having someone pop in a little more regularly, that would be perfect. All puppies are different, and some are no bother from the start, but the majority would need a little more time to settle in to a routine in order to be happy being left for that amount of time. Or, I'm wondering if your breeder is near enough that you could arrange for George to go there for half a day while you're at work in the beginning? Failing that, I'd encourage you to set up some sort of camera system - there are loads of good cheap ones around - so you can keep an eye on him and ensure he's not too distressed while you're away. If he is, it won't help to let him cry it out, and can cause real separation anxiety, which you want to avoid at all costs, so knowing if he's settled or struggling while you're out is really important.
Lots of dog walkers will offer a service where they pop in a couple of times a day and have a bit of a play. Or it's worth talking to your vet, as I have heard some veterinary nurses also do a similar thing. Or, at a stretch, maybe you have some elderly but spritely neighbours who might like a bit of puppy company? Sometimes this is a win-win situation.

As @MellowYellow said, you're not alone now you have us, as we do understand and can hopefully come up with some solutions to help you and George get through these early weeks with as little pain as possible.
 
A puppy is like a child except that it is 1000% concentrated! You will be fine and so will George. Forget about house chores also and when George sleeps....so do you. We have all been there. I remember crying my eyes out at 2 am in the morning rocking myself next to the crate because I did not know whether to stay or go and let Hunter cry. It will be trial and error....but that is OK.
@snowbunny has given very good advice. Our puppy training instructor also put me in touch with dog walkers/puppy sitters (even before the lessons started....she just wanted to help).
 
Yes it is, a tall order, I realise that now, talk about shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. I thought it would be simpler than it appears now (god knows why!!) 😕 if I’d have realised this before trust me I’d have thought twice about the whole thing 😕 but Ive got him now so I’ve got to get on with it.
Don't feel bad, or beat yourself up. I too thought I'd had enough puppies/dogs to know what I was doing when I got Cassie. But I'd never had a Labrador before! It really was like having a baby, one that bites you!!! That was what brought me to the forum, Cassie was a shocking crocopup. Even if I'd read about it before I would not of believed it!

I had her a fortnight before I went back to work, I was lucky as I could work shorter days, and had some one pop in aswell. As @MellowYellow suggested tiring them out helps, I used to get up early when she woke (it was summertime) play with her and by the time I was ready go she was fast asleep, didn't even know I'd gone. As s he grew up I introduced kongs for when I go to work, now she recognizes the signs and is practically saying can you just go so I can have my kong!

If I went upstairs without her howver, well that was a different story, she didn't like that at all!

Stay with us, we will get you through it!
 
Just wanted to say welcome @Georgesmum and glad that you've found the forum, you won't get as much help anywhere else from a nicer bunch!

I've not had this problem but when I used a crate for night time sleeping I introduced it to Maisy gradually, put a toy in it, a kong, closed the door, opened it again, sat and played with her through the door, don't make a big thing out of anything. Little steps, gradually.
 

Jacqui-S

Moderator
Location
Fife, Scotland
Yup, there is so much to consider when planning a puppy, and if you knew the half of it before hand, most people wold never go there!
But you know, being here is a fabulous first step. The support here is fantastic. It's like a little family, someone here at all hours when you are out at 3am in the snow waiting for a pee (thanks to our "International shift workers" :) ). And we have all been there, done that, got the ripped T-shirt etc.

I was a "working Mum" but with a family around me - that has it's pros and cons though! - and was probably lucky how well Lilly settled in her crate, but she was almost 12 weeks before we brought her home, and my kids were around for 3 or 4 weeks of the school holidays before the hard work of crate training was essential. We never used a dog walker or neighbour, but managed to pop home at lunchtime. It was fairly clear she didn't need out to toilet very often by that point (bladder of a camel - still does), so we slid lunch time slowly backwards. Kids were always home by 3.15 in those days.
Leaving a young dog in a crate for 6 or 7 hours isn't really the best though. Using a dog walker or a neighbour or relative to break it up is far preferable. I certainly wouldn't do the same now, which is why I won't even think about another dog myself until I have retired and have the time to do it right/better next time. My daughter may have a different perspective on this however.

Anyway, ramblings of a working mum. It can be really tough whether you work or not. Things will seem insurmountable. You will probably cry. And/or scream. Lots. But at the end of the day, the reward of a labrador companion is without comparison.
You just need to spend that extra time creating bonds and making the dog you want.

As Fiona Snowbunny says. "This too will pass".
 
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