Getting desperate!

[Georgesmum]

My Gypsy did this. I dealt with it by sitting right next to the gate of the pen and letting her shout. I knew she was safe and she could see I was right there. I completely ignored her and read a book, no words, no eye contact. At first it took her some time to settle, but it wasn’t long - a week or so - before I only needed to wait by the gate for a minute or two.

Welcome to you

This is what I did today, but I went in the kitchen, me and my mum just carried on our conversation, so he knew we were still there, he carried on for quite a while, then eventually gave up and went into his crate for a sleep, he hasn’t screamed again so far this evening and I’ve been backwards and forwards on purpose just to let him know I’m always coming back together with one of those calming collars I’m hoping (but definitely not banking on it) that we’ve turned a corner at last

 

[SwampDonkey]

You can get plug ins too forgot what they are called?

 

[Jacqui-S]

Adaptil?

 

[Natalie]

You can get plug ins too forgot what they are called?

Yes, we were talking about that recently on another puppy thread, it was @Jilldrinkwater I think, or possibly @lilliput ... I had one years ago but it coincided with me sorting out a strategy for crate training, so I'll never know which worked... as I said before, I'd put my money on the training ...
from memory, we also got it to chill the cats out a bit.... now that definitely didn't work, only time, patience and feline ageing did that.

 

[Georgesmum]

I nearly fainted in the pet shop when I asked about the plug in tho ha...£33+ then I looked on Amazon and felt much better lol reviews weren’t great though

 

[Natalie]

I nearly fainted in the pet shop when I asked about the plug in tho ha...£33+ then I looked on Amazon and felt much better lol reviews weren’t great though

Spend it on kongs instead, they are a dead cert for giving you a few minutes peace. And if you give him a couple of kongs in a row and he licks and slurps till he is exhausted, they are then 'konged out '

 

[Naya]

Hi and welcome. I too wasn’t fully prepared for a puppy and crate training etc. I found that when I left the house for work Harley was fine. If I was in the house she would whine like mad. I decided to only crate her whilst I was at work and when I was home. She was usually right behind me. I gave up crate training at night and she came upstairs with us, and within a few weeks was also on our bed! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I had a webcam set up so I could check on her whilst I was at work and she would always eat her king then sleep until I got back. I was home for her first 2 weeks and found it helped if I actually left the house and watched her via webcam, rather than just go into another room. She settled much quicker. I also played lots with her before I left so she was more tired. I was lucky that my work is very local and I only worked part time when we got her and worked staggered hours to coincide with my OH. By 5 months old she had the run of the kitchen when I worked, by 8 months had the run of the house. I have a dog walker which has been invaluable.
Things will get better, but will take a while. It’s all new to him and will take time for him to settle.

 

[Georgesmum]

Spend it on kongs instead, they are a dead cert for giving you a few minutes peace. And if you give him a couple of kongs in a row and he licks and slurps till he is exhausted, they are then 'konged out '

I gave him one this morning, he chewed till he fell asleep, not sure whether to give him one at bedtime though

 

[Georgesmum]

Hi and welcome. I too wasn’t fully prepared for a puppy and crate training etc. I found that when I left the house for work Harley was fine. If I was in the house she would whine like mad. I decided to only crate her whilst I was at work and when I was home. She was usually right behind me. I gave up crate training at night and she came upstairs with us, and within a few weeks was also on our bed! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I had a webcam set up so I could check on her whilst I was at work and she would always eat her king then sleep until I got back. I was home for her first 2 weeks and found it helped if I actually left the house and watched her via webcam, rather than just go into another room. She settled much quicker. I also played lots with her before I left so she was more tired. I was lucky that my work is very local and I only worked part time when we got her and worked staggered hours to coincide with my OH. By 5 months old she had the run of the kitchen when I worked, by 8 months had the run of the house. I have a dog walker which has been invaluable.
Things will get better, but will take a while. It’s all new to him and will take time for him to settle.

I’m going to have a go at leaving the house tomorrow, I’m totally dreading it because I dont have a web cam thing, but I’ll just sit in the alley between my house and next door for 5 minutes, should be able to hear him if he yells

 

[Naya]

I’m going to have a go at leaving the house tomorrow, I’m totally dreading it because I dont have a web cam thing, but I’ll just sit in the alley between my house and next door for 5 minutes, should be able to hear him if he yells

That sounds like a good idea. Even try 2 mins to start with but do it several times throughout the day. I always left her with a treat when I left the house, and still do to this day (she’s 5 and a half!)

 

[Georgesmum]

That sounds like a good idea. Even try 2 mins to start with but do it several times throughout the day. I always left her with a treat when I left the house, and still do to this day (she’s 5 and a half!)

Will do, got a puppy visitor coming to meet us in the morning for when I go back to work

 

[VanillaBean]

Forget about house chores

Can you tell that to my OH please????? She still wants the house to be perfect...hahahaha

 

[Georgesmum]

Can you tell that to my OH please????? She still wants the house to be perfect...hahahaha

Haha, I’ve done nothing except mop the floors all week

 

[Boogie]

Haha, I’ve done nothing except mop the floors all week

I can vouch for the fact that floors are at their cleanest when there’s a puppy in the house!

 

[VanillaBean]

reviews weren’t great though

Every dog is different for these. We use the Adaptil plug in for Vanilla and now Honey. It is close to them which I know part is maturity but also part is that it has settled Vanilla a lot at the time. We have used it just over a year now, I would recommend it, but that is because it works for us. I know if the room is to big it won't work and you need multiple ones, so that could also be part of the issue with some people

 

[Georgesmum]

Every dog is different for these. We use the Adaptil plug in for Vanilla and now Honey. It is close to them which I know part is maturity but also part is that it has settled Vanilla a lot at the time. We have used it just over a year now, I would recommend it, but that is because it works for us. I know if the room is to big it won't work and you need multiple ones, so that could also be part of the issue with some people

My house is quite small, Ive got the collar for now, but blimey it stinks

 

[Lisa]

Hang in there. Puppies are hard work, full stop! Good thing they are so cute. But each day you and he are getting each other figured out and eventually you will both click together. You won’t believe it now, but eventually you will hardly remember all this. You are going to have a wonderful companion and friend. Just gotta get through the tough bits now!

 

[snowbunny]

I tried the Adaptil plug-ins and tablets. They did nothing at all for us. Some people swear by them, but from what I've seen in previous discussions, it's rarer for people to say they make a difference than not.

 

[Granca]

I gave him one this morning, he chewed till he fell asleep, not sure whether to give him one at bedtime though

Yes, give him one at bedtime too. It doesn’t need to be stuffed full. Whenever I go out mine have a Kong just smeared inside with a little bit of peanut butter - and when they go to bed in their crates at night too. They have frozen Kongs if I’m going to be out a bit longer. I think they probably finish them in five minutes or so, but it fills their tummies and eases my conscience!

It’s all part of their routine now. If I’m getting ready to go out, Tuppence is clever enough to know whether she needs to go to wait by her collar to come for a walk, or by the sink for a peanut butter Kong, or by the freezer for a frozen one! If it’s Kong time they rush into their crates ready to be given them! They’re not shut in their crates during the day now, but they still use them as a ‘den’.

Are you using a cue word for him to pee and poo? Try that (I use ‘be quick!’, but you can choose your own) and don’t interact with him at all other than that during the night. He’ll hopefully get the message that night-time isn’t much fun!

 

[Stacia]

Peanut butter is great for Kongs as @Granca said, but make sure it isn't the one that contains an artificial sweetener, I am afraid I have forgotten the name, but it is fatal for dogs.