# 8 week old puppy screams if we leave the room



## Superrodris

Hey, I'm new to this forum, so hi =) My name is Lucia, and I recently acquired a german shepherd puppy. I got him when he was 6 and sthg weeks old. The breeder (who I now see is a SOB) told me it was OK to have him at that age...his brothers&sisters were sold at 5, and he didn't have his parents with him. I didn't know much at the time, but I had done some research on general things; basically...everything but the suitable age to take him home.

Past this...he's been an angel for the past 2 weeks, except for the crying. He's been potty trained, and so far, so good...he does drink A LOT of water, and, thus, he has to pee quite often. When he cries at night, I take him out IF he has to pee. If it's whining for whining's sakes, he gets nothing. At times I can't sleep because of it, so he gets some pats and then back to sleep.

The thing is the following...I bought him a crate like this one
http://centropet.com/centropet/images/barnhome3.gif
It's designed for a full-grown german shepherd, so it suits him ok. All his toys are there, plus 2 pillows. Thing is, when night comes, we have to put him there...and if we leave the room, he starts screaming to the point in which we can't even think. Needless to say, he's a pup (his name is Hamlet, btw :blush. I know he has his needs and was taken away too soon...but I didn't know at the time and I can't change that. Is there any way in which I can train him? Something I can do to stop him from crying? I mean, we spend ALL day with him, someone is always around...but the minute we leave, puppy cries. I don't want him to suffer from SA, I've read about it and I know it's serious. 

Just FYO, this is my first dog...and I already got insulting answers when I asked on other forums, which isn't what I'm aiming for...I really want this puppy to grow up ok, and I want the best thing for him. I don't know what to do...vet told me he's too young to train, and I've tried everything I've seen on the web. Help, please?

Thanks
Lucia


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## MaggieRoseLee

He's a teeny baby and ALL puppies are supposed to scream if left alone. It's how they get their mom's to find them if they get lost.... 

So your pup is normal. If he knows you are in the house and just 'lost' him he's gonna want to scream so his 'stupid human'  finds him.

I personally do not crate when I am home to help with this issue. Closed doors and baby gates are the way I keep them in the room with me and I can monitor their going ons.... Watch them to help with the housebreaking (I go outside with my puppies about every hour or so) and chewing household items. I have toys all over the house for them that they can chew and play with.

I pack my pups in the car and visit friends/neighbors to socialize (and tire them out).

I go on off leash walks in the woods (to tire them out).

I find a puppy class to socialize and train them (to tire them out).

And when I am home, and have tired them out, they are such good puppies!

I only tend to crate for brief time outs in the day if I can't watch them (and I move the crate to the room I am in, and if they are tired and I give them a peanut butter filled kong they tend to quiet down). At night, and the crate is right beside my bed. And when I have to leave the house entirely for shopping or visits or to go to work. If I am NOT home making noises, my puppy tends to quiet down very fast after I leave the house.

A tired puppy is a good puppy! I have to play play play and interact with a puppy alot for the first 6 months (year?). I have just replaced an entire litter of 6 other puppies and the mom dog that were with/on top/below/biting/romping/playing 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! So it's gonna be 'work' while it should also be fun.

Toys toys peanut butter filled kongs !


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## Jelpy

Yep. Noisy puppies want three things: Food, attention and out. He is really too young to leave alone and expect him to understand. Most puppies aren't know for being stoic sufferers. I'd try playing with him until he's exhausted first. You may need to have him sleep in the room with you. Even if he's in a crate that may be enough for him. \

Jelpy and the Mesquite Mafia


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## GSD_Xander

When I brought home my puppy he was a bit older but would essentially do the same thing. 

What Jelpy said is totally true. A screaming puppy wants one (or more) of three things - out to potty, food and attention. 

Xander, at first, would scream whenever I left the room even for just a short while. I basically just ignored it since I knew I was only going to be gone for a minute. 

At night for the first week or so he slept in his crate downstairs and I slept on the couch. His crate was right next to me so he knew I was there. This worked really well and after the first week I moved his crate over next to the other dog's crate and he cried a little that night but then settled down. At this point I still was sleeping on the couch since I wasn't sure if he cried when I was upstairs I would hear him. I only wound up sleeping downstairs for a couple nights doing that. He was in enough of a routine that I knew when he was going to wake up so I went upstairs and slept in my bed and just set an alarm for when I knew he would need out. 

That worked for me pretty well - he definitely had his moments when I would put him in his crate and he would throw a fit - a full on tantrum it seemed where he would scream bloody murder - I was sure the neighbors were going to hear and think something horrible was going on LOL. Anyway, when he screamed like that I just ignored it...when he stopped screaming I would go let him out, go outside with him and play with him. 

I also limited his water at night at first while he was getting used to crate training - I only had to do this the first week or so - those first few nights he got up several times a night and then it cut back to a few, then a couple then one and now it's hardly ever. I would still let him have water but I would just let it be a few sips and I wouldn't feed him late at night so that it would be easier for him to not go potty in the crate - luckily I haven't had any accidents in the crate so far - but certainly had a few on the floor at first. 

Does the crate you bought him have a "door" on the front to keep him in? I looked at the photo and it just looked like a doggie house...just wondering. 

What I would do is tire him out...as tired as you can get him  Let him out to go potty, etc and then put him in the crate. He'll probably scream - just leave the room and wait until he's done then come right back in when he's done screaming, let him out, lots of praise, toys and treats. Hopefully this will show him that screaming doesn't get you to come back but if he stops screaming you will come back and then he gets LOTS of fun stuff! Basically this way he knows that you WILL come back - that leaving him in the crate is not a forever situation. 

HTH


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## SARAHSMITH

I gradually got my puppy used to the crate/being alone, as a crying puppy was too painful to listen to for me. This is what I did:
Slept on the couch with the crate on the ottoman with my hand in the door comforting him. After a few days, closed the door and put fingers in crate when he cried.
Then after a week moved the crate to the floor next to me on the couch and again tried to comfort him when he cried. I would say "lay down good boy" and touch hime with my fingers through the crate and he actually started to do it after a while.
Then on the 3rd week moved the crate about 5 feet away while again I slept on the couch.
Then tried every few days to sleep upstairs and after couple more weeks he was OK being alone downstairs. 
If you can easily put your crate in your room (especially up high so your puppy is at the same level as your bed) it may help a lot. For me, lugging the crate up and down the stairs every day was too hard.


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## Whiteshepherds

Congrats on your new pup!

When you put him in the crate have you tried covering the door with a blanket or a towel so he can't see out? Sometimes that helps but not always. It can't hurt to try.


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## Superrodris

Thank you so much for your kind answers!

The crate doesn't have a door...I don't know where to buy one. I'm gonna ask at the vets, maybe he has one.

Right now, he sleeps with me in my room. The crate is outside, now he's sleeping in a little wooden box (that used to me my night table...heh). I tried to make him get used to the crate during the day, but whenever we entered he would start crying. I tried rough love...but he cried for 3 hours on a row. Gonna try to buy a door and see what happens...cuz tonight was UNBEARABLE. I mean...puppy was crying from like 12pm to 3am til I got him by my side (The puppy is NOT sleeping outside, he's sleeping in another room).

Today he has a visit to the vets office to check for parasites and check on his health...so I'll ask him. Thank you so much again


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## KZoppa

everyone has given you some good advice. all i really have left for you is congrats on the pup, good luck with the crying, and best wishes on crate training!


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## vat

Congrats on your new pup. I have raised 2 pups in the past 2 years and this is how I crate trained. I have 2 crates, one small one downstairs in our area and one bigger one in our bedroom. I slept on the floor next to the crate for about a week because there was not enough room to put the crate next to the bed. If you have room to put the pup next to the bed even better.

After about 3 nights I would only lay on the floor with him until he fell asleep then I would sneak into bed. Worked well, after about a week or two he no longer cried when placed in his crate for bed. 

During the day he would be placed in his crate when he was real tired and with a treat/toy. I would also work with him by tossing a treat in the crate and telling him in. When he would go for the treat I would close the door but not latch it. Then open the door real fast and throw a party on what a good boy he was and treat again. I would do this for maybe 10 min a day a couple of times. We got to where I could close the door and toss treats in at him, I would then leave the room real quick and come right back and treat but only if he was quiet. It just takes time and lots of treats and patience.


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## dylano

_Hi, im new and not sure where to post this so here goes...I just recently got a 8 week gsd puppy. I purchased him 4 and a half days ago and I'm quite confused and struggling to decide what the problem is with him.
Since I have got him he has not been alone for more then 5 mins as i am home 7 days a week. When i am not around (shower/kitchen ect)or when he has to sleep, he is in an indoor run which has a puppy kong(which he is not interested in) blanket and crate (always open but he doesn't use). when im around he has the run of the living room
Issues are as follows
1) when ever I put him in the indoor run he cries and barks even if im in the same room 
2) when ever I leave the living room he sits outside the door I've jut excited
3) follows me around the living room

When he is sleepy/not active he does not follow me or whine when I leave the room/hes alone. When he Is asleep (deep sleep)and I go out the room and he sees me go out the room he will just go back to sleep

What can I do to make sure hes ok with being alone 
Thanks_


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## Twyla

dylano said:


> _Hi, im new and not sure where to post this so here goes...I just recently got a 8 week gsd puppy. I purchased him 4 and a half days ago and I'm quite confused and struggling to decide what the problem is with him.
> Since I have got him he has not been alone for more then 5 mins as i am home 7 days a week. When i am not around (shower/kitchen ect)or when he has to sleep, he is in an indoor run which has a puppy kong(which he is not interested in) blanket and crate (always open but he doesn't use). when im around he has the run of the living room
> Issues are as follows
> 1) when ever I put him in the indoor run he cries and barks even if im in the same room
> *2) when ever I leave the living room he sits outside the door I've jut excited
> 3) follows me around the living room* Very Normal - GSD actually means velcro dog
> 
> When he is sleepy/not active he does not follow me or whine when I leave the room/hes alone. When he Is asleep (deep sleep)and I go out the room and he sees me go out the room he will just go back to sleep
> 
> What can I do to make sure hes ok with being alone
> Thanks_


Congratulations on the new pup!! He sounds like a normal puppy. The crying in the run sounds normal, he is in a new place, not really sure yet, all these new people, sights and smells, he wants out to explore. When he is in the run, each time he's quiet, pet and praise him. If he isn't crazy about the kong, try a couple different toys.


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