# German shepherd puppys first night crying



## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

Hey guys,
I'm 18 and got my gsd yesterday and I have to say it's really great owning a gsd. This is my first pup and it's name is samba and he's 7 weeks.
His first night was a nightmare for me though.
I got the pup first thing 8pm and he got sick all over my car, then when I got him home he eat his food and pooped outside. But then it all went really downhill, he sleeps in the kitchen in a big closed playpen with me on the couch, all night he was crying and when ever I let him out he peed all over the carpet, I only had 4 hours sleep and the rest of the time he was crying for me, I have given him toys, some covers and a cuddly elephant, he still did not go to sleep.
How long will his whining carry on it's driving me insane, I'm honestly a walking zombie. Please help.
Thanks


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Anywhere from a few nights to about a week.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Get a crate. Crate train. It will help with the pottying. Think of it the way your puppy see's it. He's a baby and he suddenly taken away from everything he knows, his mom, his brothers and sisters... and he's in this strange place with strange people. You'd cry too if you were him. 

Also you basically have a newborn. Even in the middle of the night, he's going to want and need to go outside to potty every couple of hours so he doesnt make a mess where he sleeps. 

Give him time. Play with him. Make being with you fun. Bond with him. He'll eventually stop crying. Dont coddle him. He needs to learn that spending time alone isnt a bad thing. This breed can develope seperation anxiety easily so spending time alone can help prevent that.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Hang in there, it will get better. My boy cried for 2 nights and then he was fine. Remember he was used to sleeping all nice, cozy, and warm with his mom and litter mates. It's a big adjustment for him.

Of course after having 3 kids, I was experienced with newborns-so the sleepless pup nights weren't a shock to me. Human baby's are much more difficult though-they take much longer to sleep through the night.


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## MicheleMarie (Mar 29, 2011)

you need to ignore this crying as heart wrenching as it is :/ the more your ignore the sooner it will go away. i've heard of some people even putting the dog in the garage with a radio on (i don't think i could do that). learn to sleep through it-or wear headphones at night. when you let your puppy out of its area-they will have to goto the bathroom whether it be an hour or 4 hours. so PICK UP your puppy and place the puppy outside. when the puppy goes to the bathroom give a HUGE praise and then PICK UP the puppy and bring him back inside. do not let the puppy play or sniff around. if you pick him up and bring him out and pick him up after he goes potty and bring him in-he will understand that you like him to go outside to do his business. if you can catch him going to the bathroom inside say "NO!" very loudly and immedietely pick the puppy up and do the same thing (i feel like this helps the most-so its good to catch them in the act inside). After two times of doing that my puppy instantly knew i wanted him to go outside. so after that he would RUN to the door and paw it and i had about a 5 second span to get him outside otherwise he'd go on the floor. it took him about a month to beable to ask to go outside and sit there a minute (same with children i guess...bladder muscles?).

to help the puppy sleep at night get him tired before you goto bed. you WILL have to wake up at the minimum every 4 hours to the let the dog out-he can't hold his bladder that long. stop giving water an hour before you plan to goto bed.

hope that helps!


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## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

Don't acknowledge them and don't give in. They have to learn that crying will not get a response. The sooner they learn that, the sooner they will learn to settle down.... Hang in there


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## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

Thank you everyone for you're comments, it really means a lot, it's so sad, almost makes me cry when he cry's but I'll man, I'll let it out every 4 hours, put an alarm I guess feeding him at 7pm, pop him in his crate for 30mins then let him do his busy and then final outing at 10pm then wakeup every 4 hours.
Thanks again EVERYONE


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## tracyaesaert (Aug 23, 2011)

When we got our pup, she only cried one night... she quickly learnt that if she cried she would not get any attention at all (oh that sounds harsh, doesn't it?!). Every few hours we got up, let her outside and said "pipi doen?" (it means going potty in Dutch).... praised her loads when she did it right (she loved getting that attention). Had a few accidents, but weren't there when it happened, so could not "punish" her for doing so (as she did not remember why she would get punished).... After less than 2 weeks our little lady was potty trained to go outside. Took us about a month to teach her to go to the same spot in the yard. 

Now my hubbie gets up around 2 every night for his job and she knows that she needs to go then and there. When I get up (several hours later, sometimes 2 hours later, sometimes 5 hours later), she kindly askes me to go outside and I oblige with pleasure ....

Hang in there, cause ours wheeps every night for about 10 minutes and then she goes to sleep, just like me and my hubbie...


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

Oh yea, that first night was unforgettable! I was up and down every couple hours with him. He cried/whined the whole time he was awake. He missed all of his siblings and mom. After the first 24 hours it began to taper off. It will, give it time and redirect his attention to something else. Praise for being quiet and ignore the crying/whining. Good luck. Ahh puppies :wub:


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Emoore said:


> Anywhere from a few nights to about a week.


Could be longer!

When you let him out you need to take him IMMEDIATELY outside, don't just let him out of the pen and expect him not to squat right there where he is - he has to GO, and he has to go NOW. Either leash him and RUN outside, or pick him up and carry him.


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## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

Hey guys









Yesterday night was a big improvment from his first night. He only got up 2 times, by scraping on his playing pen letting me know he needed to pee.
I think I now know when he genuinely needs to use the toilet and when he just wants attention







let him whine for 15 mins and he's off to sleep, like a angel.

Had a playaround with him this morning really fun, sometimes pee's on the carpet but i'm quick on my heels to say a firm "NO" and take him outside.

I am going to now put a roll of material over the carpet for a few weeks till he is toilet trained, other than that hes doing really well. He is one of those dogs that love outsides, I take him on the patio and he plays and just falls asleep there (placed a carpet mat for him to sleep on outside now)







He's fond of sleeping outside more than sleeping inside his pen, really love my new best friend.

In his playpen he has a huge bed, but still chooses to sleep on the floor boards in the playpen, i'm sure he will slowly sleep on his bed, instead of beside it.

As promised I have attached some images, he's got red soar eyes today, maybe sleep deprivation? loving all you're guys dogs all looking adorable!

@MicheleMarie: thanks for the tip of picking the dog up straight away when he's been potty, I used to let him wander around for a few mins, now I'll remember to swoop him up in my wings instantly


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## tracyaesaert (Aug 23, 2011)

Ohhhhhhh.... adorable... wish I could turn mine sometimes back to a pup 

P.S. I would not pick him/her up tot much like you did on the second pic, don't think it's that good for them


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## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

tracyaesaert said:


> Ohhhhhhh.... adorable... wish I could turn mine sometimes back to a pup
> 
> P.S. I would not pick him/her up tot much like you did on the second pic, don't think it's that good for them


Thanks for the comment :wub: he loves being picked up like that and craddled like a baby, but I agree I should stop, I don't want a 40kg dog jumping on me like a baby.


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## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

Hey peeps,
Just give you guys an update on today, he today got used to his collar (yay) will be getting him on the lease very soon. Red eyes have gone so that's positive.

Today he's being a big boy sleeping on his on pen in the kitchen with me finally in my bed, will be getting ip at 1:00am to let him out. Will tell you guys tomorrow how it all goes


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## MicheleMarie (Mar 29, 2011)

sweetdude said:


> Hey peeps,
> Just give you guys an update on today, he today got used to his collar (yay) will be getting him on the lease very soon. Red eyes have gone so that's positive.
> 
> Today he's being a big boy sleeping on his on pen in the kitchen with me finally in my bed, will be getting ip at 1:00am to let him out. Will tell you guys tomorrow how it all goes


a great word of advice that my breeder gave me: no collar till 4-5 months old. harness only. if you start on a harness then you can easily pick him up if you have to (like if another dog comes barreling at you...or theres something on the ground). at 4-5 months you can start collar pressure training-which means from the VERY FIRST MOMENT he has his collar on you teach him that as soon as ANY pressure is felt they stop going in that direction. very very VERY helpful to me. right now the pups is too young to know. you don't have to do this..and some people don't and have dogs turn out fine...but it was perfect for my guy.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

ahhh!!! he's such a cute little guy!!! 

as for the second picture, Shasta LOVED sitting like that. it doesnt hurt them. Believe me... they'll get themselves into stranger sleeping positions than that haha.


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## sweetdude (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks for the tip on the harness got him one today 
He loves being cradled like a baby, falls asleep in my hands.
Thanks everyone , love hearing you're stories, I'm so glad he has improved I was considering give him back to the breeder as I felt guilty for taking him away from his sisters, but now it's like he's knowN me for years!
Yesterday night was fantastic, he slept all night and i woke him up at 1:30 for a wee and he went straight back to sleep, he has not whined or cried once today, I think he's slowly getting into his routine of sleeping in his pen without me even nearby  today is going to be the same.

He has the whole kitchen to himself, hopefully in the future I can take away the pen and he can roam free in the kitchen. Loving my baby now!
Without you're guys help i wouldn't know what i would have done.
Thanks everyone!


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