new puppy advice

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new puppy advice

Posted : 9/25/2006 8:10:55 AM

HELP! We just got an 11 week old shih tzu female. Sweet dog, just wants to be around us. But she is so young she can not have freedom to walk around the house. We crate her at nite. We have no choice. She cries for a good hour. We tried putting her crate in our room she cried. We tried making a pen in the kitchen for more freedom she cried and howled. I have to crate here in a room where we can't hear her so the girls and my husband and I can sleep. Will she get used to being alone in a room without us? How long do I let her howl before I go in and reasure her during the day.

Another issue is we have a 4 year old shih tzo male. He is afraid of her and depressed since she came to live with us. I like to have her penned in because I want him to feel he still has his own space. He did not have separation anxiety like the new puppy does so this is all new to me.

Sorry, I am a worrier by nature and I just want all to be happy. Any advice you all have on this would be great. I am hoping that with time all will work out.
Thanks!

Holly

Posted : 9/25/2006 5:24:48 PM

You'll have to have an hour or two to devote to this, but its the only thing I can think of that might help. Keep in mind, she is still young yet, so she might not understand as quickly as an adult dog might. Put her in her crate and leave her for only a few minutes and then come back in and get her out and give her love. Then, you might give her a piece of hotdog as a treat to get her back in - leave her for a little bit longer this time - then go in and give her love and play... I'd repeat this over and over, leaving her in her crate longer each time. But, she'll begin to understand that you'll always come back AND that by going into her crate, she gets a tasty snack which doesn't make it so bad either. She is still a baby, so part of it, i'm sure, is that she doesn't want to be left alone - but part of it, i think is also that she doesn't have trust yet that you'll be back to let her out. As my dogs began to understand that i would always come back - they began to calm down (and eat their wiener haha) when they had to be crated.

kc garry

Posted : 9/25/2006 5:58:04 PM

Thanks, I tried a little bit of that today. I realize she is a baby and she has only lived with us a couple of days. What about getting my four year old dog not to be afraid of her. I guess that will take time too.