Crying for her sister, is it a puppy thing?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Crying for her sister, is it a puppy thing?

    Well I separate Coffe and Piper when they get fed because if not they tend to fight so Coffe will go in the top crate and Piper on the bottom crate. Now I noticed that Piper when separated from her sister will whine and whine she is doing that as I type. Coffe could care less if she was with her sister or not. The other day I separeted them, Coffe on the top and Piper on the bottom, and Piper did not let me sleep, she cried and cried and woke me up at 1:30am and I thought she had to go potty so I took her out she peed and brought her back in and put her in her crate, all this time Coffe was dead asleep, and I went to bed and she cried and cried I finally had to cover her with my sisters blanket and she finally got quite till in the morning.  I don't know if its just a puppy thing or if she has bonded with her sister. Coffe is the alpha so I don't know if that has anything to do with it too. Is there something I can do to stop Piper from crying or is it that she doesn't like to be alone? I am having a lady over tomorrow to come and see Coffe and if she gets adopted Piper will be sleeping by herself. I would really love it if the lady could adopt both but its too much asking. Also Piper doesn't mind the crate and their crate is right beside my bed.

    • Gold Top Dog

    The crying could be separation anxiety.  I'm not an expert on how to handle it with a pup though. 

    I would be careful not to take her out of the crate when she cries though.  She will have trained you that's what works to get out.

    She may need some extra attention when Coffe gets adopted.  If for some reason the lady doesn't take her...you might want to take some steps to do things separately and alone with Piper so she learns life is ok without Coffe around.

    My Lab Cody (rip), had SA but she did do much better with another dog around...it wasn't as traumatic for her when I or DH left the house. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    I never take her out when she cries. She will whine for a couple of mintes but onces she stops and is calm I take her out and put her with her sister. Hopefully everything will go well tomorrow.

    • Gold Top Dog

    oh ya... seperation anxiety! mine are like that. jason more than moca.

    you really have to get them use to being on their own! when i take them for walks i take them seperately. which means, one of them has to stay behind all alone! it's part of getting them used to it.

    i know there's probably no time, but in case they dont get adopted, you should start speerating them more and more, to get them used to it, since you want them to be adjusted to being alone as much as possible, so they are easier to adopt out, right?

    google seperation anxiety (sorry, i'm leaving for an interview soon, so no time to explain).

    it will give you ways to deal with it for seperation anxiety from being seperated from humans, but with dogs you can basically deal eith it the same way...

    • Gold Top Dog

    I will start today with that. I have to go translate today and I will keep them separated its only for like 5 hours hopefully my little sister will be here to let them out for potty. If the adoption fails than I will separate them Piper will stay in my room and Coffe will go in my brother's room.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Definitely follow Callie's advice about taking them out separately.  Raising litter mates together is tough, because you want both dogs to be more engaged with you than with one another, and of course, they speak the same language and are just learning yours!  My advice would be to board them overnight separately (even if you aren't going on a vacation), take them to obedience class separately, walk them separately, and feed them separately.  A lot.  Don't give in to whining, and don't put them immediately back together (or they may learn that whining wins them whatever they want - then you really will have a problem),

    • Gold Top Dog

    They will stay in separate crates from now on and will go outside separate. I can't board them because Coffe might leave soon and I don't have the money. Hope everything goes well from now on. Thanks for the advice!