Seperation Anxiety ***UPDATED WITH PIC***

Ok so on Saturday, DH and I got a puppy. Dh has been really wanting one. So we got the cutest little toy poodle, he is this apricot-ish color. Well looks like this light brown dogs, im retarded and cant describe his color. He has has these grayish eyes which will probably change as he gets older. He just turned 2 months on the day we got him and weighs 1 pounds, 15oz.

Saturday night when he got tired I put him in his crate, he didn't mind at all. Even woke up a few times to drink a water(we got the water bottle you put on the crate so i hear it at night) and even eat. Then at 5am he woke up crying so loud i felt so horrible and got up and stayed with him. Sunday again he was fine in the crate and infact when he is tired he goes in there himself to sleep. Sunday night same thing he woke up twice. I let him cry for 5-10 mins so he can get used to being in there and wont be too much of a shock when we go to work. But i give up and let him out. Thank god bc i realized now that the reason he cries is bc he doesnt want to pee in his crate and only cries to get out when he needs to pee, and im an idiot that made him wait.

I bought this big play den for pets, its just this long expandable metal thing you can form in a circle, or put 2 sides against the wall to have that space. I thought this would be better than leaving him in a crate for a few hours. He wasnt too fond of it, he doesnt like peeing in there either. So i puppy proofed the LR. I use the den thingy to cover the entire space with the tv and all wires. The space i leave him there is nothing for him to get into, even the space under the couch theres enough room for him to sit under there which he likes to do but its not low to the ground. The only other wires are the lamps which i unplug when i leave and put the cord on the table so he can't get to it. This worked out great yesterday which was his first day alone. Now im the worst bc i had tears leaving thinking he would really freak out and remembering how he cries in his crate(i realized after it was bc he needs to pee) I had an appt in LI yesterday morning so left later than usual, played with him for a while until he got tired went into his crate and when i left he didnt mind, i left the crate open. I also gave my dad my keys so he went to check on him and said when he went in he lifted his head but went back to sleep, so it was a good sign that he didnt go crazy when he saw someone. My appt ran longer than expected so got home around 12:30pm and called work and said i wouldnt be able to get there until about 2pm, so not gonna come in but they needed me to come in bc manager isnt coming in rest of week and had to leave project with me and give instructions. I stayed an hour and took the 1:50pm LIRR and went to work. He was fine when i left, and dh got home at 4:30 and said he was just sleeping on the floor and was fine.

I still had the worst anxiety yesterday and worried so much about him. You would think after he did well yesterday, i'd be fine today but I'm not. YEsterday wasn't bad bc he was only alone from 9:30-12:30 and he slept almost the entire time. Then alone from 1:30 to 4:30. Today will be much longer, I left him around 8am and dh is going straight to softball after work and i wont get home until at least 6pm. He was so hyper right before i left but once he saw i was leaving he went and laid down. Plus im afraid if it rains, and if it thunders he'll get spooked, he gets spooked by everything. The only good thing is my dad kept my house keys and said he'll come by today and spend some time with him. But again i have the worst anxiety, like a knot in my chest and guilt too.

Any tips from people with puppies or who had puppies. I guess maybe just in time it gets easier
What do you do with your puppies in the day when you're both gone.

Sorry made this way too long, im gonna go back and edit it a bit lol

ETA: here is just 1 pic my cuz sent me, the rest she said were too blurry. I have more on my camera and im gonna tell dh to upload them tonight. Not greatest pic, hes not even looking and its blurry and there was no flash lol but ok for now

i hear ya......we are obsessed with our dog

during the week i am ok b/c its a routine for her to be alone for 8 hours everday - i am pretty sure she just sleeps while we are both at work.....

vacations are the WORST she is the reason we never took a real vacation EVER - our first vacation was the HM!!! and everyday we were there we complained that we missed her going to bed at night was so lonely without her and we worried about her everyday.....although we enjoyed the trip we both were so excited to get home to her......

even weekend trips are hard.....we went away for 4 days for memorial day weekend and i was a wreck worrying about the dog......

so i guess those feelings never really go away

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Posted by Future Mulligan

i hear ya......we are obsessed with our dog

during the week i am ok b/c its a routine for her to be alone for 8 hours everday - i am pretty sure she just sleeps while we are both at work.....

vacations are the WORST she is the reason we never took a real vacation EVER - our first vacation was the HM!!! and everyday we were there we complained that we missed her going to bed at night was so lonely without her and we worried about her everyday.....although we enjoyed the trip we both were so excited to get home to her......

even weekend trips are hard.....we went away for 4 days for memorial day weekend and i was a wreck worrying about the dog......

so i guess those feelings never really go away

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oh god i can imagine, i thought about that what will we do if we have to go away. Definitely wouldn't do it now, and i even watch ppl when they play with him im so worried. He is just so tiny right now and some ppl were like clapping loudly for him to come to them, or start barking lol i dont know why. I try to tell them he gets very spooked by everything right now. The funniest is when he walks by this long mirror he gets so scared lol.

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Posted by MnM182008

Congrats! I've always had dogs, we have 4 dogs right now. I've only had one small dog ( a westie), so I am use to 80 lbs animals destroying everything we own. I don't crate our animals, they have free roam, but when they are pups, I'd leave them locked in the bathroom, since there isn't much damage they can do in there. When they aren't house broken I leave wee wee pads. I leave toys, water, food, and I also leave the radio on. They get use to being alone during the day. Since its nice weather when your home make sure the pup goes outside as much as possible. You will see soon enough they get use to the daily routine and they adapt. Dogs can sense your fear and anxiety so try not to worry to much. Enjoy puppyhood because it doesn't last long.

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yeah i leave the tv on for him. I can't walk him yet, i was told not to until 4 months. I took him sunday to the vet and got his shots but he needs a 2nd round. Maybe ill take him out and hold him to get fresh air. He is so tiny i dont think he'll do well walking outside yet lol.

Thank you, i also posted on BHB since i wasnt getting responses here but thank you, hearing everyone say they do fine and giving advice really helped

congrats denise.. you have a furbaby now.. haha.. and they're a lot like real babies like nicole said.. i don't have a dog but my cat, he usually sleeps all day and meaows when he's bored.. going away is difficult, but once he's a bit bigger, i think it will get better!!
congrats on your new family member!!

I have no puppy suggestions because it's been too long since I had one, but

please post pics!!!

Aww, Denise. I know the feeling. When I first got Weezer it was like that. She was sooo teeny and I would get worried about her all the time.

It does get better with time is what I can tell you.
Post pics. I love apricot colored dogs!!!

congrats on your new puppy!!!


Ok so here's the rundown:

1. CRATE=HOME!!! Its not punishment, its like their own personal room. Alot of people think crate training is cruel but its actually beneficial at this stage, especially if they're going to be home alone for extended periods of time.

2. Get a ticking clock and wrap it up in a warm blanket and put it in his crate. He'll snuggle up with it. Its supposed to imitate his mother's heartbeat and will soothe him at night.

3. Try to get him on a schedule for eating, drinking and peeing. Take him for walks after you give him food or water so he gets used to going outside. He's not going to want to pee in his crate because that's his home. Also, don't put the wee-wee pads anywhere near where you feed him. You don't want to associate those 2 scents.

4. I would HIGHLY recommend getting Caesar Milan's books. Member of the FAmily is the new on, I forget what the old one was and watch the Dog whisperer if you can (I DVR it). I swear that man is a friggin genius. He really knows his sh*t about dogs.

Other than that, you guys are alright. I wouldn't worry about leaving the puppy at home. He should be fine and as long as you walk him when you get home and he gets enough outdoor exercise then he'll be fine. For a dog like that, at least a 15-30 min walk each day should be good while he's a puppy. It'll help drain some of his energy and he'll be more receptive to your commands.

GOOD LUCK DENISE!!!! Any questions, FM me. I lurk from time to time

First off...congrats to you and Joe on your new puppy!

I know excatly what you mean! I feel horrible leaving her home alone but after a while the puppy and you will get used to it.

When I have to work both jobs I drop Sidney off at my parents house in the morning so she isn't alone for so long. I am home at 3pm take her out for a while and then go to my other job by 5pm. Then when I get out of work...I pick her up and we go home.

I swear it's like having a baby!

It will get better!

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Posted by Espo22

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Posted by MnM182008

Congrats! I've always had dogs, we have 4 dogs right now. I've only had one small dog ( a westie), so I am use to 80 lbs animals destroying everything we own. I don't crate our animals, they have free roam, but when they are pups, I'd leave them locked in the bathroom, since there isn't much damage they can do in there. When they aren't house broken I leave wee wee pads. I leave toys, water, food, and I also leave the radio on. They get use to being alone during the day. Since its nice weather when your home make sure the pup goes outside as much as possible. You will see soon enough they get use to the daily routine and they adapt. Dogs can sense your fear and anxiety so try not to worry to much. Enjoy puppyhood because it doesn't last long.

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yeah i leave the tv on for him. I can't walk him yet, i was told not to until 4 months. I took him sunday to the vet and got his shots but he needs a 2nd round. Maybe ill take him out and hold him to get fresh air. He is so tiny i dont think he'll do well walking outside yet lol.

Thank you, i also posted on BHB since i wasnt getting responses here but thank you, hearing everyone say they do fine and giving advice really helped

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Congrats i wanted a puppy so badly but I caved in and got a kitten since DH wanted one.. but im still wanting a dog, once we fence in our yard! (fingers crossed)

definelty crate or keep the pup fenced in like you said (im not sure why the PP is oppsed to crates but not to locking the dog in the bathroom) while you are not home! Although I do remember my one dog (at my parents) she HATED the crate at night and cried all night. she would do her buisness in there and yelp even more because it was all over her. We had enough after the 3rd night of it and I just let her sleep with me and she was fine, never an accident

I know they say now to walk them due to rabies etc, but i had my pup pn the lawn pretty quickly. I would say after about 3 days of trying witht he wee wee pads I had her going on my lawn. She was 10 weeks old. she refused to go on the wee wee pads and I refused to have to train her on them and then retrain outside. she did very well going outside andI think it did her a world of good to be out for a bit and not locked up in the house..

Awww, congrats Denise! When we got Shea he was only 9 weeks old. For the first few months it was so hard to do anything without thinking of him being alone. I mean nights I had class DH wouldn't work at his night job! Needless to say things got a lot better and we let him run around the house all day. If you didn't get any books about your breed of dog, definitely do it. We learned a lot about Westies this way and it helped tremendously. Like others have said, crate = home so it's not a punishment. And no dog will pee where they sleep or eat so it's normal for you to get that reaction. Don't worry, you will be able to sleep in soon!

Also, definitely get a Ceasar Milan book. He has so much info that helps!

When you do start walking your dog, go for really long walks that your pup has no choice but to excrete outside. They get the hint after awhile that they need to go outside.

For our Pug, we call her crate 'HOME'.. and night we say it is time for 'bed' and tell her to go in her home. She has gotten used to this.

Congrats and good luck!

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Posted by Belongs2DanBuckley

congrats on your new puppy!!!


Ok so here's the rundown:

1. CRATE=HOME!!! Its not punishment, its like their own personal room. Alot of people think crate training is cruel but its actually beneficial at this stage, especially if they're going to be home alone for extended periods of time.

2. Get a ticking clock and wrap it up in a warm blanket and put it in his crate. He'll snuggle up with it. Its supposed to imitate his mother's heartbeat and will soothe him at night.

3. Try to get him on a schedule for eating, drinking and peeing. Take him for walks after you give him food or water so he gets used to going outside. He's not going to want to pee in his crate because that's his home. Also, don't put the wee-wee pads anywhere near where you feed him. You don't want to associate those 2 scents.

4. I would HIGHLY recommend getting Caesar Milan's books. Member of the FAmily is the new on, I forget what the old one was and watch the Dog whisperer if you can (I DVR it). I swear that man is a friggin genius. He really knows his sh*t about dogs.

Other than that, you guys are alright. I wouldn't worry about leaving the puppy at home. He should be fine and as long as you walk him when you get home and he gets enough outdoor exercise then he'll be fine. For a dog like that, at least a 15-30 min walk each day should be good while he's a puppy. It'll help drain some of his energy and he'll be more receptive to your commands.

GOOD LUCK DENISE!!!! Any questions, FM me. I lurk from time to time

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yeah i am def getting his book this weekend, have been reading some stuff online that he recommends and been trying to do that.

Ive been told i cant walk him yet, he doesn't have all his shots, he got shots on sunday but has to get the booster shots when hes 4 months and they said he cant be around other dogs for now and also cant be walked bc if he goes up to dog poop on the street he can get sick that way too. Ive been wondering about this bc i want him to get exercise ya know. So instead when i get home i run with him throughout the apartment and he follows me lol. I have to think of some other way too.

Thank you for all the advice

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Posted by MikeandJess

Can you post pics denise? I want to see your puppy

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i will today. I actually asked my cousin last night to send me pics she took on her phone bc she got real good pics of him and she sent it but somehow i didnt get it maybe she made a mistake somehow with spelling or something lol. Im gonna text her to try sending again.

It's funny bc he reminds me of fozzy from the muppet babies, when i see him thats what i think of

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Posted by Princess Cut Bride

First off...congrats to you and Joe on your new puppy!

I know excatly what you mean! I feel horrible leaving her home alone but after a while the puppy and you will get used to it.

When I have to work both jobs I drop Sidney off at my parents house in the morning so she isn't alone for so long. I am home at 3pm take her out for a while and then go to my other job by 5pm. Then when I get out of work...I pick her up and we go home.

I swear it's like having a baby!

It will get better!

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omg it really is, gives you an idea of what to expect with a baby. I wake up with him at night when he has to pee and stay with him(which is about 2x a night), i wake up earlier than i have to just so i can have time to give him food, change his water, put up his play den, give him his toys, and also tire him out and play with him so he sleeps in the morning when i leave. And when he sleeps at night i clean the floors bc he likes to lick the floors and dont want him licking dirt all day. I get home and just spend time with him and dont eat until later and even then just make myself something quick.

the funny part is dh was saying last night that seeing how i am with the puppy he knows i'll be a great mother lol and even joked to have kids now. I said oh no now i know i want to wait.

Thank you

as far as walking, do you have your own yard? Maybe check with the vet if walking in your OWN yard is ok - where other dogs aren't an issue (or their poop..)