Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

Original post by Espo22

Jun 02, 2009 10:49 AM

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

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 09:49 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by jgl

Posted by Espo22

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.

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 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..

ive been trying to keep him in the crate a bit more to get used to it, when he is tired he likes it and where he wants to sleep but once he is up he goes crazy to get out of there lol.

Yeah i am gonna ask the vet about that again, i want to walk him even if its around the block lol i know how important it is for puppies to get that exercise.

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 09:54 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by 08JulyBride

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..)

no we live in an apartment, there is a play area for kids that is fenced so maybe i can do that but in the day theres kids who always run around like crazy and playing with a ball. The last thing i want is a bunch of little kids running up to him and not leaving him alone. Not that i dont like him socialize lol bc he is very friendly and has been around a lot of ppl already, but these little kids i wouldnt trust lol. Also just remembered this other guy in the building is always going by there with his 2 dogs

Also thank you to Nicole and Kim

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 10:06 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by Mici n KC

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.

so do you put a wee wee pad in the crate? i know this is what somebody told me to do bc otherwise if i lock him in the crate while we're gone, he will go crazy for a long time until he just goes in the crate and then he'll have to sit there with pee and poop in his crate.

Belongs2DanBuckley Posted: Jun 03, 2009 10:13 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by Espo22

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

AH! I forgot about the shots- its been a while Ok so no walks outside just yet, but even just teaching him stuff is exercise and playing with him in the house is good too. As long as you start good behaviors now, he'll behave great from the get-go

I wanna see pics!

GinaZ Posted: Jun 03, 2009 11:33 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

I have no advice, but wanted to congratulate you on your new puppy!

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 11:50 AM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by Belongs2DanBuckley

Posted by Espo22

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

AH! I forgot about the shots- its been a while Ok so no walks outside just yet, but even just teaching him stuff is exercise and playing with him in the house is good too. As long as you start good behaviors now, he'll behave great from the get-go

I wanna see pics!

Yeah i hate that i have to wait, but I just make him run with me around the apt or i walk all around while he follows me. Plus we play with him and his toys for a long time by making him fetch things and that sort of stuff.

He is a good boy but has his little crazy moments. The problem is I have been doing all the pack leader stuff cesar says to do, but then others do the opposite when i tell them not to, and dh is guilty of this too. He tries to teach him things or tell him not to do things and for some reason dh thinks he has to lay on the floor and get on his level lol which is the complete opposite of what you are supposed to do. I think im gonna have to sit down with dh and go over everything lol.

Kimbalina Posted: Jun 03, 2009 01:23 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Denise I sent you an email on aol.

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 02:34 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety

Posted by Kimbalina

Denise I sent you an email on aol.

ahhh wait i think you have my old email, ill fm you my new one.

ange1x Posted: Jun 03, 2009 02:44 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

awwww what a cutie!!!

alli3131 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 02:48 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

OMG!!!!!!! Denise he is adorable.....almost is like a little stuffed animal. I hope you are not as stressed about leaving him home alone.....it will get easier to leave him.

MikeandJess Posted: Jun 03, 2009 03:10 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

omg denise he is so cute. I could see where you get this fozzy thing from

SparkyandAng Posted: Jun 03, 2009 03:16 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

Denise, I read your OP and saw the pictuere. he is sooooo adorable but I'm partial to poodles anyway.

It's an adjustment, once he gets into his routine, he'll be fine and so will you.

skinny237 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 03:21 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

He is sooo adorable----he seriously looks like a stuffed animal in the 2nd picture.

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 03:50 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

thank you ladies, i know thats what i said he reminds me of a little teddy bear lol. I have to get a pic of him looking straight. He will be sitting and for no reason when im about to take the pic he just turns his head lol.

Yeah im gonna go buy him the kong toys today which they say helps. Today was easier and dh is getting home around 4 so not that bad. Him not crying makes it a lot easier, thats what i was worried about.

Belongs2DanBuckley Posted: Jun 03, 2009 04:01 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

OOOOOOOOO HES ADORABLE!!!!!

Ya know- I heard that its helpful if you grab their face and look them in the eye and in a low voice (almost like a growl) you say 'NO!'

That's what their mothers do and it might help curb bad behaviors

As far as everyone else, just do your best. You and your DH really should be a united front though. Kinda like raising a kid, because the puppy will get away with whatever he can and it will send mixed signals if you guys don't have the same disciplinary plan.

I don't think you have to worry too much. Just be consistent and think to yourself WWCD (what would Caesar do?)

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 04:14 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

Posted by Belongs2DanBuckley

OOOOOOOOO HES ADORABLE!!!!!

Ya know- I heard that its helpful if you grab their face and look them in the eye and in a low voice (almost like a growl) you say 'NO!'

That's what their mothers do and it might help curb bad behaviors

As far as everyone else, just do your best. You and your DH really should be a united front though. Kinda like raising a kid, because the puppy will get away with whatever he can and it will send mixed signals if you guys don't have the same disciplinary plan.

I don't think you have to worry too much. Just be consistent and think to yourself WWCD (what would Caesar do?)

Yeah im gonna show dh the Cesar books and dvd's and tell him a bunch of tips they give and what they suggest. I explained to him yesterday the whole pack leader/follower mentality dogs have and how sometimes our signals will confuse them which causes mental anguish and all that other stuff lol.

I think we'll get the dvd's too and will def start watching his show, i used to watch it just bc it was so interesting but we'll both need to watch it now.

Thanks for all the help

snwb08 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 04:31 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

OMG how adorable is that puppy!!!!! congrats!! DH would love one also but he wants a big dog and we both agree we need to wait.

my co-worker has a dog-walker come to his apt. during the day to walk the dog and play with it a little.

Espo22 Posted: Jun 03, 2009 04:42 PM

Re: Seperation Anxiety UPDATED WITH PIC

Posted by snwb08

OMG how adorable is that puppy!!!!! congrats!! DH would love one also but he wants a big dog and we both agree we need to wait.

my co-worker has a dog-walker come to his apt. during the day to walk the dog and play with it a little.

yeah im gonna do that when he turns about 4 months bc thats when he can go out and walk, until then he cant and also has to stay away from other dogs.

Thank you very much and yeah they are a lot of work, but worth it.