Hi
I have a 8 week old cocker spaniel puppy, she's living in the kitchen and the door is usually open out into the garden and she's already getting the hang of doing her business outside. I need some advice about her crying. The first two nights she started up at about 1am and I probably did the wrong thing by putting her basket in my bedroom, this kept her quiet till 5am when she decided it was time to wake up so I took her outside and put her back in the kitchen, she then cried on and off till about 8am. Same the second night, then last night I ignored her completely (except to let her outside at aboiut 5)and left her in the kitchen howling (I even heard the neighbour turn his radio on at 4 to block out the noise).

In the daytime I do my work in the kitchen, always have done, so I'm with her basically all day. Whenever I leave the kitchen, even if it's to go through to the sitting room which is visible from the kitchen she cries, if I go upstairs where she can't see me she howls.

I need to work and don't really have anywhere else to do it but by being with her so much in the kitchen is this reinforcing her need for me to be with her constantly? I left her at my parents house while I went to the supermarket, my parents weren't there but she settled between the front legs of their old english sheepdog and was still there when when I got back but I can't keep relying on their dog as a babysitter. Maybe I'm just be over concerned and she's just missing her mum but I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Kaycee

They all go through this Kaycee so dont worry . :)
How long has pup been with you as you say she is ony 8 weeks old ?
Dont forget that she will be still settling into a new house etc . By staying with her all the time it makes it more difficult for her to accept the times you have to be out of sight or out of the house . Obviously dont leave her for excessively long periods while she is so young .
She does have to learn to accept it and so i think it just a matter of putting up with her cries for now . I know it can be upsetting but in time she will learn that sometimes you have to be apart but that you will always come back to her . )
We had the same thing with Gus and it can be upsetting when they cry but they will learn to accept it in time
Best wishes
Lesley

Hi Kaycee.

You could try the Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) that you plug in and buy from the vets. It gives off the pheromone released by a 'lactating bitch' and can be used to settle in new pups when they leave their mum. It costs around £20 and you can buy refills as it lasts about 1 month.

My pup also cried terribly the 2nd night we had her. The third day I spent time ignoring her - no eye contact, talking etc for around 15 - 30 minutes at a time. I re-read the same piece of writing about 30 times as I couldn't take it in but it seemed to work. She didn't cry at night after that.

Hope these ideas help.

Stinks

Oh dear - is it a cocker spaniel thing! I do remember when I was 11 we got an orange roan cocker - she was hand reared as the mother couldn't feed the pups. Well this must have had an effect on her as we endured weeks of crying. In the end my parents gave in and she slept with them! :)
Hope things get better.
Dexy x

Cockers are notorious whingers I'm afraid. You must start as you mean to go on, byball means have her in your room if thats what you want for the rest of her life, my own orange roan pup sleeps on our bed, but I have to get up to put him out very early usually at 6am he statrs pulling my hair, thats fine but the other 3 cockers won't be so impressed when they find out!!

Your pup needs to learn that it will have to spend some time alone and can't be with you constantly. Leave her alone for short periods while you go into another room. Having a dog sitter will make the problem worse unless you can guarantee some one will always be around to sit with her.

My husbands old cocker had a real seperation anxiety problem and they had to move twice because of the dog, I am glad to say I have 4 and they do whinge a lot but you have to ignore it, it's a bit like a child say ing " I WANT" only all they want is you.

Go and wxplain to your neighbour that the puppy is a bit unsettled and you hope she will settle soon and apologise in advance for any future disturbances.!!

Hi!
Well last night I had progress! The night before I had to have her in my room as I *needed* quiet to sleep (probably so did the neighbour), but then I left her alone for two hours during the day and when I got back she didn't even notice as she was so busy playing with her new tazmanian devil pillow! Then I left her in the kitchen all last night and not a single whimper unless I was too fast asleep to hear. I can't believe how fast she is learning and remembering things from our training sessions which I only do for ten minutes twice a day. I cant remember our other dog picking up words and obeying so quickly (or atall) she's 13 and has just about learnt her name!

Glad to hear things are improving, Iexpect my own boy will play up now as his friend the last of a litter of bichon pups has just gone to hier new home and no-one else will play with him when I'm busy:(