I have just bought a shit-zhu dog. He is 7 months old. I have only had him for three days but so far I don't think I've had a wink of sleep. He cries constantly all night. I tried him in bed with me but he cried there aswell so now I keep him downstairs. He has a teddy bear, a radio, everything I can think of! What else can I do. Someone else suggested I look at other pages on sleep which I have but all to no avail. I have tried everything. He is as good as gold through the day and never makes a muff.

Also he smells really strong. Someone told me when I was looking for a dog that dogs do smell worse than bitches but he really smells very strong. It nearly knocks me over when I go downstairs on a morning. I've bathed him, which he actually quite liked but it makes no difference. Does anyone know of anything I can do to ease this a little bit.

Thank you very much for all your help.

Hi Michelle , has he been scraping his bum along the floor or biting at his back end at all? Could be that he maybe needs he anal glands sorting out .

Hi if you have only had this pup for a few days i would take him to the vets for a complete check up, then you can tell the vet that you are concerned about the smell.

Don't think dogs should smell any more than a bitch. He may well have a skin condition, if his coat has not been cared for he could have a sort of yeast growth on his skin that is causing it. But we must not try to say what is wrong that is the job for the vet.

A far as the crying is concerened give him time, he is very unsettled at the moment bet he wonders where he will be dumped next.

He hasn't been scratching or scraping his bum and he is totally up to date with his vaccinations etc as the lady who sold him to me gave me his card. He has just been wormed aswell.

I know he needs time to settle in but he seems fine in every other way. He loves my daughter and follows her round constantly. Maybe I'm a bit impatient but its through lack of sleep!!! He wouldn't eat his food at first too but then I realised it is because he is used to the finer things in life like Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puds! I think the thing is he has probably been spoilt to death, but in all the wrong ways. He doesn't even like walking so I am trying to turn that around and am taking him out a couple of times a day just for a short walk to try to break him in gently but he doesn't particularly like it!

Anyway thanks for your help.

Michelle

Try some ear plugs, I had to do that once, wait till the neighbours go on holiday, apply ear plugs and shut dog in the kitchen. Took 2 nights for the penny to drop. Never had trouble since, I guess because I have a houseful now.

I know my husband brought some home from work yesterday but I didn't wear them! I'm not so bothered about me really more about the neighbours. I'm sure he will get used to it soon its just that I'm worried about my neighbours in the meantime. Everyone on the street can hear him. Its been three nights now with me not giving in, surely he can't carry on without sleep for much longer either. He's not sleeping much in the day either so he must be tired!!! Do you think he will stop, I can just envisage him carrying on like this forever.

Michelle

No he will settle, he has been uprooted from a home where he was 'spoilt rotten', if it were you I bet you would be complaining too. Poor lad is distressed, go and talk to the neighbours say your sorry and explain he has been rehomed, ask them to give it a week. Then grit your teeth, fit the ear plugs, and ignore him for a week, if that does not cure the problem, I would ask the vet for help. It may, of course, be the reason that he was rehomed, do you know the true reason?

PS. Think the smell may be more of a problem in the long term.

You could try some "rescue remedy"to calm him on a night it's natural & won't hurt him or drug him

as for the smell I would take him to the vet to get him thoroughly checked out I have male dogs & apart from when they have been in something they shouldn't smell

What kind of smell is it? If it's a urine kind he could have high protein. As someone else said take him to the vets and have him checked out.

Hope everything works out in the end. Took me a couple of weeks to get my boy to settle in the night. Must admit I ended up coming down and lying on the settee until he had gone to sleep and then quietly left the room, once I was sure that he was asleep. It did work eventually.

Hiya the smell is a kind of urine smell. Its just really really doggy, if you know what I mean. His urine does smell really strong aswell though, the same as he does so maybe it is his urine that is getting onto his coat when he wees. I have booked him in at the groomers anyway to get some hair away from his bits! Still not sleeping though and it has been five days now, in fact to be honest its worse than ever.

Hi, it might not be related in any way but I have a GSD and she can be very nervous and stresses alot. Sometimes she is fine but when she becomes stressed and upset (like at the moment as I have just got a new puppy!) she gets very very smelly. Her breath stinks and she seems to give off an odour from her body aswell. If your dog has been uprooted and upset the smell may be down to stress?? or partly due to this.

I would also get the vet to check his glands like said before as mine has had hers done at another 'smelly time in her life' and she had none of the symptoms of dragging her bum or anything but boy did it smell bad!!!