Hi guys,

My girlfriend and I live in a ground floor garden flat and a week ago we were lucky enough to have got a 10 week old pug/shitzu cross.  She is THE most adorable, fun loving puppy we could wish for.  She has a great inquisitive nature, loves to play and is already getting the hang of going to the loo on the paper.  Everything is perfect apart from she cries, whines and barks very loudly whenever left alone which I do understand is natural for all pups.  However this continues when she is not alone at night time and she does not settle.  I believe she is semi-cage trained in as much as she will go in and out of it at will, play with toys etc.  We have been keeping the cage in our room at night so she is not alone,however the moment she is put in there at night she starts the process of what I can only describe as wailing - she may settle for an hour or so and then start consistently.  This lasted for 3 hours last night until we had no choice but to put her in bed with us after which she duely settle and went to sleep.  I am unsure if this is a cry of lonliness and for attention.  We have had her a week and whilst neighbours have been patient so far there is only so long this will last.  I am now considering papering the bathroom at night and leaving her in there, in the hope that after a few days this may control the problem.  But any advise will be greatly appreciated as we love our new puppy but have no clue how to handle this.

Thank you

Sorry there is only one answer to this, if you are sure the pup is not ill or hurt then go to bed and ignore, if you do it for 3 or 4 nights it will stop. Other answer is to take it to bed with you now and for the rest of its life. Use earplugs if you have too and explain to your neighbours.

Thank you Jackie - I had figured as much but thought i'd seek advice.  And would you recommend putting her in the bathroom?  I'm assuming that when we leave her to go out it is the same approach - crate in the bathroom and just leave her to get used to it?  Thank you for coming back to me

Have you been able to take a couple of weeks to be with her most of the time, to reassure her that when you go out (for 30 mins to begin with) that you will come back and she is not deserted.  She is very young to be left and probably needs reassurance.  If she is going in and out of her crate that is a bonus so I would leave it open for her with paper outside.  Does your bathroom have natural light or is it dark when she is in there, would the kitchen be better?

Its not easy bringing up a puppy in a flat but it is possible and thousands do it successfully.  I have put a sleeping bag in my puppies sleeping area to keep them company for the first week or so until they get used to the idea that they will not be abandoned.  Putting them in bed is never the best solution.

Edited to add

I am not sure but I think your puppy is part of the very vocal type breeds anyway, a bit of research on both breeds well help you progress this one.  Good luck with her she sounds adorable

Hi, i have a pug. She cried for two nights when i first got her but I perservered with the crate and she has always seen it as a secure place.

I think you should try and see it through with ensuring she is cozy, fed and toiletted and then crate her for the night and ignore the cries. it won't last for long. Pugs are not yappy at all but certainly the cross in her may make her more vocal.

From a pug prospective, they love sofa's, beds and comfort so i wouldnt go there with allowing her on the bed, before you know it you will be on the sofa !!! :)

Yeah my girlfriend has got a few weeks off to be with her a majority of the time so hopefully that should help - I think she is just worrying because within a minute of her leaving a room she goes nuts - but I guess its just a learning curve and she needs to know that we will come back!  Yeah the bathroom has natural light, unfortunately the kitchen wasnt an option as we have an open plan lounge/kitchen.  I hadnt thought of the sleeping bag idea but that could definately be an option if it will help!

You are right - I didnt think that the breed was particuarly vocal but it is probably the cross in her that brings out that side a bit more.  I'm sure both she and I will be fine - just going to take some patience and time.  Thank you for the advise it is really appreciated! 

Oh, one pug obsession you need to be aware of is that they are unbelievably clingy. They are at your ankles at all times and in they would like to be with you 24/7.  You need to get seperation under control as the needyness can get out of control as a pup so you don't end up with an anxiety problem as an adult. Good Luck x

> We have been keeping the cage in our room at night so she is not alone,however the moment she is put in there at night she starts the process of what I can only describe as wailing - she may settle for an hour or so and then start consistently. This lasted for 3 hours last night until we had no choice but to put her in bed with us after which she duely settle and went to sleep.

LOL, sounds like she's trained you really well, LOL :)

Seriously though, if she knows your going to give in, then she's going to keep wailing till she gets what she wants. 

I have pugs and they are companion dogs, they don't just want to be with you all the time they want to be stuck like velcro :)  I have never made it to the bathroom by myself yet, my girl pug is my shadow.  My girl doesn't get distressed without me, it is just her preference.  I imagine your girl is the same, it's a want not a need.  If I was you I woud put her crate in another room so she can't hear you at night, she will probably still cry for a while but will give up eventually. Good luck :)

> Yeah my girlfriend has got a few weeks off to be with her a majority of the time so hopefully that should help

Will you both be working full time after that?  These are breeds developed to be companion animals.  You may find it very difficult to get her to accept long spells on her own and to be quite honest with you I am not sure it would be fair.  You may find you need to arrange a dog "walker" to spend time with her during the day or locate a dog "creche".  Did her breeder discuss this with you?

Haha i'd say shes trained me good and proper!  I think the term is wrapped round her little finger (if she had on of course!)

Yes she will be returning to work but she does about 40% of her work from home.  That is something we have discussed with the breeder and we have looked into both dog 'creche' and walkers in our area.  I think that eventually we will use the crech once or twice a week anyway for socialistion purposes and play it by ear re the dog walker.

also, toilet training to go indoors on paper is making it harder and longer, as you will have to start the process all other again when you train her to go outside.
it is better to start as you mean to go and toilet train her in the garden by taking her out every half and hour and praise when she goes outside. take her out after every time she eats and wakes up as well

The problem with your bathroom is that long term it's not convenient to have her in there.  If you need the loo in the night you'll go in and disturb her which won't help either of you.

I'd be tempted to crate in your kitchen or living area - you can use a blanket to indicate 'night time' (and deaden the sound a bit for her (and you!).  She'll soon learn your rituals re TV off, last wee, lights off, bed.  You do just have to persevere and practise, practise.  Little and often during the day to teach her that coming and going is normal will help.  If you want her to learn to sleep on her own then don't give in, ever.  Puppies manage to exploit your feelings of anxiety about their well being and can easily convince you at 3am that the sky is falling in!!  Don't worry, it isn't... :)

My pup was 6 months before he could make it through the night so initially we'd get up every 3 or 4 hours for a garden outing - no talking, no lights, just out, perform, praise, back to bed.  Each week we were able to leave it longer and longer but it took a while to get past his 6am wake up call!!

Good luck

Personally, I'd put her in her crate with a hot water bottle (you could fill a pepsi bottle with hot water and wrap in a towel ;) )  and her bedding, maybe one of your sweaty T-shirts (for your smell) and maybe a ticking clock by the side of her crate.   That way you will know there's no reason for her to cry - apart for needing the toilet, which she probably will at least once in the night at this age ;) 

Please don't leave her in the bathroom, acoustically speaking this is one of the best rooms in the house if she is barking/yelping and the neighbours will hear it better than any other room ;)

I would do what the others have suggested.  Last night was the first night I have had my puppy shut in the crate overnight, before that she has been in the crate with a puppy pen attatched to it, but I was getting fed up with her meeting me at the door in the morning having climbed out of the puppy pen LOL she is now 10 wks old.

Last night I put a little bit of food into the small kong, moved the cage into my room, closed the door and covered the cage with a throw. she fell asleep. I was up at 3am letting her out for a wee and then again at 7.30am which was very good for the first night being shut in, if she whined I just said in a quiet voice shhhhh quiet and she settled.

Lets hope this will continue, as I will be shutting her in her cage now when I go out shopping, I always give the dogs a filled kong when I am going out, or when the younger ones are int he cage it keeps them quiet.

Thats great thank you for all of the advise!  I will try the lounge instead along with the blanket to cover the crate and make sure I wake up to take her out during the night.  I bought a Kong last night along with the peanut butter filling which she has gone nuts for!  Hopefully as long as we're strict on ourselves and dont cave in to her we'll be fine.

Got to be honest for someone who has never had a puppy before you guys are an absolute god send!!  :-)

Hi, we have a 14 week border terrier he also cried when he was left in his large playpen with his bed and toys with a radio with a dim nite light,  but since we have changed him to a crate, with toys and now sleeping on vet bed which i had in my bed for a couple of nites before given to the puppy  in the crate to sleep on , we have had no problems, we do let him out last thing , turn tv off place him in crate with a konk and toys and then we cover crate top with a large bath towel so he can see out of bottem and sides, and he sleeps in the  crate in the living room,  I do believe he feels more safer and cosier being inclosed.i think like the others have mentioned its perserverence and patience, i know its hard  not to cave in because we were concerned regarding our neighsbourrs and the noise he was making, but they said they hadnt heard him at all, i think they were being kind as he sound like the hound of the baskervilles.

We have a 10 week old Lab and he was a nightmare when being left alone, didn't matter day or night. It's prob easier for us as we have hall doors and an upstairs. Pup was shut in downstairs behind the hall doors. He was given a hot water bottle at night along with a bonio to chew on.
After about a week he has almost stopped. Though if he is shut in one room and i am in another he will wail, but gets him no where as we all ignore this..

Good luck and like others have said if you persevere then all should become good.
I too would put the pup in a crate in the kitchen area, and if there is a door to be closed behind then i would close this also.

Yes it is an annoying one.
The first GR I had was in a flat and he was the worst cry-baby for around 2 weeks when we I got him. I was on the verge of nervous breakdown, I couldn't stand the wailing and also I was worrying sick about the neighbours reaction... Thankfully, none ever complained and I had to use earplugs every night. He finally grew out of it because I never gave in. He was locked in the kitchen, each time I'd leave the house and now it's become like "his crate" and he will go there of his own will in the evening when he considers it's time to go to bed!
Good luck

I tend to differ a bit to some of the views here.

My view is that yes, you can get a pup to be quiet if you keep him away from you and ignore the noise, but at the end of the day I now believe you actually get a more secure and confident pup if you help it gradually move from being a frightened creature all alone  in a strange place for the first time in its young life (which is not really natural) and help it cope.

What I do now, and lots of peeps do this so it's not just me, is to either sleep downstairs on the sofa for a fortnight or so or else bring the pup up, put in a crate or provide bedding in the bedroom and of course do the getting up in the early hours etc for toiletting. This way the pup adjusts to its new home, owners, way of life etc without the starting off being scared of being alone and calling for company.

I then either start to go up to bed perhaps half way through the night if I am downstairs, or else gradually move the crate to the landing and then downstairs over a period of maybe a  week or so. By this time the pup is usually more confident and happier to cut the strings and knows the house, etc.

Of course you will need to do "home alone" training anyway - ie helping the pup love to be popped behind a childgate with a fav. chewie etc - there is an art to this but it's time well invested to avoid anxiety when you leave the pup alone.

It can be a bit of a judgement call and it can depend on the house layout too but I did this for my last dog of a sensitive breed and she's turned out very confident, happy etc so I'd definitely do it again :)

If you are first time pup owners, don't forget to enrol in a really good reputable puppy class and you may want to buy the Puppyschool book as it's a good update of "The Perfect Puppy" which is a bit of a bible. See here for info:

http://www.puppyschool.co.uk/
or you could try
http://www.apdt.co.uk/local_dog_trainers.asp

Hth :)

> My view is that yes, you can get a pup to be quiet if you keep him away from you and ignore the noise, but at the end of the day I now believe you actually get a more secure and confident pup if you help it gradually move from being a frightened creature all alone  in a strange place for the first time in its young life (which is not really natural) and help it cope

I couldn't agree more Lindsay :)  I could never ignore a distressed pup and feel it better to avoid the distress in the first place in the same way as you.

regards, Teri

you could also try leaving the radio on with the volume low, preferably radio 4 as that is mostly people talking.

Same as Teri and Lindsey.

I'm afraid I was tough on my dog as a puppy. It was hard but it worked,
The first night we had him (in kitchen in a cage - not a crate though) he slept right through - I think he was exhausted from his first busy day !.
The second night about half an hour after we'd left him he stared to whine. I let it go on for maybe 5 minutes then I crept downstairs in the dark, went into the kitchen, still no light on, I didn't talk to him at all as I didn't want him to think I was giving him attention. I picked him up without a word, popped him into the garden (I knew that the excitement at that age would have meant a tiddle !). After that I put him straight back into his cage not having said a word to him (it was hard believe me). I then left the room and waited around the corner. The second he started to whine again I just shouted "No" really loud and firm. He stopped, and everytime he started again I did the same. I didn't let him see me (it was dark anyway). I guess this went on for about 20 mins but in the end he stopped and that was that. It never happened again.
Definately put a hot water bottle wrapped in one of your own t-shirts in the bed (under a blanket) long before you leave him so the bed is nice and toasty straight away though.
It is so tempting to give them attention and I was desperate to cuddle him but I knew it would make nights more difficult if I did.