Our New Pup (which may get taken away!)

[BrianL]

Hello, I'm new to the forums.

Here's a picture of our Pomeranian X pup. We named him Rodger!

Rodger has been seperated from his pack for three days and he suffers from seperation anxiety at night. He howls very loudly. Our apartment council has threatened to take him away. We have no idea what to do.

Does anybody have any solutions to our problem?

 

[Fran27]

Keep the pup in your room. Where does he sleep?

 

[BrianL]

Right now, Rodger sleeps in his kennel on the back balcony. It's comfortable and he does go to sleep, but when he wakes up during the night, he'll howl until we comfort him.

 

[mojozen]

Right now, Rodger sleeps in his kennel on the back balcony. It's comfortable and he does go to sleep, but when he wakes up during the night, he'll howl until we comfort him.

Personally, I'd take his crate inside and put it next to your bed. That way when he, as a young pup, wakes up he will be able to smell and hear you near by. Also, if he needs anything from you, you will be able to know right away and tend to him. That should keep him from howling...

Also, if this back balcony is exposed to the elements, he as a small dog/puppy shouldn't be outside anyway at night. To me that just seems cruel... but that's just my opinion.

 

[BrianL]

^ Thanks! Your dog is SO adorable hehe

I agree that we should bring his crate inside. However we'd really like him to get use to sleeping alone eventually. I was thinking that we put his crate in the laundry and let him get use to sleeping alone inside, and when he's older, we'll let him sleep outside.

We're still so confused

 

[Fran27]

I don't think it's a good idea for a companionship dog to sleep alone on a balcony, adult or not. Why do you want him to sleep outside anyway? The laundry room is a good idea, he will still cry for a few days though.

 

[bubbatd]

Insight with you please.!!! He looks like he's only about 6 weeks old ... I may be wrong as I don't know Poms. I'm in favor of the one on one with new pups... a " den " close to new owners. He misses his Mommy, he misses his siblings .... You can't just bring a puppy home and expect a dog ! Only you at this point knows the breeding, the breeder, the socialization.!! After 1 day of " howling " I would have stepped in rather than the council ! I hate to be harsh, but were you ready to take on a dog.??

 

[Mindy Miller]

I also think you should bring the puppy inside. Let him sleep in his crate in your room. He's not even comfortable at your house yet. Worry about him sleeping alone once he's settled in and a bit older. At this age, he probably needs to potty a few times during the night. Having him close will also let you know when he needs to.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Put the puppy beside your bed to sleep. Think of what he has just gone through! No more mom. No more Breeder. No more brother and sisters. New home. New people. and then he's put all alone, which he likely has NEVER been all alone, out on a balcony to try to go to sleep in a crate.

I'd screech too!

Put him inside by your bed. Do not console him for crying when he's by your bed. Correct him. AH AH. QUIET. When he's quiet, softly say GOOOOOD puppy, good quiet. Dangle your hand so he can sniff your fingers for comfort if he needs to.

Within a week or 10 days, he will be used to you, his new home, and his lack of littermates. Then you can move his crate out of your room if you wish, but dogs ALWAYS want to sleep near the rest of their "pack".

 

[bubbatd]

Brian.. you are a new member, and I don't want to put you down,,,,nor have any others do it. I do agree with what ever " container " you have him in should be beside your bed. A quiet stroke and a shhhhhhh should do it. Unless of course you know he has to go potty. Please let us know how old he is .... this makes a big difference ... also how he was trained before you got him.Personally , I would call an outide dog ever !

 

[yoko]

hi i see that everyone has already given you very good advice. but i was just wondering why would you want to put him outside at night? since you were living in an apartment i'd figure you'd want to keep him inside.

 

[Madaline]

Yes you should keep the pup in the crate in your room, he is too young and pomeranians are just little dogs and should never be left outside. When I got Madeline I put her in her crate next to my bed and if she cryed I just stuck my fingers in the door of the crate and she would stop. She was so good and I have never had a problem with her crying at night she is five months and still sleeps in her crate in my room and I never hear a peep from her all night, she even sleeps into 9 every morning.

 

[PFC1]

Your pup is probably crying also because he has to relieve himself. When we first brought our pup home at eight weeks, we put his crate in our bedroom. He was fine during the day, but he just cried at night when we put him in his crate. It was heart breaking. The first few nights I literally had to sleep on the hardwood floor right next to him to help him adjust. When he would cry, I just knocked the side of the crate once, and he settled down. Then, in the middle of the night, he would wake up because he had to go out. I would take him out quickly, and quitely, and then put him right back in. It only took a couple of nights until he would be fine except when had to go outside. I don't recall how long it took for him to be able to sleep all the way through the night without going out, but it was several weeks.

 

[mojozen]

Pomeranians does not equal "outside dogs" EVER. They are too small and too vulnerable to the elements. Plus a balcony of an apartment is not enough room for a kennel, and a dog. The dog due to his breed and age needs to be indoors with YOU his owner.

Pomeranians are in teh Toy group for a reason... they are meant to be companion (as in inside with their owners at all times) dogs ... they are not like the much larger spitz breeds such as malamutes and huskies which CAN live outdoors because they are adapted for it... although if you do have an outdoor dog you need to feed it a lot more, and keep a very close eye on it for the sake of making sure their health is okay.

 

[coripc33]

I don't usually give advice because I don't feel I am remotely as knowledgeable as the folks around here, but I feel I have to say this: please bring him inside and in your bedroom with you. This will not make him not want to sleep alone in the near future, but now he is so vulnerable, and he feels so isolated. My puppy was almost 8 weeks old when I brought her home, and I decided that I didn't need the aggravation of her crying during night, so I allowed her to sleep in my bed. This was necessary for the first week or so; after that she had become familiar enough with the house, the people, the whole environment that she was comfortable enough to sleep/nap wherever she felt like it. At that point I started putting her in the crate (a playpen later on, but that's another story) when I would see her dozing off, and within 3 weeks she was sleeping fine downstairs in the kitchen, far away from the bedroom upstairs. She has no problem being left alone during night time, but I could have never done this right from the start.

Please bring him inside and let him sleep in your bedroom at first, he will bond to you so much faster and he will trust you to be his mommy who can protect him at all times - while he's sleeping included.

Just my $0.02...

 

[anarashka]

I don't know a great deal about dogs, as I tend to be a cat person... But toy breeds such as the Pom are really not meant to be outside dogs. They enjoy and thrive on human companionship and attention (many that I know are just queens when it comes to attention). They are not the hardiest of dogs and their fur and skin are not very good for outside survival. They are also very small and would not win a fight if something came into their yard.

I am not advocating large dogs to go outside either, every dog does best being around it's people. Even the large breeds thrive on attention and will generally be much better behaved if kept near his family and allowed to interact with them. They also make better guard dogs when they see the whole family and house as their property and home. Less illness and destruction, and overall a better attitude. But toy dogs especially are not meant to be outside dogs. Please please, reconsider your thoughts to put him outside. Love him, and keep him close to you.

 

[rottiegirl]

Put the puppy beside your bed to sleep. Think of what he has just gone through! No more mom. No more Breeder. No more brother and sisters. New home. New people. and then he's put all alone, which he likely has NEVER been all alone, out on a balcony to try to go to sleep in a crate.

I'd screech too!

Put him inside by your bed. Do not console him for crying when he's by your bed. Correct him. AH AH. QUIET. When he's quiet, softly say GOOOOOD puppy, good quiet. Dangle your hand so he can sniff your fingers for comfort if he needs to.

Within a week or 10 days, he will be used to you, his new home, and his lack of littermates. Then you can move his crate out of your room if you wish, but dogs ALWAYS want to sleep near the rest of their "pack".

I couldnt have said it better! The pup definately needs to be put inside next to the bed. How old is your pom anyway? He looks younger than 8 weeks. Young puppies need to be near their owners. He will grow out of it when he gets older.

 

[BrianL]

Thanks you all for your adivce. I have read and considered every tip that has been posted. Yesterday I talked to Rodger's breeder to get breed spcific information. Her recommendations were very close to that of RedyreRottweilers, Coripc33 and PFC1's advice -- as a pup, let him sleep close by (definitely inside) to allow him to get use to the new environment.

Last night we moved his kennel and crate into the laundry (near my room). He howled briefly but soon went to sleep. I asked my neighbours if they had heard him howl and they didn't. So, it looks like Rodger is here to stay. Thanks again for your help.

PS: Rodger is almost 9 weeks old!!!!!! He was the smallest from his litter and maybe that's why he looks so young.

 

[PoodleMommy]

Grrrrrr

I have just recently found this site and have enjoyed reading through and seeing all the other people who are true animal lovers. I cant stand it when i see animals that are being mistreated and i wish i could take them all home with me.

Yet then I came across this post, and it got me enraged!
Why would someone get a small dog, only to make it sleep alone or stay outside? It does not make any sense!!!! Dont get dogs if you dont want them.

::Going to hug my princess, Elle... to make myself feel better::

Elissa

 

[coripc33]

Congratulations on your puppy being almost quiet. In my opinion, he is still too far away from you - I think it would benefit him if he could sleep in the same room at least for a few weeks, so he knows that he's not alone. I think the point is that he should be able to hear/feel you around him, not only for you to hear him if he howls (I think that's why you mentioned that now he is somewhere next to your room). Once he is old enough he may choose to be in his own space, but I think he's still too young. However, if this doesn't work for you, at least he's inside so that's a step forward.