[prettypuppypink]

Originally Posted by AprilLove

Hi LolaBella,
You are really not having problems. Let me explain. Your pup has only been with you for one week. This is all new to her. She had to leave the comfort of her mommy and littermates and go into this strange new world. She will adapt. Right now, she needs to be with you, that is just what a puppy needs. She needs direction from you. You are her pack leader. The first few months are always the hardest, but before you know it you will forgot how it was (lack of sleep, up for potty runs 3 times a night, etc etc.) The more consistent you are and the earlier you get her used to whatever your schedule is, the sooner she'll adapt. It is so worth the work. My AprilLove recently turned 5 months old, and she was exactly the way you are describing now. I could not go into another room without her whining, and she LOVED to whine..the screcching kind. I solved the nighttime crate thing by putting her on the bed with me in her crate and she did great with the housebreaking. When I first put her in the crate, to get used to it during the day, she got so mad she grabbed the metal bars with her little teeth and she would yell so loud, that she lifted her whole body to a horizontal position off the ground! (Wish I had pics) I left the crate open wherever we were during the day, (playtime etc) and let her go into by herself when she wanted to nap, (with door open) sometimes a yummy treat would be in there to entice her. Defintely don't go pick her up everytime she whines, if you do you will teach her that that is acceptable behavior (rewarded by being picked up) Anyway, now at 5 months AprilLove has turned into a true little pal. She trusts me. She's comfortable with me and seems to have confidence that I will always come back, after being gone a while. (Which I always do) She doesn't even whine anymore when I leave her gated in the kitchen when I go off to work. She is like "oh, your leaving, I see you later. But when I am home, she is attached at the hip. Always where I am. I love it!
Sorry for the novel. But please have patience and you'll see that it gets better and more wonderful by the day. JMHO

MaryKay
AprilLoves Mommy

Good post. I did this with my Yorkie Pixie, crate next to my bed on a end table from the living room. My small Peke would not accept the crate at all since his breeder had him in an x-pen 24/7, never took him out. I set up an x-pen and put wee pads all over the bottom. He started using one at the back off the pen and so I picked up the others. He could stay in there all the time without complaining and I hated that he had never been held or played with. So I had the reverse issue of yours. I had to work on handling him and teaching him to play. I now leave the pen door open, same principal as the crate. He's doing well but it was a slow process and consistancy with socializing him. He now must be greeted by all the enter the house first or won't stop barking and jumping. I'm thrilled to see him with some spirit. I hope to get him eased into switching to a crate as his den.
Jessica