Need immediate advice
 

I adopted a 9 week old pup on Sunday. I have read all the information on crate and potty training; unfortunately my puppy is too young to read and none of the instructions are working. I am trying to emotionally prepare to return her to the breeder.
I have set up a crate, following all hints, and she screams all the time she's in there (actually, it's no so much screaming as the noise a rabid duck would make while attacking). I can't praise her when she's quiet because she never is; she's frantically trying to chew through the wire and flinging herself against the door.
Same at night; tried the crate, tried putting her in the bathroom with a pad and bed. She screams all night. I had to take a sleeping pill last night just to get a few hours sleep.
I obviously can't potty train her this way. I tried using pads and she won't stay still long enough.
I am a wreck and don't know what to do.

She's 9 weeks old. Yorkies should be with their mom until about 12 weeks. Your breeder shouldn't have let her go that early! :( I think this is the major part of your problem is she's probably going through separation anxiety because she's so young.

I'm hoping others will have suggestions.

Mine would be to be with her as much as you can for the next two-three weeks and not worry about the potty training so much at first. If you need to contain her make sure there are pads everywhere, and if you can put her in a little kennel by your bed so she feels close to you that might help.

You will get through this but understand there's nothing wrong with her - she's just too young.

Hmmm, they certainly didn't tell me that part. Neither did the vet.
I have put her crate right next to my chair in the living room and next to the bed - doesn't matter. She wants out and she wants out now!
If I put her in my lap she snoozes blissfully. But I can't do that even when I'm home from work.
Oh, and the pads? She chews them up and swallows pieces.
Can yorkies be possessed by demons?

Try a stuffed animal one without any thing she could swallow. Like buttens for eyes or nose. She may cuddle up with it. But must not have anything dangerous sewn on it. She is just missing her mom and litter mates. Her life just changed so much try to understand. It's a scary new world for her.

Haven't tried the stuffed animal. I'll pick one up on my way home.

The vet suggested children's benedryl but that makes me uncomfortable.

Thanks

I think it just will take time. She is trying to figure this all out. You just need to keep her safe. Sounds like she is having very bad separation anxiety. Hopefully you can work through it. Is it possible for her to sleep with you? Also put a t shirt or something that smells like you for her to curl up and sleep with. The breeder should have sent something with her that smelled like home. Keep us updated

Maybe you could order one of these? They warm up and have a heartbeat to replicate their mom.

Snuggle Puppies - Official Home of Snuggle Pet Products

Also get one of these pads - they are great. Simple Solution Washable Training & Travel Pad for Pets

will illuminate the chewing issue and cheaper. There are people who also sell cute handmade ones here on YT.

Your pup is still so young.
I don't wanna sound harsh but she's only 9 weeks old and she's been with you for only 4 days. You can't expect to potty train her that quick.
Also remember that she was used to being with her little brothers and sister and never alone. Try using toys and clothes smelling of you when she's alone or in her crate.
She still has to get used to being alone.
Do you play enough with her? Try getting her tired before putting her in her crate. And when she's in her crate and stays quiet, praise her for that. Praising helps a lot.

Your vet suggested benedryl to calm the pup down,please tell me I didnt read that correctly. First I would find another vet,REALLY.

You might try an expen,a bit more space, on tile. Put the crate with the door open,so baby can go in and out. You can get washable potty pads,kinda like using cloth diapers,but they cannt eat them as easially. In the pen baby needs blankets in crate,potty pad,toys that are age appropriate,food and water. When you are home,this is a baby and therefore it needs your attention. This stage does not last forever,with a bit of patience,by the time your baby is 12 or 13 weeks old you may of been able to build enough of a bond that baby wont cry as much.

First of all sorry about your emotional upheaval and secondly take some comfort in the fact that its all perfectly normal!

Internet advice is terrible contradictory and you have got off to a bad start with your new baby - fear not though it can be rectified!

Every dog that we bring home leaves me worrying, panicking and even regretting that I took on the commitment - you are not alone! A puppy is hard work, really hard work they are tiny babies after all, and you should have expected that - the breeder should have told you what to expect.

Crate training

Crate training should be done over a few days and if you are shutting your puppy in without giving her a chance to be relaxed in there then you are causing emotional trauma. Take crate training gently and put a comfy bed in there, feed puppy in the crate and always leave the door open. As the others have suggested give her a warm toy. Trapping her in there will upset her a lot. She is used to being in a group of warm bodies after all.

Play with her as much as you can during the day to exhaust her so that she looks for a bed, then have the crate and bed in a place where she can be in it and close to you, throw treats in and allow her to go in and out ... and leave the door open until she is happy to be in the crate. gradually she will feel secure and go in on her own, then you can start to shut the door.

I suggest you sleep in the same room as her for a couple of nights to rebuild the security which has been lost, have the crate right by where you sleep and leave the door open but put her in there, she will eventually relax, poor little thing must be so confused.

Toileting

Every hour during the day take her out and when she toilets give her a little treat and tell her she is good. Always take her to the same place and always wait for her to go. Ignore her until she has been then make a big fuss. If you see her trying to go in the house take her to the pad and even if a tiny drop lands on the pad do the same praise and reward. Never punish her though because it will break down the trust between you.

I hope this has helped. You will get through these times and she will settle down, just beware of internet advice, always treat puppy positively and never punish her, try to understand why she is doing things instead and reshape her behaviour ! Good luck !

Seriously??? Do you think children just become potty trained in a week or two? It takes time.... And patience. And training.

Why is the puppy in a crate all the time? She wants to be near her person, since she was taken away from her mom 3-4 weeks sooner than she should have been.
The only time my dogs were crated was at night, and they now sleep in their crates with the door open. I trained them to "go night night" and now all I have to say is to night night and they all 3 go to their crates to go to sleep.

I would scream and cry too if I were locked up.

Hi, I get your frustration. I know the first couple months I was completely out of my mind and had "buyers remorse" because of the work involved. Jess barked all night in her crate. I will tell you it WILL STOP. Your pup is pretty young but mine was older and she still did it. Shes scared and doesn't understand why she isn't at her home anymore. Not much unlike a infant who is now in the "outside world" who starts crying ALL the time when not in moms arms.
My suggestion is to get a shirt with the moms scent from the breeder and then slowly transition to one of you. At night if you want to sleep have her sleep next to you and just pillow off an area so she doesn't fall. She needs to hear and feel you. Also put a washable pee pad under her so she doesn't mess your bed. Slowly put her in her crate with the door open each day with a little treat in there. Let her go in and out on her own. Put a little blanket over the top to make it cozy. Also put the shirt in there. Make it a happy place. Its a ton of work but it will pass. She is no different then any other pup trust me. As to potty training, I would let that go for a few weeks. Just put washable pads under her wherever she is. Walmart baby section 2/13.00....

oh and slings work great. put her in a sling and carry her around when your home. It gives you hands free to do whatever. If she feels secure she will stop the barking. The crate should only be used right now to let her explore it with the door open.

How did last night go? Hopefully a little better

LOL Um... yes I think they can. Good news is it gets better. Bad news is .. it gets worse! Wait for the chewing phase. :eek:

Seriously though.... she's having separation anxiety. When my boys were pups (I got them at 9 weeks old also) I crated them also. They slept a lot but during the time I was home, they were confined to the room I was in, and watched like a hawk to not pee in the house. At night, I would put them in their crate, with a nice warm blanket, a stuffed toy and I would hide a little ticking clock in their crate. Then I would cover their crate with a dark blanket that didn't let light in. It would be dark, warm and the ticking reminds them of their mother's heartbeat, it helps to relax them. This worked like a charm!

looking for an update? Hope all is going well.

9 weeks is too young to expect her to be potty trained. It's like a human baby, just can't hold it! And four days is too short for her to be already adjusted to her new environment! Please be patient, I am sure it will get better!

Such great advice. When I get my puppy I'm going to do the warm blanket, dark crate and a ticking toy... Great idea!!!

I too just got a puppy that was 9 weeks old. I've had Zeus for about a week and a half. At night he sleeps in his crate near my bed. He sleeps with a hot water bottle because he is probably used to his mother's and sister's warmth. I would suggest trying this. He is generally quiet. Zeus is my first puppy so I am learning as I go. He is very much how I would imagine a baby to be.

As she sleeps on your lap, sounds to me like she may be chilly. Do you have a sweater or T-shirt for her to wear? Also warming up her food can help make her feel comfy..

As a 12-13 week old Maggie cried in her cage sometimes. I think she just wanted to be with someone. I was very tired because I was listening for her to cry in case she had to pee. Then after pee she still whined sometimes in her crate. Finally, I slept on the sofa part-time ( we were keeping crate in kitchen) and I just put her on me and she would sleep. She just wanted company or comfort. She was sad and lonely. She had left the other pups she was used to sleeping with and now was all alone and probably colder with out snuggle buddies. I felt like I had an infant again, but I felt so needed as well. If you haven't had skin babies yet, this will be harder i think. Having any baby is exhausting! We trained her for outside so it was harder because she wasn't peeing on pads and had to be let out. Now she is my shadow a lot of the time.

My little girl never did do well in a crate! Despite what everyone said, she would still use the bathroom all in it so I had to puppy pad train her. The best thing I found was the puppy pad spray, but be patient! It took a little while fro her to get used to but now she has no problems!

My 13 week old hates her kennel. After an exhausting night with her last night (our 6th night together, the other 5 were better) I gave in. Needed sleep, was on the couch with her & she slept for like 4 hours & would have probably slept longer but I had to get up. That's the most she has slept. So....do I give up on the kennel & just let her in my bed? Will she wake me during the night if she has to go?? Or will she just go in my bed you think??

Lots of excellant advice here, I can relate!
My baby girl will be 9 months on Sunday......and she too cried first week home.
HOWLED is more like it......OMGoodness what a set of lungs!
She too had heartbeat mama , a covered cage , and her litter blankee. All placed beside me and my bed. I laid with hand overhanging bed inside cage. I took her out to pee every hour , then every 2 hours till I couldn't stand the cuteness anymore . All the poor little thing wanted was to be close to me, and in my bed she came...I think about 3 months it was. Pee pads in place she would lick my face in the night when she had to pee and up
I'd get to take her. It doesn't last forever and she was staying dry all night and has never peed in my bed.
Maybe if you take them to your bed young enough they consider it their own bed. I hear tell a dog never soils it's own bed ( if of course they have somewhere else to go).
Also my vet gave me a calming spray to spray on their area . It smells like mama and helps a lot! Look around! This is good for thunderstorm calming too on any age.

Well last night went like this. We were gone but my daughter was with her. Said she peed at 7:30 pm, then was kinda sleeping on and off until we got home, just after 10 pm. So I let her out then and she did her business. Had her in my bed for 15 mins then put her in her kennel. She slept in there for about an hour and half. Took her outside but she didn't do anything. Then she went in our bed and slept until 7:30 am!! So almost 9 hours before peeing. I slept but it was restless because I was worried that she would piddle in bed but she hardly moved!

We are fine with her in our bed but hope she likes and gets used to her kennel for when we are out.

Great advice!!
And please don't give the dog Benadryl.
Lots of praise, love and positive reinforcement, remember she is just a baby. Good luck.

Mina cried the first night that she was home. I was laying on the couch,right beside her crate. The next night I put a potty pad on my bed,put a baby blanket over that and she has now been cuddling with me for 3 yrs. She never had a potty accident in the bed. Kenzie our newest baby is 8 1/2 months old,she has been sleeping with us sense the first night. There was one accident,I had asked that she go out just before bed,was told that she went out 15 min before and she peed in our bed. Now when I say that she needs to go potty just before bed,all I hear is her going out. Our new baby will be home in April and I will do the same thing,potty pad and blanket. The girls don't mind their crates, they know when I put my shoes on and set the expen up for the boys that it is time to go take a nap.

Kinda off topic a little, errr.. I guess I'm kind of late replying haha, but every forum I'm a member of (not really YT as much) people often point out how someone with a younger pup shouldn't have them away from mama-pup. While this is VERY true, its over stated. I don't mean to come off crappy or anything, but I just wanted to interject quickly and point out that most puppies that people get as pets are in fact under 12 weeks of age. Most in pet stores are 9 weeks, a lot of shelters adopt out rescues as soon as 8 weeks and foster out even younger, and $h**ty money grubbing back yard breeders can legally ship out their litters at 8 weeks, and they do. They *shouldn't* be away from their litter mates or mothers at such a young age, but unfortunately more times than not, they are.

So while it's better to breed and buy properly, its still very important to educate and be educated on the "what-to-do's" for younger pups. Pet stores exist and not many people can resist that "puppy in the window", and not everyone is wise to puppy milling. I come across people all the time who know nothing of it and are appalled when they find out. I got Logan at 8 weeks. He definitely shouldn't have been away from his litter but my situation was "interesting" to say the least, and for the sake of defamation, lets just say he was better off coming here.

I never had a puppy so young and I came here (and to many other forums) in search of answers and there are sooo many amazing people here on YT compared to other sites. There's a lot of unnecessary berating for having a younger pup when it actually doesn't ever help the OP who already has the young pup and just needs answers. :animal-pa

OP I hope you're having an easier time with your baby! Please do post an update so we know how things are going. You'll find this site is VERY helpful. The people on here are amazing compared to any other doggy community from my experience.

That OP isn't coming back....... Hopefully, they picked up a good book that doesn't bite.