Help Please!

[Spar]

We picked up our beautiful Stafford pup on Saturday and she is just the greatest thing (most of the time)! She is 8.5weeks old. We are both first time dog owners so we have spent the last 6 weeks reading everything that we could to try and get ready for the new addition to our family!

One problem we have been having is that she doesn't seem to be keen on her play pen at all, I have set it up inside near the lounge with the Bunnings compost panels. She is fine sleeping in it, but when she is awake she doesn't want to be in it. If we are sitting on the lounge or when we move away and she cant see us she goes nuts! Like crazy howling, yipping and grabbing at the compost panels and pulling and pushing them. I cant believe the amount of strength she has. We are both drawing blanks on what to do and we are really worried that she is going to hurt herself. We have both taken the week off work to try and get her to be alone in the playpen happily but it just seems nothing is working!

We have tried ignoring her both when she can see us and when she cant. We have tried praising her when she is quiet, we have left all her toys in there but she doesn't seem very interested in them, she just wants to get out. Now we are trying to leave her in the playpen for longer periods to try and get her used to being in there, but she just wont settle

We just really want her to be settled and able to be alone by the time we go to work next week

If anyone has any suggestions or can point me somewhere to find it that would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Salukifan]

There is no way I'd leave an SBT pup all day in a pen made from those compost panels. If you're lucky, she'll push them over and get out. if not, she'll catch herself in them trying to get out.

Can you make a safe secure room with a baby gate or give her access to a part of your yard?

What's the long term plan for her during the day?

[Spar]

There is no way I'd leave an SBT pup all day in a pen made from those compost panels. If you're lucky, she'll push them over and get out. if not, she'll catch herself in them trying to get out.

Can you make a safe secure room with a baby gate or give her access to a part of your yard?

What's the long term plan for her during the day?

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

[aliwake]

We did what you did - playpen when our pup was very small - we weren't comfortable having him outside alone til he was bigger - however, we were all a lot happier once he went outside during they day, so I wouldn't delay trying to get your yard set up suitably for her.

Our pup behaved in very similar ways to yours too - was very distressed in the playpen, and never actually got used to it. He was a little better with a crate inside the playpen. We used a camera to keep an eye on him during the day, and had to do many things to reinforce the pen to stop it from getting pulled down on top of him.

I wouldn't be forcing her to spend large amount of time in the playpen while you're there - I know they need to get used to spending time alone, but that definitely doesn't mean all evening while you're watching tv... Just start with small intervals of time at first, and gradually increase the time. This week would be a good time to go out for short periods - like going grocery shopping for half an hour or something, and make sure you both go!

I think the spare room would be a better option, but don't have her spend heaps of time in there when you're home. Let her have some alone time in the yard too - mix it up a bit - you want independence, not segregation.

[Spar]

We did what you did - playpen when our pup was very small - we weren't comfortable having him outside alone til he was bigger - however, we were all a lot happier once he went outside during they day, so I wouldn't delay trying to get your yard set up suitably for her.

Our pup behaved in very similar ways to yours too - was very distressed in the playpen, and never actually got used to it. He was a little better with a crate inside the playpen. We used a camera to keep an eye on him during the day, and had to do many things to reinforce the pen to stop it from getting pulled down on top of him.

I wouldn't be forcing her to spend large amount of time in the playpen while you're there - I know they need to get used to spending time alone, but that definitely doesn't mean all evening while you're watching tv... Just start with small intervals of time at first, and gradually increase the time. This week would be a good time to go out for short periods - like going grocery shopping for half an hour or something, and make sure you both go!

I think the spare room would be a better option, but don't have her spend heaps of time in there when you're home. Let her have some alone time in the yard too - mix it up a bit - you want independence, not segregation.

Just out of interest when did you decide the right time for her to go outside was?

That sounds really similar to what I have done, I have got wood held together with zip ties on top of the panels to try and brace the structure. We have been wanting to leave her for short periods of time but the moment we get out of sight she starts howling and trying to get out of the playpen...the longest we have got to is about 5 mins as we are just too worried to leave it any longer

When we let her out of the pen she either wants to play with us or just comes and sits at our feet and has a doze, we have tried to get her to doze in the playpen and have put all her toys in the playpen as well. She just doesnt seem to keen on it all. I think we will try the bedroom :) Should we then go hang out with her in the room then? so that she gets used to it?

[Salukifan]

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

Is there some reason she can't be with you in the evenings and somewhere else during the day?

[aliwake]

The howling is going to be just as bad next week when you go back to work... I know it's horrible, but the best thing you can do is just leave, and don't make a big deal about it. No eye contact when you're coming and going. If you leave and come back over short periods then she will learn that it's not forever when you do leave. Don't delay - go out now! If you're able to set up a camera, then at least you'll be able to see that she hasn't harmed herself - with the volume off!!

My husband and I didn't agree on the right time for our boy to go outside - my biggest concerns were that we have big brush turkeys and possums wandering through our yard, and I didn't want him to get too scared to be outside because he was too small to defend himself initially. I think the right time would have been when he'd settled in, and got a little more size and confidence. We also needed to replace a small portion of fence, and that delayed the move outside too. We have lots of shade, but no shelter from rain so I was also waiting on delivery of a kennel I'd ordered. So, there were a few factors I guess.

i'm not too sure about hanging out in her room with her - with our boy nothing we did made him any happier about being in there... I'd probably feed her in there and maybe play the occasional game, but I certainly wouldn't spend a lot of time in their with her. She might never be happy about being in there.

[Sandra777]

5 minutes is heaps, she's only been with you for a blink of an eye.

How was she kept at the breeder's house?

The really important thing is that she never EVER learns that she can escape - once a Stafford has learned it can escape it WILL escape. I've had one who could pop over an 8 foot tin fence and the same dog was a master at climbing wire netting, once I found him perched on top of a 10 foot high security fence deciding which way to jump.

I'm not a big believer in "let them scream" at this age - tiny baby steps and never let them get so distressed by your absence that they are "beside themselves" (you know that when you see it LOL), I really do believe this sort of tough love on such a tiny baby can have implications for separation anxiety later. I've never had a Stafford with separation anxiety (35 years with Staffords) but so many people seem to have this problem with the breed.

I'd have the pup outside now. Doesn't matter about the vaccinations, you can bring the disease in to the house just as easily as you can in to the back yard. A good strong enclosure - pool fencing with a suitably small gap is good at this age - lots of shade, toys, a little house and the pup has something to do rather than stare at four walls all day and go stir crazy.

[Spar]

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

Is there some reason she can't be with you in the evenings and somewhere else during the day?

Sorry I think we are misunderstanding each other, she will always be with us when we are at home, the playpen/room is just for when we cant be at home :) We are just trying to get her used to the puppy play pen so we were putting here in there more often then we usually would.

I am in the middle of setting up the other bedroom now :)

[Spar]

The howling is going to be just as bad next week when you go back to work... I know it's horrible, but the best thing you can do is just leave, and don't make a big deal about it. No eye contact when you're coming and going. If you leave and come back over short periods then she will learn that it's not forever when you do leave. Don't delay - go out now! If you're able to set up a camera, then at least you'll be able to see that she hasn't harmed herself - with the volume off!!

My husband and I didn't agree on the right time for our boy to go outside - my biggest concerns were that we have big brush turkeys and possums wandering through our yard, and I didn't want him to get too scared to be outside because he was too small to defend himself initially. I think the right time would have been when he'd settled in, and got a little more size and confidence. We also needed to replace a small portion of fence, and that delayed the move outside too. We have lots of shade, but no shelter from rain so I was also waiting on delivery of a kennel I'd ordered. So, there were a few factors I guess.

i'm not too sure about hanging out in her room with her - with our boy nothing we did made him any happier about being in there... I'd probably feed her in there and maybe play the occasional game, but I certainly wouldn't spend a lot of time in their with her. She might never be happy about being in there.

We are setting up the bedroom now, I think I will try and get her used to it today and we'll go out for a bit tomorrow and see how she handles it.

I was thinking at around the 16 weeks mark, there fore all shots are done and she will have a bit of size to her. Its also going to take me a little while to get the area set-up

Fingers crossed she is happy in there!

5 minutes is heaps, she's only been with you for a blink of an eye.

How was she kept at the breeder's house?

The really important thing is that she never EVER learns that she can escape - once a Stafford has learned it can escape it WILL escape. I've had one who could pop over an 8 foot tin fence and the same dog was a master at climbing wire netting, once I found him perched on top of a 10 foot high security fence deciding which way to jump.

I'm not a big believer in "let them scream" at this age - tiny baby steps and never let them get so distressed by your absence that they are "beside themselves" (you know that when you see it LOL), I really do believe this sort of tough love on such a tiny baby can have implications for separation anxiety later. I've never had a Stafford with separation anxiety (35 years with Staffords) but so many people seem to have this problem with the breed.

I'd have the pup outside now. Doesn't matter about the vaccinations, you can bring the disease in to the house just as easily as you can in to the back yard. A good strong enclosure - pool fencing with a suitably small gap is good at this age - lots of shade, toys, a little house and the pup has something to do rather than stare at four walls all day and go stir crazy.

She was kept outside on the deck with her littermates, unfortunately we dont have anything like that at our place. I have sectioned off a part of the yard though for supervised playtime and housetraining (she has been really good with this actually!)

We will probably try to do a few minutes at time before we build upto hours, luckily we have a few days up our sleeves

As an aside, how long does it usually take for a pup to recognise their name?

[aliwake]

8 weeks is a long time to deal with a stressed out, screaming puppy... I wouldn't set yourself a specific number - just assess your pup as she grows, and keep in mind that the sooner she's outside, the happier you're all going to be. As long as you won't have concerns for her safety while she's there.

[tdierikx]

Have a look at these... and other play/exercise pen options...

http://www.vebopet.com.au/dog/dog-exercise-pen/enclosed-pet-exercise-pen-with-door-3-sizes.html

T.

[Spar]

8 weeks is a long time to deal with a stressed out, screaming puppy... I wouldn't set yourself a specific number - just assess your pup as she grows, and keep in mind that the sooner she's outside, the happier you're all going to be. As long as you won't have concerns for her safety while she's there.

Thanks that's a very good point, something to think about:)

[Rebanne]

There is no way I'd leave an SBT pup all day in a pen made from those compost panels. If you're lucky, she'll push them over and get out. if not, she'll catch herself in them trying to get out.

Can you make a safe secure room with a baby gate or give her access to a part of your yard?

What's the long term plan for her during the day?

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

she is not too little to go outside now, as long as you have found all the gaps along the bottom of the fence and you have time to sort something out for shade this week. Why does the puppy have to be penned while you are sitting around, can't she be out with you? Not much fun for either of you just looking at each other through a fence, might as well have a fish tank. Dogs need to be dogs and locked in a pen or room for hours at a time is not going to cut it. Puppy proof your yard, get some shade in it, buy a proper crate and learn to use it properly and let your dog hang with you in the evenings etc

[Spar]

There is no way I'd leave an SBT pup all day in a pen made from those compost panels. If you're lucky, she'll push them over and get out. if not, she'll catch herself in them trying to get out.

Can you make a safe secure room with a baby gate or give her access to a part of your yard?

What's the long term plan for her during the day?

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

she is not too little to go outside now, as long as you have found all the gaps along the bottom of the fence and you have time to sort something out for shade this week. Why does the puppy have to be penned while you are sitting around, can't she be out with you? Not much fun for either of you just looking at each other through a fence, might as well have a fish tank. Dogs need to be dogs and locked in a pen or room for hours at a time is not going to cut it. Puppy proof your yard, get some shade in it, buy a proper crate and learn to use it properly and let your dog hang with you in the evenings etc

As mentioned previously she is most deff not kept inside the playpen whilst we are at home, it was a trial to see how she would behave and to try get her used to the puppy pen whilst we were home

[Staffyluv]

Make the play pen or area you are going to use to keep her in a happy place. Give her a kong with frozen cream cheese and sardines or something really yummy stuffed into it.. So she has something good to associate the pen/room with..

I crate train all my foster dogs with a treat that they only get when they go into the crate.. Usually some form of food treat but if she prefers toys, then that can work as well.. But they only get that super reward in the crate (or pen/room in your case)..

Good luck :)

[VizslaMomma]

Hmmm that kind of confirms what we were worried about. We do have a spare room that we could put her in however we were worried that that would exclude her from being with us as it is blocked off from the lounge/tv area where we hang out most of the evenings

Eventually we would like to have her outside whilst we are at work but she hasn't had all her shots yet and we think she is a bit small. We also need to work out a shade and cover option as we don't have any trees

Bit confused.

Are you not considering the dog's company at night? My new puppy of 16 weeks has 'his' special place under my computer desk.

Please correct me if I am misunderstanding. Puppy will be with you more than I am reading?

ETA: had not read all the thread...... joys of using mobile internet.

Edited March 11, 2014 by VizslaMomma

[Clyde]

I wouldn't be setting him up in the spare room. Also Staffords love to chew things, even walls! I'd go back to your first plan of attack and pen him in the living area. Also agree with the others who said to put him outside while you're out. A shaded dog run is a godsend.

[Dogsfevr]

I wouldn't trust hose panels for a Stafford baby & would be more concerned of the damage pup will do to it self with them .

[persephone]

to try get her used to the puppy pen whilst we were home

a contradiction , unfortunately ..of COURSE, being a baby ,suddenly with no mum or siblings, or familiar things .... she wants to be with her family !!! if you are within sight/hearing/scenting distance, she will break her heart (and the pen) to get to you.

I was always taught to start as you mean to go on ,

,ie: if you work ..then bring pup home ..arrange feeding ...go to work .Puppy has no option but to stay in pen/backyard/dog run ,as you are not there to 'tempt' it. Special toys/bones/food etc are there to keep it fed/occupied..... and the routine of being alone , and you coming home ..will be learned faster ... (IMHO,anyhow)

You may need to rethink the enclosures you are using ..staffies are strong,and vocal and determined ....and can probably outlast/out dig and out howl you ;)

some discussion links on staffy pups :)

CLICK

CLICK

Edited March 11, 2014 by persephone