katevin Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 We brought our 8 week old Boston Terrier pup, Archie, home 2 days ago. He's a gorgeous, funny little guy who is fantastic most of the time, however when we put him into his playpen (which is set up with his open crate, water bowl, toys and some artificial grass for him to toilet on) he carries on as if he's being slaughtered or something! Tonight during his hissy fit he actually managed to get his two back feet up onto the bottom rung of the playpen- we thought he was going to climb out! Anyway, his tantrums seem to be short lived which we're thankful for- the longest he's carried on for is about 10 minutes and this was last night. Just wondering, will this behaviour stop once he gets used to us and his new home or is he likely to protest like that forever when we put him in his playpen or crate?? We ignore him while he's carrying on and he eventually retreats to his crate and goes to sleep, which is great. I just worry that he might hurt himself if we're unable to watch him while he's trying to break out...or that he might actually successfully climb out of there sometime soon! Would love to hear from others more experienced. Thanks in advance :) Oh, and here's a few pics of the little rascal- http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb219/katevin/EA5A3BDB-F032-4EBD-9F95-15CB15B38A68-8644-00000688D2184411.jpg http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb219/katevin/7D89D756-E5CA-4437-B656-1BF22D11D118-8644-00000688C7D18180.jpg http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb219/katevin/AC492B3F-CF01-4B8A-BD5C-6D2CD23998FC-8644-00000688CB448E46.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Oh he is so very cute :) Perfectly normal for him to cry. He is in a strange place & without his mum & litter mates so he will be feeling upset however he will settle in time. Re the climbing out. I have had 4 week old toy poodle pups climb up the corner of the pen, to the top you need to put a lid on it or leave him in the crate, only for short times, if you can't keep an eye on him, until & if he stops. Don't try & put him down & tell him off. I did that with my Katy. I put her down & said ah ah, no. She thought it was a great game & as soon as I sat down she did it again :laugh: & again. The lid/panel on the top fixed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arcane Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 (edited) what a cutie! Please be very careful of the playpen. If he can almost climb out already it won't be long before he can. It is very dangerous. When they go over the top they can get their back feet stuck in the wire at the top of the pen & end up dangling by their feet. I have known several pups to break toes, tear cruciate ligaments and one that actually lost a leg due to dangling for more than an hour and losing circulation. I don't want to frighten you but please do not leave him unattended in the pen. If you need to contain him when you are out of the house lock him in his crate or get a pen that has much higher sides (but still be cautious because some pups are stellar climbers)! Edited November 21, 2012 by Arcane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aphelion Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 (edited) He's so cute! I found it a bit scary when my pup cried in his pen at first too. I felt like such a meanie! It is such a shock for them to suddenly be away from other dogs and company for the first time. I tried to be quite gentle with my boy, so that the pen was never punishment. I played with him in there and he got treats, and Kong's filled with goodies. For a while I'd only leave him on his own (particularly if he was unsettled) for a very short time, mostly I'd stay within sight or definitely hearing distance until he was more comfortable, gradually building up time. If he was crying a lot I wouldn't necessarily reward that, but I might go back and potter around in the room he was in (ignoring the crying) until he was settled again. He's the most social dog, just loves company, anyone will do. So now looking back it's not surprising that he cried at 8 weeks old when he was left alone for the first few times! Edited November 21, 2012 by Aphelion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I think the mistake a lot of people make with new puppies & playpens, is that they don't actually make a proper door in the playpen. Instead they put the pup in & take him out by lifting him over the top. Pups are pretty smart & it doesn't take them long to work out that the way out is over the top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisties Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Our Aussie climbed out of the playpen on his very first night! We now have him securely in the laundry, it's a much smaller space and he settled a whole lot better at night time in there. He has the crate open, a day bed with some toys, a water bowl and a place for toileting. I also put him in there when I have to go out during the day. At other times when I can't give him my 100% attention or he is being too nippy with the kids, he goes into the crate for an hour. I'll always have him in the same area as be so he can see me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arcane Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I think the mistake a lot of people make with new puppies & playpens, is that they don't actually make a proper door in the playpen. Instead they put the pup in & take him out by lifting him over the top. Pups are pretty smart & it doesn't take them long to work out that the way out is over the top yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibi Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 My griffon climbed out of hers in the first few days of using it, i wouldnt have thought she could as she is so tiny but she is a never say never sort of dog. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Hehee he's so tiny and cute! I personally wouldn't leave a pup with a collar on in a crate or playpen unsupervised. He will get used to his playpen though, especially if you make it fun for him with a treat when he's in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 When I got Kenzie she screamed every time she was put in her crate or playpen for around 2-3 weeks!!! The first few days the screaming went on for around 45 minutes or so. Later the duration was much shorter thank goodness!!! Hamish, hasn't cared since day 1. Not necessarily impressed and will have a whinge but no real crying. I definitely agree about having a good roof/top on a playpen. Hamish managed to figure out how to escape his playpen after 2 days at home - I kept coming home from work to find a gorgeous puppy sleeping on my bed!!! Good thing he was well behaved and didn't toilet inside! So I ended up having to set up a C-crate, attach his sleeping crate and then also have some extra wire to block any gaps (and all of this was held together by dog clips!). With about3 versions of this set up I had something escape proof!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katevin Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Thanks so much for all of your replies! The idea of little Archie hurting himself trying to escape his playpen had me very worried so today I ducked down to Bunnings, bought the wire compost panels (thanks for the tip Christina ) and made a roof for his pen! I feel so much better knowing that he can't injure himself or escape...now if he would just stop throwing tantrums when we put him in there :laugh: Here's a pic of my handy work- not the most attractive looking thing but at least he'll be safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisties Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 great job! What a good idea :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haylz27 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I know Merlin drove me CRAZY the first few nights. :laugh: I put his favourite toy in there with a nice warm towel and blanket and now he goes in there willingly (most of the time anyway) :D What a great idea, I think Merlin will need something like that soon because he sure won't fit in this one for long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Ahhh, Bunning's compost panels, the saviours of my puppy owning life! Well done katevin I read the suggestion about not lifting the pup out over the pen (or compost panel) just before I got Quinn so I had her sit and then opened a panel before she got out, and now at 1 year old when she is fully capable of jumping over the panels, she seems to believe that she cant so she doesn't. Very useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Looks pretty similar to how my set up for Hamish was!!! Good going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal House Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Gorgeous pup, congratulations and well done on the bunnings panels as a roof. :D Not sure if you have this already, but he will need something like a polar fleece blanket or a bunny rug to snuggle into, Boston's don't have much coat and pups feel the cold more, especially with the crazy Melbourne weather, one minute boiling hot, next day you need the heater on. :laugh: And please don't leave his collar on unless youre supervising him, it can so easily get hooked on the crate/playpen and choke him. Just a tip for now, and also in the future...a few members have lost their dogs to collar accidents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 The screaming... well... it comes down to who can last the longest... I foster pups, so occacionally I'll get a screamer... I just don't pay them any attention until they stop screaming. Unless they are really getting worked up to the point of hurting themselves while trying to escape their confines. Most pups work out pretty quickly that screaming for attention won't get them anywhere, but being quiet will get you coming to check on them MUCH more often... lol! I also have the luxury of having a granny flat out the back where I can set up their playpens. I stock the playpens with bedding, food, water, and a pile of toys - and they soon forget about asking for attention. I also have a quarter of my yard penned off as a dog yard - they have toys, bedding in a big shed, food, water, and usually I put more than one pup in there for playtimes. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inka3095 Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I have a pen that has a roof which means I get peace of mind when I have to leave my 6 month old pup alone. She has everything she could want in there, except her people, so she'll scream whenever we're home and she is in there and can't get out. She has no 'off' button and will carry on without ceasing for hours if we're home. However, when we go out, she just sleeps, doesn't even chew her toys or pigs ears or anything. She will go in there willingly to nap when the door is open but hates being in there when the choice is taken from her. I can't break her of this behaviour because ignoring her doesn't work and any negative attention is still attention so just makes her worse. I'm just hoping she'll grow out of it in time.. fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojopoodle Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I think the mistake a lot of people make with new puppies & playpens, is that they don't actually make a proper door in the playpen. Instead they put the pup in & take him out by lifting him over the top. Pups are pretty smart & it doesn't take them long to work out that the way out is over the top Really good post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 (edited) Ahhh, Bunning's compost panels, the saviours of my puppy owning life! Well done katevin I read the suggestion about not lifting the pup out over the pen (or compost panel) just before I got Quinn so I had her sit and then opened a panel before she got out, and now at 1 year old when she is fully capable of jumping over the panels, she seems to believe that she cant so she doesn't. Very useful! When we got our border collie pup, we started the moment we got him home with "no lifting over the top" rule & also "no patting from over the top". He also had to wait till given the OK when his door was open. He never jumped out of his enclosure, but we did have to make something a bit more solid & permanent as he got older. OH put a nice bit of wooden fence with a gate across a section of the enclosed veranda & he still waits for the OK when his gate is opened & he has the most remarkable start-line-stay...which he does test at times when he gets too excited at agility etc. Edited November 23, 2012 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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