Should You Ignore Puppy's Cry When You Get Them Home For The First Night?

SitStayFetch Consultation:

Hi Daniel,

Last year, I had to put my 13 year old pet to sleep. I am now contemplating getting a new puppy and a different breed, which I want to train. It has been so long since I have had a puppy and I have lost a bit of touch and I have a couple of questions. When you get them home for the first night and put them in their new bed, should you ignore their crying if so for how long. I don't want to traumatize the little thing. Also, should obedience training start straight away and for how long each time?

Finally he will be coming to work with me, but naturally he won't sit still in his bed what should I do to get him use to the office environment and how should I keep him confined without being cruel?

Regards,

Marie.

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SitStayFetch Reply:

Hi Marie,

Thank you for your email.

I highly recommend that you get a crate for your new puppy. This will be excellent for all the training you have to do, but in particular if you are going to take him to work with you. I WOULD not have a new puppy without a crate, trust me you will feel the same once you bring your puppy home.

It pays to start as you mean to go on, so if you want to sleep through the whole night, as you usually would, then so should the puppy. If he whines and you wait and wait and wait, then go and see to the puppy, he will then have learnt, how long he has to whine in order to get what he wants, some company! Which is the worst thing you can do!

Ignore him totally, he will be upset and noisy to begin with, but no harm can come to him (especially if he is in a crate). He will learn after a couple of days that there is no point whining, because no one will hear so just have to wait until the morning and that's what you want!

It is a good idea to not give him any water at night, so that he doesn't drink and therefore urinate so much (unless he has diarrhea, in which case he will require the fluids so as to not dehydrate. Sometimes puppies have diarrhea when you first take them home because of the stress, as long as there is no blood in it this is quite normal).

You will probably find that the puppy will be quite happy at work with you, because you are there. If you don't want to get a crate then set up a bed and a toilet area, somewhere where you can tie him up. Always supervise a puppy that is tied up, as there is a potential strangle risk if you leave it to its own devices.

While you are toilet training, take the puppy out every hour on the hour so that he is not given the chance to ever go inside (unless there is no outside option for you). If he does have an accident inside, soak it up or pick it up with some newspaper and take it outside. Most puppies will not toilet in there crate unless they really have to because they do not like going near where they like to sleep.

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Kind regards,

Daniel Stevens

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