My puppy always cries when I leave him in his box! :(

The box is inside my room so we sleep together, i just had him yesterday and so far, he cries when i go away, and stops when i come back even though he can see me just about 6 feet away!

but when i go near him, he stops crying and calms down and then he lies on the floor looking at me! he's just too cute! (i just wait for him to fall asleep)

it's just too tiresome for me to go with him every 3 hours (after i let him pee and eat)

he's 9 weeks old. how long till this stops?

It sounds like separation anxiety to me,

There will be many more experienced people who can give advice, but from my own experience, walk away from your pup, start with 5mins away and come back try and build this up slowly.

Your pup will just be anxious that he is bieng left. It will pass but only with your help. he will soon learn that you will come back soon.

Can i ask what you mean by..

"it's just too tiresome for me to go with him every 3 hours (after i let him pee and eat)"

Hope that helps,

Alex
xx

youve only had him one day?

you are reporting normal pup behaviour, not Sep Anx.

interrupted sleep for a few weeks is to be expected really, just like having a baby.

it's his 2nd day today, so i'm going to do this for weeks?

Can i ask what you mean by..

"it's just too tiresome for me to go with him every 3 hours (after i let him pee and eat)"

what i mean is that every 3 hours he cries, i let him pee, poo, play, drink or eat and then after that i put him back to his box and wait for him to go to sleep(sometimes talking to him until he falls asleep). sorry if i didn't state it clearly.

gsd's are pretty vocal dogs at the best of times,

I just had a quick peek at the other thread you popped up with the vid of hunter on it,

poss a good idea would be to get him a proper crate so he can see out, Im guessing the cardboard box makes him feel a bit alone?

There are many different opinions on what to do at night and I'm sure you will find a method that works for you.We've only had one puppy so there are many much more knowledgable people here!

We went with the "start as you mean to go on" method. From night one Toby was taken out to toilet, settled in bed and then left until morning. Obviously to start with the nights were late and the mornings early, but we didn't go down to him in the night and he only whimpered briefly a couple of nights about 3am. We ignored the unavoidable accidents and he gradually learned to hold it til morning. If he'd been really upset I'm not sure I could have stuck to it but I guess we were lucky.

However I would say try and have some water in his box so he can reach it in the night. Also teach him a command for going to the toilet then when you take him out it is just - go out, wee/poo, go back to bed. The middle of the night is not snacktime or playtime!

@shona - yeah i guess so but he can reach the end of the box now (his head sticking out of the box watching)

thanks for the replies

lol my rottie pups would have chewed through that in no time they were big cardboard munchers

well the box is huge and very thick so he i guess he can't bite the box and chew it off.. i'm going to find him a cage soon

Get him a proper cage and put it in a room where he can see you come and go during the day. When you aren't crating him leave the door to it open so if he is tired it becomes natural to him to walk inside and go to sleep. It becomes 'his space'. Don't let him follow you everywhere you go so he gets used to you coming and going though the day. Then at night it is not such a big thing when you shut the crate door and leave the room.

Our pup cried all night the first 3 nights but this definitely worked.