Leaving puppy in pen during the day?

Question

I just got a 10 week old puppy Maltese/toy poodle mix. He is very sweet, gentle and good-natured, but when I can't watch him and need to do chores like wash the dishes, I put him in a nearby room with an exercise pen in it. The problem is he cries and whines persistently, even though I have put in the pen a nice little bed with a couple of my shirts with my scent as well as little toys. He might let up a tiny bit, but as soon as I may walk by, he is as loud as ever. I have ignored this for up to 1.5 hours and then I eventually go into the room and step in the pen and play with him a bit before taking him out. Should I not be putting him in the pen at all during the day? As long as he knows I am in the house, he does not stop crying and barking very loudly.

The room is open; there are two entries into the room, neither of which as a door.

Also, I think the problem is just being enclosed. When I am in the room with him, he cries louder than when I am not. And, when I enclosed him in a separate room using furniture, he did the same thing. I am beginning to think it's a combination of separation anxiety and enclosure insecurities.

Inside of the pen, I keep a small-dog crate with bedding that smells like me as well as a bit of food and water during the day. (I take him ourt often but also use piddle pads in the pen because he is still very young, but will progressively be taking them out one by one just to teach him to hold his bladder, and to pee in a designated spot. Then I will only take him outside.

FYI: There is no way I would ever put a choke collar on him or rebuke him for crying, especially at such a young age.

Answer 1

Puppies and dogs in general prefer to be around people. It's not unusual or abnormal that he cries when in his pen. As long as he has everything he needs and has been taken out recently, he's just vocalizing his preferences.

We've always crated our puppies at night. The first couple nights, they whine and cry, but eventually they fall asleep. A crate or exercise pen serves as a throwback to the wild canine's burrow or den. They actually enjoy their private little home to call their own.

A 10 week old puppy who has just been taken away from his mother and littermates is going to need some time to adjust to his new environment -- eating, playing, and sleep quarters included. 1.5 hours to be in a pen is not an exceedingly long time.

In order to do your housework, which is important to keeping the puppy healthy (i.e. vacuuming picks up all sorts of nasty things which could get into his nose or mouth), you're going to have to ignore him. Try turning on the radio or television as a distraction for both of you. Tossing in a special toy that he only gets while he's in his pen. Giving him a treat once he's inside his pen. Ultimately he'll learn to associate good things with his pen instead of a time to be away from you.

No 10 week old puppy needs a choke chain and especially a toy breed! Only an insecure idiot with a controlling personality would think of such a thing. Choke chains are not used on puppies in obedience schools. Adult dogs -- yes -- but not on toy breed puppies. The poor thing wouldn't survive the first yank without a broken neck.

Answer 2

Well, first off, 5 weeks is extremely too young for a puppy to be away from his mother. He should still be nursing right now! So, he is going to be much more needy and whiny than an 8 week old who is ready to leave its mother. Leaving him outside isn't a good idea for all the reasons you listed. Puppies are incredibly curious and he could get into something bad or even dig out. Crating him would be your best bet. All puppies cry when left alone, crate or not, but he will get used to it. Being so young, he should also tire himself out pretty quickly. There aren't many option when it comes to leaving a puppy alone, but using the crate is the safest way for him. Also, just in case you don't know, you shouldn't crate him when you're home (unless it's time to sleep, if you aren't letting him sleep with you.) You also shouldn't put him in the crate for punishment. He will become afraid of the crate and associate it with getting in trouble. So, make sure you make the crate a fun and cool place to hang out in. Leave it open and put toys in it when your home so he can explore and play in it. You might want to invest in a Kong toy that has ridges in it to squirt Kong brand peanut butter or liver flavored liquid treats in it. That will keep the puppy very busy, but it is very safe since he can't chew and swallow the actual toy or choke on any other hard treats or rawhides.

Answer 3

This is very common-keep in mind that this puppy spent what amounts to most of it's life in an area with close companionship. Leaving him in the pen when you cannot watch him is EXACTLY the right thing to be doing. This keeps him safe and helps him develop good habits, i.e. chewing only on his toys because he can't get to your shoes, toilet paper, table and chair legs, etc. The whining should let up and long as you STICK IT OUT! Even when it goes on for 1.5 hrs, if you give in you are teaching him that if he persists, eventually he gets what he wants.

Be sure he is getting enough exercise, and outside time-especially this time of year. If he is worn out you will notice a huge difference in his behavior while contained.

I also have an article on my website that will help: http://www.jumpinjacs.com/home/crate_training.htm

And PLEASE< PLEASE do not put a choke collar on a 10 wk old puppy!! He has no idea at this point what is expected of him-That is like correcting him for not getting you a pizza!!

Feel free to email if you need more advice! And best of luck to you.

Erica Slomka
Jumpin JACS Dog Training
We Train YOU To Train Your Dog

visit us on the web at http://www.jumpinjacs.com

Answer 4

i know exactly how you feel. i have a 7 wk old JRT and at first he whined constantly in his crate. the most important thing ive learned is DO NOT GIVE IN! dogs are den animals by nature, and now that my pup is used to his crate, he goes in it even when he doesnt have to! someone else said that dogs are like toddlers, which is very true. if a toddler is whining for candy, and you give it candy it will always whine for candy, same thing with dogs. whining sounds like crying to us, but its just a pups way of demanding something. if you give in it will always whine. it was hard for me to listen to my new little baby pup whineing, but you'll be much happier in the long run if you just let him cry until he realizes he's not going to get what he want. he will eventually learn that whining is not the way to get your attention, and he'll stop. something very important to remember though, is that as your dog whines less and less, award him more and more. another important thing, is DO NOT use your pen as a means of punishment. if hes bad, dont put him in the pen to punish him, because this will just confuse him when you put him in there and he isnt bad. make the pen a good place for him to be.

Answer 5

Put him in the cage. give him a few minutes. when he starts with the whining give him a firm NO quiet. if he is quiet praise him immediately and tell him he's good. If he starts to whine again a firm no quiet if he quiets immediately praise him. after a short period he should get teh idea.
Think of him as a toddler. He is in teh process of training you and you not training him.
You need to let him know he is not the boss you are.
I have a nine week old pup and he is fine in the cage.
This is how I trained her.
She is an old english bulldog and they are very stubborn and not teh easiest to train.
just be consitant and don't give in. If you ;give in now you will probalby be in for truble.
Also you might want to consider puppy training classes.

You must start to "scold" him as he isn't to young and it will be much easier to train him than to try to break bad habits later.

Good Luck and remeber you are the boss not him.
and ignore those cute puppy eyes they can be hard on you

Answer 6

Tough one. You need to put him in the pen, with a choke collar used for training dogs. Hold on the the collar, and when he starts to bark/cry/whine, give him a quick sharp yank. He needs to learn that you are the boss, and he can not dictate what you are going to do. Tell him no in a scolding voice, and continue for about 20 min per day. Do this every day, and in a few weeks he will learn, and you will start to get some work done. Hope this works for you. The bottom line is that you are the boss, and he needs to learn that, don't let him make the decisions. You are the leader of the pack.

Answer 7

its hard when they are young bc they dont want to be left alone, they arent used to it. it will get better for you though and i dont suggest not putting him in if you cant watch him bc he could chew a cord or eat something harmful. what worked best for me was to exercise them so they were super tired right before going in the pen. i also feel that if you use a small dog crate with a blanket inside it feels safer for a young puppy bc it is all closed up and they can feel secure. the pen will come in hand as he gets older but if you have a crate try to make it like his safe dog house with blankets and treats that way he will want to sleep in there. good luck

Answer 8

we recently just adopted a little miniature pinscher who was 8 weeks old. she has bad seperation anxiety also - - - but we bought a toddler gate (a toddler pen works just as well also) to put in the doorways that makes sure she stays in the same room we are when we move around the house just so she doesn't get into trouble. maybe you should move the playpen into whatever room you're in so that your puppy's still able to see you - - just so they don't feel abandoned in an open room all alone.

Answer 9

I have a little pet taxi and put all my dogs in the pet taxi when
they were puppies. I would put them in a room and put animal planet on and close the door. My puppies would watch it and cry maybe 10 minutes and the sound of the other animals would sooth them and they would sleep for hours. I have raised 9 puppies throughout my days and it worked for every one. I also foster dogs that I rescue and it works for them too. Animal planet does wonders. Hope that helps....suz

Answer 10

If you're in the house with him, I wouldn't put him in the pen; chances are he'll come into whatever room you're in anyway so you'll be able to watch him. He knows you're there & he wants to be with you; this doesn't mean you have to pet/play/hold him all the time but I think just being with you will make a difference.
Good luck!