SearchAnxiety.. or something else?
Our new puppy, Zen, is very outgoing. We've only had her for a couple of days, but I'm very lost as to how to 'fix' her barking and howling. She's very attached to me, and if I leave the room, and she doesn't follow, or we try to crate her, she whines, barks, and howls. Constantly. Until I come back. She didn't have any litter-mates (they got very sick when they were a couple of days old), also, so I'm wondering if that may affect her. She's only six weeks old (I know, very young, but her mother was getting snappy with her). She was given to my room mate. She still has her tail, and natural ears for the time being. I think my room mate is planning on cropping her ears. Will having her tail be harmful for her later on in life?
I've posted about this before. She is so young and the only place she should be is by your side when you're awake and on your chest all night when your sleeping (or trying to sleep) You're her momma now! IMO She needs this more than anything for the moment. If you're considering the tail docked, it's getting kind of late. Usually done at about 3 days old.
Since her tail was not docked, do NOT crop the ears. She will not look right. There are many rescues that have uncropped ears and tails as well. The tails should be done very early (before 5 days old) and that fact that they were not is indicative that the pups must have been sick very early on or the breeder did not know what they were doing.
The only breed that I know of that has cropped ears and a tail is the Great Dane.
Since she was not docked, does she still have her dew claws?
My Ace was the same way, it seemed as though he hated my husband for the first month or two... He would fight to try to get away from him to be with me. I believe they become very attached at first because they were taken away from everything they knew. Just give it a little while and have the other person do more with her (let them feed her and take her for walks) so that they can get some bonding in as well. Like I side my dog Ace was the exact same way and "This too shall pass" just give it a little time. Good luck and congratulations on the new pup, they are so much fun!
Melissa.
She does still have ears, tail, and dew claws. Like I said, the majority of the litter was lost due to sickness, or something like that. I'm not really sure of the specifics. I was just concerned that if she keeps her tail, it might cause her harm later on (like, wagging so hard that it hurts her after beating up against a crate or wall).
It's illegal to dock and crop in Aus so Harley has the long tail and floppy ears. The only problem we have with his tail are the bruises he leaves on our legs when he gets REALLY excited or the cups and mugs he swipes off the coffee table. lol But no problem for him.
I am not 100% positive but still having the dew claws could be a problem I would ask your vet.
I would also not recommend getting the tail done based on age. I had to have Shelbi re-done when she was spayed only because she grew so big her tail went from virtually no nub to 4 inches and she could not sit properly it poked the ground and she would sit sideways, did not want her to have to sit at that angle the rest of her life.
I do not see anything wrong with natural ears.
JMHO
Jeri
If the dog is older I would keep her natural.. The ears are a big deal and is a real commitment to do. I have both and only because the dogs ears were already dont.. my Missy that I am getting already has her ears done.. my opinion
Bet
Harley still has his dewclaws. If they are not attached, like on some little dogs, they need to be removed because they can get caught on things and tear off. But on Harley, they are firmly attached (with bone) so we left them. Just make sure to trim those nails!
Like others have said, just leave the ears and tail alone.
This dog needs to be with an experienced owner, or I am predicting humongous problems. No littermates, and leaving mama at or before 6 weeks old, both recipes for disaster in the hands of someone that is not experienced. This dog will need lots of extra socialization, and alot of work to make sure she does not develop extreme separation anxiety. Alot of extra time will also be needed for bite inhibition and teaching a soft mouth. Early manners taught by littermates/mama... same thing.
Suppose this was a newborn baby... you don't try to "fix" the babies crying, right? When the baby cries, you go see what's wrong, and give it whatever is needed. This is not something I would ever recommend for a first timer, or someone that is not experienced with these kinds of things. I would recommend working with an experienced trainer/behaviorist that specifically understands the needs of young dogs separated prematurely.
As for the tail issue, if for some reason she injures her tail to the point that it will not heal the vet can actually amputate it is a normal surgery with normal heal time, but it IS a major surgery, it should not be done unless she has injuries that the vet feels amputation is the only answer, I have seen it done to great danes who had major injuries there is a bleeding risk etc. and a good vet will not recommend it unless it is the only way to heal from the injury.
Heed the advice of the experts here on what to expect being alone as a baby and no mom etc. it will be alot of work and will require lots of experience or a willingness to learn ASAP
I'm fairly certain we'll be leaving her all-natural. Zen has definitely became extremely attached to me. I love it, though I am making sure that she meets TONS of new people, animals, and experiences new situations every day. I feel like I've gone back in time to when I brought Tayoh home. I love socializing puppies. (Sometimes I wonder if I've 'over-socialized' Tayoh. When we go to PetSmart, and I open his car door, he'll jump out and run in to see everyone before I can get his leash on, though I'm sure I wouldn't really need his leash, as his off-leash training is amazing.)
Zen is doing much, much better than she had been. She's taken to walking on a leash like a pro, and she's making progress with her crate training. I don't think she liked the wire crate I first used to crate her in. I switched to Tayoh's old puppy crate (airline crate), and she does much better. She'll actually go in there by herself. She is still a little 'chewy' with hands, though. I'm working with her on that to re-direct her mouth to something that actually tastes good, versus the taste of bitter apple on human hands.
She is very smart. We're already working on 'sit.' (Getting her to keep her butt on the ground for more than 30 milliseconds is a challenge, though.) I don't remember Tayoh being this hyper and excited when he was small. (Though I may have forgotten, it's been almost a year! I can't believe it!) Will it be better for her to tire her out by playing and then work on training? Or to try to work on training through the hyper-activity?
Tayoh has met her a couple of times. With the move I've been opting to leave him at my mother's house until we get the 'big stuff' moved, so that he doesn't get hurt or get into anything he shouldn't. (It's a lot easier to contain Zen to one room than it is Tayoh, especially since he knows how to open doors, and jump over baby gates.) He does good with baby Zen. I'm concerned about her playfulness around him. He doesn't seem to mind, usually, even playing with her quite a bit. I just don't want to 'overload' him with puppy-excitement. It's not a bad thing to limit their interactions until she's a little older and a little bit bigger, is it? (I'm afraid Tayoh might step on her and squish her while they're playing.)
And while I'm on a roll, I thought I'd mention that we're going RAWWW. It makes me happy to be able to go back to the diet Tayoh does so amazing on. I'm just not happy with kibble-foods right now, nor is my wallet. I've been feeding Taste of the Wild, which is the only kibble I don't feel bad for feeding (nothing else meets my picky standards). I can feed raw for much, much less than I can feed kibble. Not to mention that I already buy meat to boil to give to Tayoh as treats and with his food. (I don't buy treats much any more, at all.) I have a bag of Milo's Kitchen sausages, and a bag of little, smelly training treats (though I detest the way they smell). I picked up a bag of home made treats at our local pet supply store the other day (they taste amazing, I know, I tried).
Does anyone have any suggestions on toys/bones/chew-things for the puppy?
I don't do rawhide, and I don't do cooked bones at all (Tayoh broke one of his front teeth on a marrow bone I got from PetSmart.) I know I'll start giving them raw bones again, and Zen gets some type of Pur-Love Grande Bone-ish thing (Looks like those, dunno if that's what it really is). She chews on it some, but I'm sure I can find something better.
Sounds like things are coming along for you.. I just want to say one thing about chewing they told me at the rescue to use the Nylabones.. they are safe..
Bet
The only problem I have with Nylabones is as follows:
When I was in Winston for my Pet Training certification (for PetSmart), my manager brought out a Nylabone that had been given to a dog. In less than a day, he had chewed the big bone into a sharp point, and had eaten the piece he had chewed off. He ended up having to go to the vet because of all the plastic he ingested. I'm sure if you watched your dog closely, and never left them with a nylabone (which I wouldn't recommend anyway), you wouldn't have a problem. I gave nylabones to Tayoh when he was small, but after seeing the 'leftover' bone during training, I haven't really been a big fan.
Like with anything you have to watch what they are doing.. there is the big monster bone.. If the dog is going thru the bone that fast yes you need to take it away..
I am no expert on what to give them.. but i have always worried about their teeth.. Missy has great gums and teeth for an older dog... I have a feeling they threw her any bone they had..
Bet
The nylabone I use for Ben is the Monster Bone it is not at all soft enough to chew in one day or even two, his last about 2 months or more now actually the one he has now is about 4 months old. And the parts that he chews off are about the size of a cornmeal or smaller. He has chewed it to a sharp edge but not a point he can chew off, and he only gets it when we are in the living room with him with it, and when we notice a sharp edge coming up my husband takes it out to the garage and blunt cuts it with the bench grinder. It takes a bench grinder to even begin to cut on it it's that tough, if it can handle the rottie jaws I know it can handle the dobie teeth. There is a difference in the density of nylabones and I think that's where this dog mentioned above had issues his owners didn't pick the right density for the bite.
talisin do you know the difference in the white nylabone and the ones like you just put up the white is all I could find at walmart.. I can send for some by amazon if i have to.. I dont shop much..
Bet
The white ones break off in larger pieces and are softer so much easier to create an issue with the stomach or mouth. I think the ones above are at amazon for around 12 dollars each in petsmart they are $20 each. I have looked at the white ones but passed on them with ben's rottie jaws and teeth I could just see a mess of plastic being wadded up in the stomach.....
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I have seen pictures of rescues that have their tails.. Maybe being taken away from her mom so soon could be why she is doing this.. but soundes like separation anxiety..
I think in time with love and teaching she will come out of it.. sometime the separation anxiety lingers.. but for now she is very young..
Bet