# 11 Week old Westie puppy - a couple of questions!



## ladyisla (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi,

I've been reading this forum with great interest as I've just got my first ever dog - a Westie. She was 11 weeks old yesterday and her name is Heidi. Here she is...










:001_wub:

She's very sweet and affectionate and has been brilliant with the children of friends we've met which was my main concern as obviously I want her to be happy and safe with them.

We're getting on pretty well I think, but I just have a few questions about some things that have arisen and any advice would be much appreciated.

I am currently not working away from home (am an artist, so tend to be at home most of the time... any work I do is usually at home on a computer/at the table etc. I also have some chronic health issues, partly why I got a dog to make sure I get exercise etc). My office space is in my bedroom, which is the one room I have decided I'd like to keep Heidi out of as there are lots of cables and things in there, plus though not being allergic to dogs thankfully, I'd rather keep it as dogless etc as possible. I live in a one bedroom ground floor flat, so no room is very far from the other. I have an open plan living room/kitchen and a big hallway. Wherever I go she can hear me even if she can't see me.

I am crate training her, which has come along leaps and bounds at night - she sleeps in there, gets up once or twice in the night for a toilet break and can pretty much be encouraged in there to fall asleep (initially she was falling asleep in my lap and I was putting her in there, but now with some encouragement she will go in, providing she is sleepy enough). I've also left her in there when I've popped out during the day, the longest time was 2 hours yesterday. I feed her in there, and give her treats in there to find and also when I'm going out entice her in with a toy covered in something yummy. This seems to be working well. I'm not sure what happens when I'm out of the flat, but when I've come home she's been quietly waiting and not shouting or whining. She's also not going to the toilet in there, thankfully. That has only happened once at night, very early on and was just a wee.

The *problem* - well I'm not sure if it's a problem or not - I'm having is that during the day when I'm here, she does not want to go in her crate. She never goes in there to sleep, just sleeps wherever she happens to be - or under the table or by my feet. If I encourage her in there with some treats and go into my room to do anything, as soon as the treats are finished with she barks and whines and it's extremely hard to focus on anything while that's going on. For something so small, she is incredibly loud!!!

How can I get her to chill out and be ok without needing me for maybe just a short time initially, with the intention of building it up to maybe an hour so I can catch up with things without a little monkey getting under my feet and chewing my work? Is the crate the best place for her to be or should I just use that at night and for when actually going out? Would I be better getting a baby gate for my bedroom so she can still see me, but could be confined to the hall if I close the door to the living room? I know Westies are pretty social and want to be with you, so is this partly just that or do I need to be much firmer with her and make her stay in the crate and ignore the barking? I find whining is actually easier to deal with than barking, barking makes me feel like I'm doing something terrible!!! I also live on my own, so with the exception of my parents who help out a bit when they're here I am doing all of this on my own (my choice so I'm not complaining about it, though I can see how having another person would be handy, just so we could take it in turns for a full night sleep  !) there isn't a second pair of eyes to watch her.

At the moment I am home all the time, but that may well change in the future so I don't want to set myself and her up for issues later on if I end up going to work etc.

Heidi is my first ever dog and I want to do things the right way for both of us. There is such a bewildering amount of info out there, and after a while it all gets so confusing, but it would be so useful to hear from others what might work for us! Thanks again!


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## LaceWing (Mar 18, 2014)

I think you are right to use a baby gate. She&#8217;s just a toddler and doesn&#8217;t understand why she can&#8217;t be with you. When you do put the gate up, just be sure to ignore her whining and carrying on.

At night, I&#8217;d put the crate next to the open bedroom door, or else next to your bed.

I&#8217;d also get into a routine of leaving her alone. Take her for a morning walk, then put her in the crate and leave for a half hour or longer. At times when you do have a routine of going to work or some place else she will accept it as normal. If she&#8217;s had a bounce around outside she&#8217;ll just nap.

When you take her outside, whether for potty or walk, go to the door and put her on a sit (praise and treat). Pick a spot where she won&#8217;t get hit by the door. Place your hand on her chest while you open the door, then say, &#8220;out&#8221;, and release her. She&#8217;ll quickly learn to sit by the door when she needs to relieve herself.


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

Heidi is very cute 

My Westie is like my second shadow, I found it easier to give in to him wanting to be with me but taught him to settle down by putting beds/mats in each room so he knew where he was supposed to settle. 

I had a crate for him too when he was a pup used it until he was able to be trusted not to destroy anything and to keep him safe while I was out. Don't need it now he's older. 

I used the crate again when I puppy sat my friends westie, she loved napping in there during the day, I think she was so tired just pottering about and playing she needed the timeout to rest. 

They are fabulous little dogs :001_wub:


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

I gave my dog a long lasting treat (such as a stuffed Kong) in his crate, shut the door and opened it BEFORE he finished the treat and started looking to get out. I'm not a fan of simply leaving them to cry it out personally. She's still very much a baby at 11 weeks old and she needs to be taught that it's okay to be alone, not that she's abandoned and crying is pointless imo. Start off very small and gradually build up to longer periods.


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## Hopeattheendofthetunnel (Jun 26, 2013)

Hiya!

Congratulations on your new puppy - she is gorgeous. Too cute and adorable!

As to the crate - I don't envy you. Years ago, prior to the internet and the immense wealth of assorted dog rearing books, there wasn't enough info for new owners. Now the pendulum has swung the other way, and there is too much, and too contradictory, information. Which leaves new owners overwhelmed from info overload.

But the simplest way to figure it out is this : a crate is meant to be the pup's "safe place". It ISN'T meant to be a prison. Ever. Depending on YOUR particular circumstances - for instance, young children, other dogs, etc - this determines, to a large extent, when the puppy is in her crate.

This is just my opinion...but I can't understand the merit of locking the pup in the crate when the owner is awake and in the house. Being alone and separated from their family is a deeply alien concept for a young canine. Of course they have to learn being alone for a while - after all you'll have to go "hunting" for her food in the shops  - but personally I wouldn't lock my dog in a crate when I am in a different part of the house. Because THEN the crate DOES become a prison.

A gate is a great option as another poster suggested. It is a much gentler way of introducing the concept that whilst she can't always be with you, she isn't forced into a prison, either. I agree with my fellow poster - ignore her woofs n'wails. Just try to be sensitive to her needs to BE with you, i.e. Increase the duration of your absences VERY gradually. This way she will learn that a) you will always come back and b) that there is little point in getting into an emotional lather about it.

By all accounts you are doing a GREAT job - Heidi is a lucky young lady


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## ladyisla (Apr 19, 2014)

Hi everyone,

thanks so much for the replies.

It sounds as if the baby gate is a good idea for keeping my bedroom out of bounds but not too shut away. I know she is intrigued by that room because when the door is shut and we're in the living room she will go out there sometimes and paw at the door.

I think although I see how crate training is extremely useful and they like to have a den etc I think perhaps my instinct is that if I'm here, I shouldn't be putting her in there as my worry deep down is that she _will_ feel she's being shut away. As you point out she is still very much a baby. I have however been trying to do a bit more work on encouraging her in and out and actually the past few nights she has come over to me about 10.30 and I walked over to her crate and she got in and curled up as if she was waiting for me to tell her to go in her bed.

Tomorrow she has her second vaccination so we are much nearer to being able to go out. I'm sure that will help so much with our house teething as I can see how eager she is to be out and about properly.

Anyway, thanks again!


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