# New 11 week old cocker spaniel



## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi,

3 days ago i picked up my lovely 11 week old cocker spaniel.

Although Bella is 90% potty trained and is very well behaved we are experiencing problems when leaving the rooms.

We have a crate and pen set up and Bella is happy jumping in and out all day to eat/drink/chew bone and play with toys as soon as we get up and leave the room she jumps out.

We have left her alone in house a few times for a hour or so and although she barks when we leave she is quiet when we get back but im not sure how long she was barking for!?!?!

The problem really starts at night, we ware her out make her tired and put her to bed, she is quiet for 30-45 minutes until she starts barking and howling. Although we know we should leave her we cannot due to the neighbours. As soon as we go down and lie on the sofa she is fine. She isnt bothered about the attention i dont think i just think she wants the company.

Am i being to hasty in worrying at this early stage?
If we sleep in the room and extend the daily times we are out will she eventually be ok at night?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks


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## ploddingon (Jun 15, 2010)

Congratulations on your new pup - any photo's yet?

I may be totally wrong here but am only going by my own pup. He cries for a wee bit when I leave him in the house. I initially stood outside with the living room window (his crate it in the living room) open a bit, but the blinds closed so he couldn't see me, just to hear how long he cried for and it all died down after a few minutes, so now I don't worry about it.

The night time thing is a problem for pups isn't it. They have been taken away from their Mum, brothers and sisters and have you now to fill that void. During the day they can see you and follow you around, but suddently at night all that stops, it's dark and they are on their own. 

Have you tried moving the crate into your bedroom at night? If she settles with you on the settee, she might sleep if she knows you are in the same room with her.

As she gets settled you can move the crate out of your bedroom if you want to, onto the landing, and then eventually back downstairs.

Or you can be a complete failure like me and just let it sleep on your bed


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## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

Was just about to say what ploddingon has said. :thumbup:

Welcome to the forum and can we have some pics of your new baby? I love cockers


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

Rupert was the same but now he sleeps in his crate in our room and we very rarely have a fuss, unless he wakes up in the night and needs a wee!

I'm not sure if he is crying anymore when we leave him, but I don't think he is. He has the odd whine and yelp but he seems to stop the minute we shut the door and he realises we have gone. His crating has helped immensly with this.


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks for your replies i really appraciate them,

I really dont want her to come up stairs in the house, so dont want to put her crate upstairs.

If i sleep in the rooms downstairs do you think i will eventually (within week or 2) be able to leave her at night?

THANKS

Jon

p.s - pictures uploading very soon


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

cocker said:


> thanks for your replies i really appraciate them,
> 
> I really dont want her to come up stairs in the house, so dont want to put her crate upstairs.
> 
> ...


Its not about where she is in the house, its about her having company. There makes no difference, in my eyes, to moving her upstairs in a crate for a few weeks then moving her, to you staying downstairs and then leaving her. :confused1:

But it is up to you. If you're happy sleeping downstairs then whatever works. I couldn't and wanted my bed.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Ive never ever gone down to any of mine when they were pups, the worst we had for this was when we got our first pup he was the only one th be on his own and it lasted 4 nights each night we could tell he was getting the message that it was bed time and we wasnt around him then, none of mine now grown up have ever been a problem at night when it gets past 11 oclock they look as if to say "come on lets have you upstairs its our bed time" I know many dont share my views on this but i think you could be potentially makeing a rod for your own back by going down to a pup, its a learning curve and they do quickly learn and becomes then the norm. Only my last one was in a crate not for very long but it has been said pups settle better if you put a sheet or something over the crate at night.


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

I know i could potentially be causing a problem by going down and sleeping in the room, thats what i am concened about.

On the other hand, i cannot leave her crying and barking for hours in the middle of the night due to neighbours.

Am i potentially causing a problem?

I was thinking that as she gets used to being alone on a day then the evening will become easier, or am i being a little optimistic?


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## maizie0_0 (May 4, 2010)

When we got Elsie, our springer pup, she cried lots for a week. We refused to come down stairs... I know its hard but she will get used to you coming down stairs and she will never settle.

We spoke to the neighbours and apologised and explained what we were trying to do. They all heard her but all were very sympathetic. They understood. After one week of howling and barking all night.... (it gradually got less each night)... it stopped!


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

cocker said:


> I know i could potentially be causing a problem by going down and sleeping in the room, thats what i am concened about.
> 
> On the other hand, i cannot leave her crying and barking for hours in the middle of the night due to neighbours.
> 
> ...


The difference is they know you are around at night, can you explain to your neighbours.

I always think theres always a chance that you could be just delaying them getting them settled that they could get used to you been here and then you have to start again getting the dog to stay alone my biggy is "start as you mean to go on", its obvious that she just doesnt want you to be upstairs because when you come down she stops so you can rest assured its just that and there nothing wrong with her. What does she have in her crate, if you can find an old item of clothing wear it for a while and leave it in her bed and cover the crate with an old towel or sheet.


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

In her crate she has a fleece rug, 2 soft toys and a bone, and attached to the crate is a pen.

She is happy in her crate, its just that she is not happy with us not being there.

I think a trip back to my neighbours is called for 

Is she likely to bark/moan all night or just for a hour?


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

cocker said:


> In her crate she has a fleece rug, 2 soft toys and a bone, and attached to the crate is a pen.
> 
> She is happy in her crate, its just that she is not happy with us not being there.
> 
> ...


This young it will not be all night eventually tiredness will kick in hopefully,
If she is happy in her crate thats good, no she wont be happy that you are leaving her alone, why should she she has to learn this and the only way she will learn is by you not going down to her. A typical senario is they will cry for an hour sometimes more sometimes less mine never stuck it out for an hour but i know some have, each night this gets less, till you go upstairs and istead of going to sleep you lay awake waiting for them to start  sometimes they will wke early hours and realise they have woke up and are alone might then start to cry again dont go down the thing is some people disagree with this because of toilet but i never went down to let them out for a wee they used the paper and before long they were dry at night.


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

Tuesday night, she woke 4 times and barked for about 20 minutes each time.

Wednesday night (last night) she woke up once for about 5-10 minutes, hopefully we have turned a corner ?!?!?


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

cocker said:


> Tuesday night, she woke 4 times and barked for about 20 minutes each time.
> 
> Wednesday night (last night) she woke up once for about 5-10 minutes, hopefully we have turned a corner ?!?!?


YYAAAHHHHH what did i tell you well done both of you, have you just been leaving her then?


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

Yes we just been leaving her to bark, last night she was up once for about 45 minutes which was a little annoying but cannot complain.


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## cocker (Aug 31, 2010)

first full nights sleep last night,

Was this a fluke or will it be the start of the new Bella!?


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