my puppy whines and barks unless she'd being held?? please help?

S

Savannah

New member
I have a 11 week old maltese/terrier mix girl puppy. This is the last year I'll be living with my parents, but if my puppy can't behave soon, they say I need to take her back.
She is so sweet when I'm holding her, but when I'm not around she won't stop barking. When I leave for class (only 3 hrs) I put her in her crate and she barks the whole time. I've also had her on a leash on the other side of the room as me and she still barks for attention. I don't give her attention until she's quiet but it takes a very long time.

She also fights with my mom's puppy too rough and they hurt each other. Please help me control her before I have to give her back.
 
ONLY 3 hours! too long.
wants attention and is scared probably
how long has she been barking for ?
she probably doesnt like being shut up in her crate and tied up on her leash.
my dog used to bark when she was in her crate so we stopped putting her in it and she was fine. she got distressed being in a confined space she prefers being able to walk around a room and sleep when she is left alone.
have you taken her to any training classes? that would be a good idea. you will see many improvements in her behaviour straight away and it is worth it in the long term as well. how long have you had her for? if she is only just getting used to your mum's puppy it is normal that they fight. they will just take time to adjust.
you'll just have to be patient probably. it all sounds like fairly normal behaviour for a puppy. good luck :)
 
Whatever you do, don't give her back. When you are in your exploding point, there are always experienced dog trainers to help you on your local newspapers.

Your dog obviously suffers from a great deal of SA - Separation Anxiety. I've dealed with this before and I can tell you it's not the greatest thing in the world. It's very common in shelters and adopted dogs who have been previously abandoned. They fear being abandoned again and cannot get away from their "pack".

The best to do is get her used to be alone graduatly. Get her alone in another room when she's really tired and wants to sleep. Leave her with an interesting toy - keep a couple of toys hidden and only give them to her when she's alone, so they are extra-special.

It's normal she cries or barks. You are doing well in not giving her attention - this would give her the idea that bark = attention and she would bark non-stop when she was alone. Count up to ten after she stops and then get her out, feed her a treat and fuss her.

When you go away to class, have someone keeping an eye on her, because this will keep her safe and happy. When you really have to leave her, don't close her in a diferent room and make your house more "doggy proof" (some dogs with severe SA distroy the house when you are away): take the fragile items to another room, hide the carpets and furniture, etc. Putting low, classical music may help to calm her down. If her case is very serious, your vet may suggest a few pills - but only feed her pills with your vet consistment.

Remember: never punnish your puppy for this. It's clearly not her fault!

About playing rough with your mom's puppy, never let them play without supervising and make sure she spends 3x more with you rather than your mom's puppy - this will help you build a stronger bond. Have someone helping you leash both puppies and only let them play together when the excitment died down. Play nicely with toys with them rather than let them play alone, and feed them treats everytime you get good results. The golden rule of all dog owners:

Reward wanted behaviour, ignore\prevent un-wanted behaviour!

Good Luck

Peace & Love~~
 
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