New Malamute puppy training Questions

Hello all,

I'm a new owner of a 10 week old Alaskan Malamute and we are on the second night with him. He seems to be having a hard time with seperation and gets really vocal.

The first night we stay at a hotel during our trip home from picking him up so sleeping arrangements were 2 queen beds (my wife and I) was the only available pet friendly room so we made a bed for him between the beds. Typical first night for a pup, crying and whining, but did settle afterwards.

Now the second we're finally home and he follows us everywhere even if it's going from the couch to the kitchen, then cries and whines if we go upstairs to the bathroom or shower. So we figured maybe if we crated he for the night we could get him used to being alone but that was not the case. We started off putting a couple treats and bunch of toys in the crate in which volunteered to go in several times, but as we decided it was time for bed, we lead him in and was fine, shut the gate and then he starts to Whine and cry extremely loud and paces a bit and tries to tear into the bedding trying to find a way out. We've let him out and he's now sleeping on the floor with me on the couch next to him.

Not sure what kind of options we have cause we don't want him hurting himself inside.

Any thoughts?

.Remember his whole world has suddenly changed, in a strange place with people he doesn’t know and on his own.
For the first few weeks I always had mine in big cardboard box beside my bed, so they could hear and see us, and could hang my hand nearby to reassure them, I also put in a worn t-shirt to help them get used to my scent.
Alarm set for every 2/3 hours for first week, working time up till they would whimper if they wanted to go, it was a swift, out of the bed, outside for a wee/poo, No playing or fussing or anything else.

Hello Ash, welcome to your and your new puppy to Breedia from Tikva and me

You have a new puppy and at 10 weeks he is still a baby, so separation is quite common. Put yourself in his paws - taken from what he knew - dam, siblings, humans, by total strangers, travelling in a strange place [the hotel] and sleeping in a strange - and possibly lonely, different place.

He is then taken on another journey to yet another strange place but by then he thinks these humans might be OK so he cries if you leave him, if only to go to use the bathroom. Because he thinks that these new humans might be abandoning him again.

You say he will sleep on the floor next to you when you are on the couch. Can you put/make a bed for him next to your own bed at night?

My little one sleeps in a crate in my bedroom, where I can hear her if she eeps to go out, or, when she was tiny, eeped for a bottle. But I admit for the first couple of nights I gave up and let her on the bed with me when she screeched - then decided I needed my sleep without a tiny puppy crawling all over me so into her crate she went - and at almost three-years-old she still is happy to go into her crate at night.

As @GsdSlave has just said, everything has just changed for your pup and both he and you have to get used to each other,

Two good posts, so will only add to them.
Try putting a warm hot water bottle wrapped in an item of worn clothing in his bed as a substitute body to snuggle up to. (Better still if the breeder has supplied you with a litter scented blanket). A ticking clock placed nearby is supposed to remind them of a heartbeat.
I used to have this advice on my puppy info pack many years ago and I'm sure that it does help.

Would a womb bear work? I had always bought my kids a womb bear when they were first born. It mimics the moms heartbeat. I'll find a link to show everybody the only thing is u probably shouldn't let pup chew on it!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A...words=womb+sounds+bear+for+newborn&th=1&psc=1

This isn't exactly what I bought my kids (they discontinued the kinda bear I bought from Wal-Mart). But it always helped calm my sometimes fussy babies at night wonder if it would work for puppies? If ur on a budget maybe find some soothing music to help calm your pup
Welcome btw! lol. I have a 1yr old female Alaskan malamute & she has some separation issues sometimes. When we all leave the house (like 2x a month to visit my in laws) Mila will get upset & howl. So I have a Kong dog toy & stuff it with baby carrots as a distraction so we sneak out! lol.
11 yrs ago I had a Siberian husky pup. Thankfully he didn't have separation issues. I spent alot of time with him & when I had to work he went in his crate. But with my hubs being home he was with Zeus (my previous dog). Hopefully ur pup will settle down & get better!

I don't know!
Nothing like this when I was young. I might worry if there were electronic parts to chew.

Morning everyone,

Thank you for the great advices.

A little update, so when I finished making the post he was fast asleep so I tip toed upstairs to see if he would notice, but he didn't so I left him sleeping on his own for a whole 6.5 hours without a peep.

Once morning came he woke and was alone started crying, whimpering and attempted howling. My wife went down and all was well, no potty problems and took him out for a walk and did the poop but no pee, came back in and then decided to pee a full bladder like a faucet.

The breeder had mentioned to me that maybe getting some straw/hay cause thats what she used for bedding and business spot in his former area. Will try and get some today and give that a try.

As for round 3 of sleeping tonight, we will bring him up with us and make his bed beside us give that a try.

Will update on progress

The only thing electronic is theres a white battery pack that's inside the bear (in my kids bears). But theres a velcro strap on it where u can strap it to the baby's crib. So maybe if its strapped out of puppys reach it wont cause an issue...as long as he can't reach it! again, there r many options to choose from to help calm an upset puppy. =)
I know the amazing things they have come out with over the years for baby items! even over the course of 8yrs (thats my oldest son) so many new gadgets & baby items have come out! Crazy! lol

I wouldn’t advise using straw/hay, as you are encouraging him to mess indoors.
I don’t see the logic in training pups to go indoors then expect them to go outside it just confuses them.
Some puppies need to go out once or twice a night for a few weeks or more, others are sleep through the night at a young age.
It’s really important to prevent accidents in the house as much as possible while teaching to go outdoors, always take him in the garden after every feed, drink, playtime, sleep and use a command go toilet wait till they go and gave lots of praise.

No no, the hay/straw is for outside on the lawn so that it's a familiar scent of where to go, not inside the house.

Here's the little big puppy

Naptime ensues after a ruff day

Instagram: Maikoh.the.malamute

He is lovely but may I ask why he is wearing a thunder-shirt when he has only been with you such a short time? I know they are useful in certain circumstances, but if used "just in case" and not for a specific purpose they will not have the desired effect when they might be needed.

I bought and used the shirt upon the recommendation of another dog owner for said situation. That picture was taken right before I posted, and it actually seemed to had calmed him, it's been taken off since morning already

I know the shirts can be useful for some dogs in some situations, but tbh I do not think they should be used to calm a new puppy, especially when he is not yet used to his new home and new humans.

I do not think that the shirt had had a calming effect on your cute puppy - from the picture he was just zonked out and would have flonked down whether he was wearing a thunder-shirt or not. If he had been with you for longer and was terrified at things like prolonged storms and/or fireworks then yes, those shirts can sometimes help. But to use them to calm a new puppy in a new place can cancel out their use if it is really necessary.

He really is a cute puppy and I hope that he and your family have a long and happy life together

I returned the shirt anyways as I figured it wouldn't be much help in this particular situation, but you're basically saying my reason for returning until it's actually needed. It would've been a short term fix and made it a long term problem. Thanks for your input however.

Give him time Ash - time to get him used to you and him new home. A thunder shirt is no quick fix for a new puppy and, IMHO should not be used as such. Only time, understanding and love is the answer.

Awwe! Hes adorable! my how fast they grow eh? lol.

He's 10 weeks plus 3 days and 27 lbs and we love him to bits.

He had 2 accidents last night and this morning, both after went for a walk and did his poo and pee, came in and did another pee. Frustrating but still love him. Sigh....