New puppy Introductions

We just got this new puppy and she screams to be held several times throughout the night. She is 7 weeks old and I have given her an old shirt of mine to sleep with. It doesn't help.

Congratulations! She is a cutie!

In regards to puppies wanting to be with you, you first have to look at how puppies start life:

Puppies are rarely born alone. They have littermates and they are together 24/7. They also have a mama dog who is always there to protect them.

If left to their own life, mama dog would bring the litter out of the den to live outside with the family at about 8-10 weeks old. The puppies would start to explore but would always have an older sibling or parent close at hand. This allows the puppy to become accustomed to the world while having a support system right there when they need/want it.

Now, we humans come along and at just the time when the puppies are starting to safely explore their world with their entire family right there, and we take them away. We separate them from their security/family. We put them in a completely new setting that is scary. And we expect them to spend much of the time completely alone. And then we wonder why they cry and try to get to us.

So, the first thing you need to do is come to terms with focusing on what the puppy needs versus what you expect from the puppy.

Puppy needs comfort. You are the only being to provide her that comfort. So, as much as possible, let her be with you. If she wants to be comforted, comfort her.

You don't indicate where she sleeps. If in the room with you, but on a bed or in a crate, place the bed/crate next to your bed so you can easily reach down and give her attention when she cries out. If in another room, then consider moving her into your room until she is older and more independent.

Next, consider how she spends her days. Is she left alone for long periods of time (for her, a "long period of time" is about 5 minutes)? Is this time alone non-adjustable (eg work) or is it because you've read that you should give her plenty of time alone?

If work, etc, then look for things that can give her a sense of a mama or siblings. A hot water bottle wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, a ticking clock that can sound like a heartbeat, a big stuffed animal that she can snuggle with, etc.

If it's just to "teach her to be alone", stop. She is still too young to handle life alone. Forcing her to do so can create more issues with separation anxiety than otherwise. Instead, let her be around you as much as possible. If you get up to get a drink, let her walk to the kitchen with you and back. If she asks for attention, give it to her. If she gets scared, comfort her. If you go to take a shower, let her in the bathroom with you and if she cries, stick your hand out to tell her you are right there.

At bedtime, give her a quiet cuddle time. No playing, just snuggling together so she can calm down. If she wakes in the night, have a chew and/or toy handy so you can spend a few minutes in calm play before going back to sleep. Chews will become important as she grows so the sooner you get her to focus on them during "quiet time", the less she will find your things to chew on. I kept a bag of chews in the nightstand with my youngest. As soon as I heard him moving around, the chew was out for him to focus on.

It is annoying to be woken up during the night. But, think what it is like for her to wake up in the dark in a strange place with unfamiliar smells and be completely alone. She's looking to you to be the support system you took away from her when you brought her home.

As she gets older, her confidence will grow and grow. She'll look to you for comfort less because she's afraid and more because she loves you. And she'll become more independent.

With my boy, I already had an older dog who wanted a puppy. That gave me a bit of a reprieve with him because she became his constant companion. He slept with her every night. But at bedtime, I let him cuddle on the bed with me as long as he wanted. Then when he got up, I'd put him on the ground and he'd go cuddle with his sister to sleep. Early in the morning, he'd whine by the bed and I'd pick him up and we'd cuddle for a couple more hours. At four years old, he still splits his time between sleeping on the bed with me and sleeping under the bed with his sister (she prefers sleeping under there). And during the day, he was with me all the time. We have a very strong bond because of it.

Hi Linda, I agree with toedtoes on this, my daughter has one that lives with me, the thing is with dachshunds they like to be covered over most of the time, so my daughters has a crate of his own which is his space, he has a warm bed and blankets to cuddle with and then a fleece blanket that covers all of them and him, I use to worry when he first done it but he loves it and that’s his safe space. Try a blanket for them to try first too. But they do like to bury themselves in warmth
You can just see his nose poking out this blanket