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[AnnaD]

*** extremely sorry for the massive paragraphs, we are new to puppy owning and need some advice***
Hello, I have a gorgeous little 12 week old cocker named George. We are newly dog owners so everything is strange and not sure what is normal and what is not!!!🤔
We got George at  10 weeks old and he was an absolute dream. Within a couple of days he had settled completely having no accidents in the house going straight to the back door to notify us he needed out!!!😄 He settled in his crate eventually not barking or crying at all while we ate tea or left to nip out. He was  waking once though the night (around 2:30) and we followed advice found on this site by taking him outside but not speaking to him then putting him straight back in his crate. This worked perfectly for the first week or so... until now!!!

The past few days George has been acting very temperamental, squirming whenever picked up which is completely out of character. He has also been barking non stop when we have our tea at the table, whenever we go to leave the house and several times throughout the night. When we let him out for the toilet he just lies down and won't move. He's also started peeing in the house instead of going to the back door. We haven't changed anything and all doors in the house are open for him to roam free.


Can anyone please give us some advice so we don't go mad!!! Is this just a case of bad behaviour that needed persistence or could there be an underlying problem? Has anybody else experienced this and how was it solved? Can somebody also share some advice on getting up in the night to take him to the toilet and if this will effect him at all over time? This is really testing us in ways we hadn't expected (emotionally mixed in with a whole lot of tiredness!😅).

[Londongirl]

I think such a sudden change in behaviour warrants a vet visit to rule out anything medical. Not wanting to be picked up when he was fine with it before might indicate something is hurting. They are little scamps, but I'd get him checked if I were you. Henry is our first dog too and I never knew when anything was normal or not!

[AnnaD]

Okay I will definitely take him. What about the toilet in the middle of the night business? Have u had to do it or did Henry sleep right through?
Thanks for the help!

[Londongirl]

Henry slept through within the first week of our having him, but I think he's definitely the exception to the rule!

[Angell]

Chester who's 13 weeks, slept through last week but this week waking again and weeing in his cage during the night??
It's such a worry when they change though?!
Although we are waiting for a change for the better!! Chester is a rascal!!
Hope you get sorted and all is ok with George [emoji190]



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[AnnaD]

Yes it's a massive worry when they change! Aren't they little rascals!
Do you take Chester out in the night or is he usually good at holding all night?

[Angell]

Well we got him when he was 9 weeks, so we were getting up every 2 hrs, and he was weeing but then was finding it hard to get him to settle again! I was shattered lol!
So on advice we went hardcore and spent a couple of nights letting him bark which he would then he self settled, he would have weed on the mat in his cage?
A few nights into that and he then slept from 9pm till 5am and had held his bladder! It was fantastic!!! Did that for a week, then the last two nights has barked at 2am!!
I feel like I have newborn children again!!
We are just finding our way with the help of sites like this!!
I just keep reminding myself he's still very young!!



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[Emma0Milo]

Hi, Milo is 14weeks old now and we've had him about 6 weeks.
I've never taken him out of his crate at night, I know some might disagree. The first few weeks he messed on his puppy pad and barked for about 20mins every night, to the point where I thought he would do it forever. I didn't want to encourage him to bark by going into him so hung in there, he's not barked at all or messed for the last 3ish weeks (fingers crossed it stays that way [emoji846])
As for George maybe he's learnt that he gets attention at night when he barks, you could try to sit it out and not go to him but may take some time, I'm new to this puppy business too so I'm sure others will have better advice [emoji3]
Hope you find a solution.


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[Koslg]

Hi. Humbug is 6 years old. Sometimes on cold nights he wakes me up for a wee. Also because the water is cold from the two. Most nights he's fine but sometimes he just needs to go. I take him. I don't talk when outside and as soon as he's done I say n-nights and we go straight in then back to bed. He's often asleep before me. Cheeky monkey.

Remember they are very young and have small bladders. I'm afraid it's hit and miss when's very young puppy.

Good luck. 🐾

[bizzylizzy]

Hi, I would also suggest a vet check - could be something like a urinary tract infection.
Aside from all the other things though, - not all puppies actually like being picked up, Humphrey hated it and used to wriggle so much, I was always frightened I'd drop him, so avoided it unless really necessary.
Best of luck - hope you sort it soon -( and don't apologise for the questions, asking and answering is what we're all about... )

[hoover]

We had a very difficult time with our boy when he was just a bit older than yours.  Ollie used to snarl and snap at us if we went to lift him and we had to stop altogether for a while.  We managed to sort this out in time by only picking him up when the 2 of us were present - one to occupy the head with treats whilst the other lifted.  We changed the way of lifting so that one arm went around chest and one under rump and he was picked up sideways on rather than the puppy way of picking up.  Keep feeding treats throughout the lift and then put him down again.  We just kept repeating this process and even now (18 months old) we pick him up at least twice a week and carry him around for a bit and treat him as we do so.  It's something we felt we had to persist with in case of an emergency (and when he cut his foot on glass at the park and was unable to walk it came in very handy)

I would say keep up with his training and practice commands regularly so that he knows what is expected of him in the household.  I would also recommend NILF - nothing in life is free (google it) - asking him to perform commands before getting what he wants (sitting before getting his food etc..generally learning to be a polite respectful dog)

[Theo961]

Like others have said check for something medical first.
He is still only a baby and I know it took Reese and I a little while to get the toilet training sorted, I did get up in the night to let him out but they are still developing inside and as they grow their bladder can hold more so i found he was going longer during the night until he no longer needed it. Reese was also about that age when he started to feel confident and secure in his surroundings and with me to start testing the boundaries, he also made it clear he didn't need me to pick him up and run up the garden when he showed signs he needed a wee and may not make it, he was capable of running! Lol He was never/is never bad to pick up,  but it did become apparent that i was probably trying to pick him up for things he would rather do and capable of doing himself.
Have you tried giving him a filled kong when you put him in his cage? That really worked for me,  I used to stuff it and freeze it so it would take him longer to get through ( Good for teething too)
Keep us posted.
X

[AnnaD]

Thanks everyone for all your advice! George was a little better last night waking twice in the night once for the toilet and the other because someone had left his favourite teddy bear outside of his crate where he could see it and he was a little distressed but once reunited with his loved teddy he went straight to sleep not waking again until 6:15am!

He woke this morning full of love and puppy kisses and wanting to be picked up again, can only blame the funny behaviour on a puppy mood swing! Thanks for the great advice on picking him up when it isn't nessasary too as I think this could be part of the problem!!

Will keep u all updated with his progress!!😄🐾

[tenaille]

Since we've been back in the UK Martha wakes at 7am every morning, although she doesn't actually need to go out (she can last forever if we let her up to our bed).  I've realised that its the central heating boiler starting up which she can hear from the kitchen but I can't from upstairs. Timer adjusted to 8am now