15 week old puppy won't play by himself

[cockermum22]

Hello

We have a 15 week old show cocker and he's been hard work!
I work from home but obviously have to work and can't keep an eye on him all the time. He likes his chew toys only if I play or show I'm interested. Otherwise it lasts for 20 seconds and he's walking around sniffing looking for trouble. I feel like I have to constantly watch him which is not possible. He is not interested in nylabone which is a bummer.

I've read putting him in the crate is bad as he'll have bad association but also read he needs to spend more time in the crate etc to feel safe so not sure what the solution is. He does whine and cry when I put him in the crate which isn't ideal as we live in a flat. Can I put him in the second bedroom instead in a travel crate? He can't be heard by neighbours there.

I'm very tired as he wakes is up in the night and my work needs a lot of concentration.

I'm regretting it but people say it will pass and will get better.
I hope you can help me as I'm losing my mind!!

[russ-g]

I dont know where you heard that a crate is bad or that he'll have a bad association with it, but I think that's entirely wrong. Punishing your pup with the crate definitely creates a bad association, but otherwise he will learn to love it as his safe place. You should definitely persist!

My Stanley (28 weeks) is very fond of his crate and trots off there for his naps. In the early days we used it for enforced naps with a cover over it. We had it from day one. Now we often have the door open and he walks out into his play pen, or if we're home, he comes and goes as he pleases.

It's generally very useful for calming him down, keeping him out of trouble, or enforced napping. Ours has always been downstairs whereas we all sleep upstairs. Never did the bedroom thing as I knew he wouldn't sleep if he knew I was near.

Things got better for us, generally speaking, at around 4 months. Before that I considered re-homing almost daily. Dont feel bad!

[russ-g]

Forgot to add, there's a ton of stuff you can buy to keep him busy when he's alone. Aside from toys, which he'll destroy regularly so you have to keep buying them, the things which have worked consistently for us is the lickimatt (with frozen cream cheese), the yak milk chews and the braided lamb skin sticks. Don't know what we'd do without them!!

[vixen]

. Before that I considered re-homing almost daily. Dont feel bad!

I remember feeling like that    Maisie (now 18 months old) was a horrible puppy.  I really didn’t like her very much.  She was very feisty, answered back with a bite and had a real attitude.  I just wanted to go back to a time when I didn’t have her.    However, from my cocker experience, I did know she would get better but it was really hard work.
When I got another pup I was determined that he would have more naps in his crate as I am sure lots of Maisie’s behaviour was because she was tired.  Fortunately Ned has been a lovely lovely pup,  Very calm, chilled and kind.
Both go in their crates when I go out and sleep in them  but they do like going into them.  They know that they will get a treat for going in.  Looking back on my life with dogs I don’t know how I managed without crates.  I raised 4 GSDs without a crate but I would always use a crate now.  It is my dogs’ safe place and the doors are kept open in the day so they can go into them when they feel like it.
Maisie did settle down and she is a lovely dog now, as I thought she would be but she is still feisty and has kept her attitude   
Don’t think of crates as a bad place. I would always prefer a pup to be in a crate rather than loose in a bedroom as I feel it safer for the pup and your home.  As to the initial whine and cry, just ignore, no eye contact and pup should settle down.
Have you tried a kong with pup?  There are lots of filling suggestions on the internet. When I fill them and freeze, it keeps my two occupied for quite a long while.

[cockermum22]

Thank you both. Definitely purchasing yak milk chews and braided lamb skin !

I was worried if I put him in his crate whilst I take a call, he starts whining, crying. I'm worried he'll start hating his crate. He currently has a plastic bed with comfy blankets in the living room next to my desk and he naps there during the day. He is only in the crate at night and now howling at 3am awake and wanting to start his day. We then resort to moving him in the second bedroom in his travel crate.
Do you think this is bad and I should force day time naps in crate instead?

Can I also put him away in his crate when I have to work and concentrate? Leave him there even though he cries?

[bizzylizzy]

Not easy I know, but try if you can not to go to him and let him out while he‘s actually whining and crying but wait for a quiet moment or a gap in the crying before you fuss him. The message he‘ll learn is that crying doesn‘t get your attention, - when he‘s quiet you could even give him a little treat and praise him (without letting him out).I used to give Humphrey a Kong with soft liver sausage or similar stuffed inside, he‘d often fall asleep while trying to lick it clean, it seemed to soothe him and calm him down, a bit like a baby‘s dummy
Stay calm and gentle but be firm and consistent and he‘ll soon learn that making a fuss doesn’t get your attention.

[russ-g]

Not easy I know, but try if you can not to go to him and let him out while he‘s actually whining and crying but wait for a quiet moment or a gap in the crying before you fuss him. The message he‘ll learn is that crying doesn‘t get your attention, - when he‘s quiet you could even give him a little treat and praise him (without letting him out).I used to give Humphrey a Kong with soft liver sausage or similar stuffed inside, he‘d often fall asleep while trying to lick it clean, it seemed to soothe him and calm him down, a bit like a baby‘s dummy
Stay calm and gentle but be firm and consistent and he‘ll soon learn that making a fuss doesn’t get your attention.

Yep, couldn't have said this any better.

[cockermum22]

Forgot to add, there's a ton of stuff you can buy to keep him busy when he's alone. Aside from toys, which he'll destroy regularly so you have to keep buying them, the things which have worked consistently for us is the lickimatt (with frozen cream cheese), the yak milk chews and the braided lamb skin sticks. Don't know what we'd do without them!!

How long did it take for your pup to chew through one of these? Monty went through it in 30 mins! I'm guessing you can't allow more than one a day. Any advice on how they can go through treats slower? Thank you

[cockermum22]

Not easy I know, but try if you can not to go to him and let him out while he‘s actually whining and crying but wait for a quiet moment or a gap in the crying before you fuss him. The message he‘ll learn is that crying doesn‘t get your attention, - when he‘s quiet you could even give him a little treat and praise him (without letting him out).I used to give Humphrey a Kong with soft liver sausage or similar stuffed inside, he‘d often fall asleep while trying to lick it clean, it seemed to soothe him and calm him down, a bit like a baby‘s dummy
Stay calm and gentle but be firm and consistent and he‘ll soon learn that making a fuss doesn’t get your attention.

Thanks, does it matter where he sleeps during the day (dog bed) vs night (crate)? He's now also randomly barking at times. Also acts a bit like a demented dog 😳 is that normal??
I feel like I'm over thinking everything! 😩

[russ-g]

Forgot to add, there's a ton of stuff you can buy to keep him busy when he's alone. Aside from toys, which he'll destroy regularly so you have to keep buying them, the things which have worked consistently for us is the lickimatt (with frozen cream cheese), the yak milk chews and the braided lamb skin sticks. Don't know what we'd do without them!!

How long did it take for your pup to chew through one of these? Monty went through it in 30 mins! I'm guessing you can't allow more than one a day. Any advice on how they can go through treats slower? Thank you

Which one? Lickimat is about 20 mins (if frozen). Braided lamb skins 30-60 mins. Yak chews can last weeks, but only because I decide when he has it. He would not get through one in a day if I left him with it.

[bizzylizzy]

Not easy I know, but try if you can not to go to him and let him out while he‘s actually whining and crying but wait for a quiet moment or a gap in the crying before you fuss him. The message he‘ll learn is that crying doesn‘t get your attention, - when he‘s quiet you could even give him a little treat and praise him (without letting him out).I used to give Humphrey a Kong with soft liver sausage or similar stuffed inside, he‘d often fall asleep while trying to lick it clean, it seemed to soothe him and calm him down, a bit like a baby‘s dummy
Stay calm and gentle but be firm and consistent and he‘ll soon learn that making a fuss doesn’t get your attention.

Thanks, does it matter where he sleeps during the day (dog bed) vs night (crate)? He's now also randomly barking at times. Also acts a bit like a demented dog 😳 is that normal??
I feel like I'm over thinking everything! 😩

Sorry, only just seen this - I don’t really think it matters all that much where he sleeps in the day, they‘re pretty adaptable, but a quiet spot where they can feel secure fine. I used to put a blanket next to the open crate so he could chose whether to go in but more often than not he‘d find a spot squeezed between two chairs or, when he was still small enough , under the sofa.
Acting like a demented dog is just cocker!! , I think most of us have given up on trying to analyse what they do but over thinking is quiet natural too, you just want  to get it right and that‘s quite understandable. Try and offer some mental activities, a bit of brain stimulation will help keep him focused and tire him out. There are lots of ideas online but you can start with a few home made games, a box full of screwed up newspaper with treats or bits of kibble tucked into to folds, or empty toilet rolls wedged into a shoe box with treats in. There are puzzles you can buy where they have to slide a cover back to get the treat but to be honest, mine worked them out so quickly they became superfluous after a few goes and were a bit of waste of money and there are so many free alternatives you can offer just using household things.
15 minutes of a brain game is worth hours of physical exercise and, I found at least, helps avoid them getting over hyped.
 

[PennyB]

My pup who is now 14 months old loves things like the Bamboodles T-Bone Dog Chew - its meant to have a chicken taste but Hattie loves it. She also loves the Nubbies TriBone Chew Toy (from Arm & Hammer tastes of Peanut Butter and colour is turquoise). Or try kongs that you fill with food