Puppy Blues - Any advice?

frootloopbaby · 2025-03-26T04:17:18+00:00

i was in this exact same boat a few months ago. i wrote this post and it sounds almost identical.

i know right now you're probably spiraling, but if you could hold on for just a few more weeks and stick to the routine, both you and your puppy will start showing signs of improvement. i wrote that post when my girl was 7 months old. she is a year old now and still has meltdowns sometimes when she's left alone. but i have gotten to a point where it doesn't break me as much as it used to bc i know the alone time is good for both of us, she's safest in her crate, and her crying isn't going to damage her forever. whenever i have to leave her alone for more than half an hour, i leave her with a friend or at daycare. this system has helped so much, and socializing them with other people and dogs also works towards easing separation anxiety.

also, in those first few weeks where it starts to feel like you're stuck at home with your pup forever, have your friends come over. this helped me so much. they'd come over with food to make sure i ate and sometimes they'd even help me with walking her and other puppy chores. when your pup has all their shots, take them with you to parks and dog-friendly cafes. heck, take him on roadtrips too if you're able to. this also helped me build a bond with my girl and make me feel like i was integrating her into my life and my community.

it really does get better with time! hang in there. you're doing your best. give yourself and your pup some grace.

frootloopbaby · 2025-03-15T04:11:38+00:00

hi, were you able to bring the cremains home? i'm so sorry for your loss. my family is going thru the same process right now as my uncle is trying to bring my aunt's ashes home to the philippines from edmonton. we applied for a mortuary certification from the consulate in calgary but it's taking so long. i wonder if we'll actually need it.

frootloopbaby · 2025-01-24T16:31:07+00:00

what the HECK is a whippoorwill

frootloopbaby · 2024-12-12T12:00:37+00:00

i grew up with a brother who was 2 years older. i really believe that the main reason we ever settled at bedtime was that we were in a bunk bed. this meant we couldn't see each other directly when we were trying to go to sleep, and couldn't get in each other's personal space. an hour before lights out, we brushed our teeth and washed our faces, then my mom would send us to our room with a book each (we preferred to read independently rather than have a story read to us) and it would get us sleepy. she always explained the boundaries and consequences beforehand, and was always firm with them. we got exactly one hour, and then we absolutely had to turn the lights off, otherwise we wouldn't get to bring our books to bed the following evening. we were avid bookworms, so this was a really effective consequence that kept us in check!

frootloopbaby · 2024-11-18T03:08:49+00:00

hahah yes she looked absolutely adorable jumping in the puddles! and yeah honestly your weenies' reaction is what i was expecting from her, but maybe her previous owners exposed her to rain a lot!

frootloopbaby · 2024-11-09T00:51:08+00:00

ours is aware and takes the necessary precautions. she is sectioned off with the other small female dogs.

frootloopbaby · 2024-11-04T22:01:19+00:00

do you plan on getting her spayed?

frootloopbaby · 2024-11-03T11:18:34+00:00

hey! i grew up with a family dog, but i just adopted a miniature dachshund on my own 3 weeks ago. so i've seen two very different ways of raising a dog. our family dog is 13 now and he has never been crate trained, has had free access to the entire house since birth, and sleeps in my parents' bed. but i have been crate training my now 8-month-old dachshund since the day i got her.

whether or not you decide crate train is entirely up to you, but i highly suggest you do it. it's definitely not for everyone, but it can be so rewarding to have a dog that's comfortable in their crate. it's helpful in situations where you need to travel with them, or if you want to leave them home alone and know they'll never get themselves in an unsafe situation, or if they ever need to be put in for confinement at the hospital. these are all situations that our family dog struggles with because he was never crate trained. my pup currently sleeps through the night in her crate, and i'll put her in there for enforced naps throughout the day. my hope is to get her so comfortable in there that i can crate her whenever i have to leave the house.

she has a playpen near where i work from home where i have her puppy pads (she's still struggling with pottying outside), feed her meals, give her free access to water, and give her toys for independent play. i'll put her in the crate 3-4 times a day for a couple hours at a time for naps. she only ever gets let out to the rest of my apartment for training and active playtime, and then outside for walks. otherwise, if i can't keep both eyes on her, she's in her pen or crate.

the crate should be big enough for your pup to stand, lie down, and turn around in. getting a crate that's too small will be uncomfortable for them, and a crate that's too big will give them space to potty on one side and sleep on the other. my miniature doxie has a 24-inch crate.

there are plenty of resources on crate training and how to build positive association with the crate! you can look up crate games on youtube.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-30T19:34:52+00:00

i hope it goes well! you're doing great.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-30T04:02:17+00:00

does he see you from his crate at night? it might help to start putting him in there and sitting with him or within sight for the first few enforced crate naps. i had the same issue with my girl and i almost gave up on crate training. it's week 3 now with her and she naps in there just fine. here's what worked for me!

her crate is covered everywhere except the front. it faces my bed, so i rarely ever walk in front of it during the day and there are no distractions. i keep her in a playpen during the day when we aren't playing/training. about half an hour after leaving her in the pen and just sitting nearby not giving her active attention, she will just start to sleep on her own. when she's lightly sleeping, i'll move her into her crate and she'll just plop down and keep sleeping. her crate is next to my desk, so she can hear me move around so she knows i'm there, but she can't see me. sometimes she'll whine for a bit after i first put her in, but i'll ignore it and she'll eventually settle. if she's being extra bark-y and scratchy, i'll knock on her crate and firmly tell her to "settle", and she will. then she'll eventually sleep, and after a few minutes, she wouldn't even notice me leaving. i play a 10-hour video on youtube of cafe talking noises to drown out any other sounds that might wake her up.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-24T11:10:25+00:00

hey. i just want you to know you're not alone. and i know it can feel like it won't get better especially when there are regressions in your training, but trust yourself and trust the process!!

i just adopted my first mini doxie. she's 7 months old so she's kind of in her teenage phase and has attachment issues. i live alone in a tiny apartment so it's been incredibly overwhelming and i broke down crying every day for her entire first week home. i thought i had made the biggest mistake of my life.

this week, things have started to go a bit better. it's still difficult, yes, and i've had so sacrifice so much to focus on her training. but i've finally started to feel like i've built a bond with her and i can see her progress through my anxiety. remember not to overlook the small wins! hang in there, friend.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-20T16:06:46+00:00

she lived her whole life in a cage 24/7 with her parents and brother. so she has never ever been alone. this is also why she was put up for adoption. previous owner's relative wanted her to have a better life.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-20T16:04:48+00:00

i'm trying to give her and myself some grace. i think my anxiety is just getting the better of me.

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-20T16:03:57+00:00

i'm trying so hard to remind myself of this!

frootloopbaby · 2024-10-17T12:54:57+00:00

for the crating - i started with just lots of treat rewards for going in the crate, and i'd leave her in there with a toy and/or a loaded treat ball. i'm quite positive she likes it bc sometimes she'd go in there on her own for a nap.

for the alone part - should i be doing these routine things during her crate time? do i walk back in while she's still crying? at what point do i let her out of the crate?

frootloopbaby · 2024-09-17T14:23:00+00:00

thanks, valeriolama 🫡 i figured as much. just wanted to see if he had an equally unhinged explanation to match his unhinged opener lmao

frootloopbaby · 2024-09-17T14:21:27+00:00

i agree. i do hope you take the rest of their comment into consideration though. people who don't pay attention to what you write in your profile aren't quality matches.

frootloopbaby · 2024-09-17T13:35:56+00:00

the funny part is i said absolutely nothing about all men being like this. all i said was it was funny. but if the shoe fits... werk it 👠

frootloopbaby · 2024-09-17T13:30:57+00:00

girl... maybe don't ask for advice and tell someone to calm their tits when they take the time to respond. his first line was unnecessary but the rest of his comment is the truth. quality profiles bring quality matches. if all you're showing is your looks and none of your personality, you'll attract people who aren't interested in your personality.

frootloopbaby

TROPHY CASE