# Crate 6 week german shepherd?



## kirin (Sep 19, 2008)

We just got our puppy today and i really need some help. I wish they would have kept her at least another week, but the breeder wouldn't have it. I know the pup is really young so i'm prepared to be her 24/7 mommy. 

I'm trying to potty train her best i can. Could this young of a puppy be potty trained? I'm trying to crate her but i'm not even sure if she should be left alone in the crate. And if she could be kept in it, for how long? I tried putting her in it but she cried non-stop and i'm not sure if thats ok, giving her age. I'm thinking i should just let her sleep with me for at least another week or so? I've been giving her wet food with some warm water mixed in until i can find some goats milk (if thats what is best?). I've been feeding her 3 times daily, but she seems to want to eat all the time and i dont know how much to feed her (or what to really feed her). Also, should i leave water in her crate all the time, or give it to her only at meal times? Should i continue to let her drink water or milk? 

She cries a lot for no real reason as well, and i'm worried. Please, someone help.


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

Well... it is good that you know that she is TOO YOUNG to be away from her mother and alone. That is probably why she cries so much. I got my two danes from a rescue when they were 6 weeks old, I was the only adopter to get that permission because I was taking 2 at once and we got veterinary and rescue manager authorization. (They really needed to make room in the foster home for the new foster litter coming in) The fact that I work in rescue myself was also a plus. Otherwise in MANY states it is illegal to sell pups before the age of 8 weeks.

She does not need goats milk at this time, what she really needs is her mother and litter mates. She can already be eating food dry and whole. My pups were crate trained that early... and potty trained within 2 weeks... but I really cant say that it will be that easy with your pup because she is alone. 

Before I go on... What was the breeders reason for not letting the pup stay any longer??? Completely sounds like a BYB off the bat. Could you explain please?


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

One thing that might help your young pup with her crate time is to get her a stuffed toy that's large enough for her to curl up with. Make sure it doesn't have any small parts that could easily be chewed off and swallowed, and no squeaker to get out and swallow. Watch her carefully to make sure she isn't going to tear the toy apart the first few times she's with it. Having something soft to cuddle might help her to feel less alone when she's crated.

Crate her several times a day for just a few minutes each time. Feed her in the crate and play games where you toss a toy or treat into the crate for her to fetch out. Those times when you have to crate her for longer periods of time, such as over night or when you can't closely supervise her, you have to ignore the crying as hard as that is to do. Never let her out when she's not quite and behaving in the crate or you'll teach her that all she has to do is cry loud or long enough and you'll let her out. Crate training takes time but it's well worth the effort.

For food you could go to http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ if you're feeding kibble and choose a puppy food rated between 4-6 stars. That way you'll be feeding a good quality kibble. Definitely avoid those rated only one-two stars.

Put her on a strict schedule and schedule everything including food, water, playtimes. nap times, etc. Now scheduling water does NOT mean to give her less, but just to schedule when it's given so that you know about when she'll need to go out. Stop all food and water about 2-3 hours before bedtime. And for the next few weeks (at least) plan on and schedule nightime potty outtings (every two hours for at least the first week).


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

kirin said:


> She cries a lot for no real reason as well, and i'm worried. Please, someone help.



You've gotten some good responses, but I just had to reply to this part. She is crying for a very real reason. She is a BABY ripped away from the saftey and security of her mom WAY too early. I have no earthly idea why you would get a dog from this "breeder" - and I use that term very loosely - because they clearly don't give a crap about the animals they are producing.

It never ceases to amaze me how humans will mistreat dogs. It's a miracle any of them grow up to like humans and overcome the neurotic tendencies we doom them to by not letting them develop normally.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Skelaki is throwing very good advice at you. I would leave pup in crate at night because the more sleeping in your bed the harder it is to break. It's easy to fall into the come rescue the puppy routine. Radio playing softly can help, hot water bottle to take place of mom's heat (could be a mess if pup chews through it) 

Important thing is not to panic there have been thousands (or more) pups that have survived at 6 weeks of age leaving mom. I do agree it's not the best way to start pup, but it sounds like you had no choice.
Good Luck


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## kirin (Sep 19, 2008)

I could tell this breeder was only in it for the money, but i really had no choice. My boyfriend's dad (there really good friends) gave over a free pup at 8 weeks old a few years ago, and we wanted another one. But when we went to pay the man he just gave the puppy over then. I'm so scared for the poor thing, since our other german shepherd holly, (its her half sister) is so big she could hurt her easily. We keep them apart best we can, and the pup doesn't seem to mind her. I think maybe she thinks its her mom in a way. Sleeping in our bed isn't the best idea, as she tinkled two times on me and the bed last night, i put her in the crate for about five hours last night and she wouldn't stop crying the hole time. My boyfriend got frustrated and just went off to sleep in another room. Having the other german shepherd there by the crate helped, but she just kept on yelping. Hopefully some treats+eating in the crate will do the trick.. i hope.. because we're both going crazy over here.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Do you realise your puppy can only hold her bladder for a maximum of less than two hours right now? If you don't want her to pee in her crate or in your bed, you need to start setting your alarm and taking her out throughout the night, because it's physically unhealthy to force her to hold it that long.


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

rosemaryninja said:


> Do you realise your puppy can only hold her bladder for a maximum of less than two hours right now? If you don't want her to pee in her crate or in your bed, you need to start setting your alarm and taking her out throughout the night, because it's physically unhealthy to force her to hold it that long.


Thats another thing. When I got my pups... luckily I chose to get them during Spring Break (I'm really not a part person at all, so it worked out ) and I set an alarm for every 30 minutes the first 3 days, then every hour the next few days. Within a week, my male was fully potty trained and my female was on and off a bit, but we found out that she had a bit of a bladder problem when we took her to the vet. IF you have time... that is the BEST and fastest way IMO. But I know many ppl do not have that kind of time.
It becomes a routine that they become accustomed to, and they seem to understand... I never have potty time inside- so I have to wait until outside. I also trained them to pee and poo on command, so you could also try that.
Nessa


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Don't wait for your dog to be in distress at night. Instead, give her a chance to potty every hour or two, set the alarm for you. You can increase the time by 15 minutes every 4-7 days if she is staying dry in between. Take her out, no sweet talk, no lights, do business, praise/food reward, then right back to the crate and re-set the alarm. 

The dog should be in the crate, sometimes warming a towel or t-shirt of yours that you've worn (and not washed, she wants to have your scent with her) will help settle them down in the crate. I've also found that the little ones chill easily so a hot water bottle (use judgment here, don't burn the poor pup and bury it under blankets so it can't be chewed) or heating pad placed on the outside, under one side of the crate (so she can move to the other side if she is overheating) sometimes helps.

During the day you may need to feed the pup 4-5 times. With pups that little, and if they are skinny to start with, I like to choose a canned food from a quality company (Solid Gold, Wellness, Inova, there are many others) and add some puppy milk replacer (Esibilac or other high quality brand, skip the Hartz stuff) to make the food mushy. If they won't eat on their own you can put a dab on ouur finger and put your finger in her mouth. Just don't force the food down her throat, let her lick, suck it off. Once she gets the hang of it then I would move on to the food plate (bowls may be too deep for her) on the floor, put her by the food and gently touch her nose to the food so she licks it off her nose. After that they usually eat on their own for me. And fresh water available in a small shallow bowl at all times, change it frequently as they make a mess of it in the early days.

And get that pup to a vet ASAP. You want to have the vet check for parasites, talk about raising this itty bitty, vaccinations, heartworm meds, payment methods, what to do for after-hours emergencies. Call now if you haven't already. You and the pup will need all the help you can get. And you want to head off any problems since she came from a compromised environment. I doubt the person you got her from does any worming or preventative care. 

Otherwise, as you know, you are raising the itty bitty baby here. It will be a 24 hour job for the next couple of weeks. But if you are confident and consistent it will work out.


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## kirin (Sep 19, 2008)

Just a update:

I made up a schedule for the entire day, does this sound alright?

12am-8am Sleep in crate

Bathroom breaks (no play, crate after )
2am, 4am, 6am

8am First feeding
After meal crate for 15min
8:25 bathroom
8:55 playtime
9:55 nap

11:30am Second feeding
After meal crate for 15min
11:45 bathroom
12:15 playtime
1:15 nap

3pm Third feeding
After meal crate for 15min
3:15 bathroom
3:45 playtime
4:45 nap

6:30pm forth feeding
After meal crate for 15min
6:45 bathroom
7:15 playtime
8:15 nap

10pm Fifth meal
After meal crate for 15min
10:25 bathroom
10:55 playtime

12am sleep

I just got her some goats milk and Just Born puppy formula. She didn't eat much with the goats milk, so ill try the formula next meal. The wet food i'm feeding her sais to let her eat as much as she can in 10min 4-5 times daily for weening. 

Her crying has lightened up some, she cries for periods at a time instead of the hour-long sessions. My boyfriend had enough of the crying last night though, and put her in a different room. We thought maybe since it was a small cage she was freaking out so we borrowed a larger cage. She couldn't poo all day yesterday, and was really bloated. When i was out getting the milk, she pooped in the cage. We gave her a bath with some puppy shampoo since she was just covered in it. I also bought a hot/cold liquid pack and a pluto stuffed animal for her. Shes still crying a lot though.. i'm going to try and get a radio near her cage. 

Another thing thats bothering me is her playing. She *loves* to chew on everything and when i try to play with her she pulls on my clothes/anything in the area even if theres dog toys there. And its always really hard when she bites. I scream "ouch!" but it doesn't seem to work because after a moment she goes right back at it. She likes tugging and trampling her stuffed animal really hard, and i'm worried she thinks its her real littermate and its not yelping.. so shes biting harder.

Also, i've been keeping her water dish in the cage but she *always* knocks it over and makes a big mess, so i'm thinking of just letting her drink when she eats or just when shes out.

Also: Thank you so much everyone for helping me so far! I'd be lost without you


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

The mother dog would lick the pup's belly to stimulate elimination. If your dog is having a hard time urinating or passing stool you can take a warm damp wash cloth and gently stroke the pup's belly. Lay the pup in your lap on a towel because sometimes they will eliminate right away. 

Your schedule looks good. Remember not everything goes according to schedule all the time so be willing to be flexible as well. But get her a vet check ASAP. I'd want a relationship with a vet so that if you need someone right away they will be willing to see you right away.


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## BarclaysMom (Aug 24, 2008)

kirin said:


> Another thing thats bothering me is her playing. She *loves* to chew on everything and when i try to play with her she pulls on my clothes/anything in the area even if theres dog toys there. And its always really hard when she bites. I scream "ouch!" but it doesn't seem to work because after a moment she goes right back at it. She likes tugging and trampling her stuffed animal really hard, and i'm worried she thinks its her real littermate and its not yelping.. so shes biting harder.


I think these are skills she would have learned from her mom and littermates if she had had more time with them. The breeder did this pup and you a real disservice by not sticking it out just a couple more weeks. I'd recommend a short 'time out' whenever she gets rough enough to solicit an 'ouch'. At that age it should be pretty short, just enough to turn down the excitement level. If you are consistent she'll learn to be gentler or else playtime ends. That worked for our rescued Dalmatian when he played too rough with our other dog.


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## ingedemaere (Sep 3, 2008)

We got our puppy at 8 weeks, she found her a little earlier than we thought we would. She stayed with us for 2 weeks, and the next 10 days, we had planned a vacation where we could't take her. So she went back to our breeder, where she stayed with her mum and one leftover sibling. As soon as they got together, they sniffed each other, and it took only 5 minutes before we heard her mum reprimand her in the backyard! When she came back to us after 10 days, she was well mannered and adorable. Even if we got her at the minimum 8 weeks of age, the time spent with the litter is increasing her learning abilities and makes a world of difference to her growing up I believe.

In the meantime, I do the same as you Kirin, I crate, feed and play with her on a schedule, and having spent more and more time with her, she has become very affectionate. She will lie on my lap when chewing on her toys to seek the body warmth. If she plays too excitedly, I turn my back on her as well. She will still try to seek attention by biting my trousers, but will eventually calm down. If she chews on my arms or hands, I will put my fingers over and in her mouth where she has no teeth, so she is actually biting on her own skin if she tries to bite through. Our breeder recommended this to us, and it works wonders for us!


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## wildbill (Sep 22, 2008)

It helps to keep the crate as close to you the owner as possible. It is hard to hear your puppy whine, but it is for their own good. Every time mine started, I knelt down near her and comforted her with a soft voice, then led her outside. It took a week and a half and getting up 4 times per night, but she started going out on her own. 

PS: they will not deficate in their sleeping area if they can absolutely help it.


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## carey (Sep 2, 2008)

we just got a 7 week old puppy and we have been crate training her with a lot of success. At night we take her out before we go to bed (around 10) and then we take the crate to our room for the night. She whines a little when she first gets put in it at night but we sit and pet her for a second and she settles down. We also have a stuffed dog toy that she likes to snuggle up with. I have been getting up with her when I hear her starting to wake up. The first night it was every 2 hrs. The second night it was about every 3 hrs and last night she got up at 2:30 and then slept until 6


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