# Previously quiet puppy now crying through night



## Sandy87 (Dec 7, 2008)

I got a papillon puppy a little over a week ago. His house training is going great; he's already understanding that potty time is only outside. He sleeps in a covered kennel in my bedroom with just a mattress, bumper pad, a treat-filled Kong (doesn't particularly care about it unless I add peanut butter), and some kibble and water.

Or at least he did.

Up until tonight, he made one or two little whimpers when I set him in the crate, and then settled down to sleep until he needed to pee (the first few nights it was five AM, but lately he's held it until eight. I'm shooting for ten; I like my sleep).

Tonight, though, he apparently decided he wasn't tired, and would not become tired all night. We tried putting him in at around eleven or so (usual time), and since then he's whined, cried, whined, screamed (I thought this was a shiba inu thing, but he's got a set of lungs, too - and no, he hasn't been around any shibas to pick up the sound), whined some more, howled, and continued whining. He stops if he's let out of the crate (we thought he needed to go poo, so we took him outside, but he just runs back to the door and asks to go back in), and then starts again as soon as he's put back in it.

My mom tried holding him in her lap (he usually naps in our laps in the daytime), but he didn't want to settle down and sleep. He tried to climb over her shoulder and get down and play. I tried putting him in my bed with me, and he kept worming away and wanting to get down and explore again. So back in the crate for more whining and screaming.

I tried putting peanut butter and salmon treats in his Kong. That lasted all of five minutes before he realized I might drift off to sleep with him being so quiet, so he whined some more. My mom went and got a warm puppy sleep toy (it has a sack of rice you can microwave for heat and a ticking heartbeat simulation inside it), but he doesn't care about it. He hadn't needed it before.

I have tried telling him no and clapping my hands (he hates the sound, so he pauses for a second to consider before resuming the whining - in the daytime, a clap and "no" will make him stop chewing inappropriate things or other bad behaviors, usually on the first or second time), praising him when he becomes quiet, and ignoring him entirely. None of them stop the whining.

...Interestingly, as I type this, he's settled down...finally. Either he's just worn himself out (I know I need sleep!), or the fact that my computer is right by his crate has something to do with it (he can see my legs if he comes to the front of the crate, and of course hear the keyboard). He had a more active day than usual yesterday (going outside and romping with our dachshund-terrier mixes, something he hasn't done much of yet, my brother had a friend over for a few hours, and I started his first sit lesson), so I thought he would've been more tired than a usual day where he naps in our laps all the time. I guess maybe he's like a fussy two-year-old who doesn't want to stop playing despite being tired as all get-out.

The other idea I had is that he got rid of some worms, so he's feeling frisky. We took him to the vet on Friday to get his rabies shot, and she gave us a powerful wormer to give to him yesterday (his breeder wormed him before we took him home, but the vet wanted to worm him again). I hadn't seen him pass any worms in his stool, but if the pill just killed them and he feels better, that might keep him up. Could be a side effect of the pill itself, too, I guess.

Anybody know why he would've suddenly started whining at night when he'd been absolutely quiet before? Have any tips for shutting him up if he tries it again tomorrow? I can't just put him in the other end of the house, as he'd certainly be able to scream loud enough for us to hear him, and ear plugs are out of the question, too (especially for one member of the house who believes he shouldn't have to change his ways to accommodate someone else). If we lose another night of sleep, we may snap each others' heads off (I know I'm cranky already - on top of the whining puppy, my hands are irritated from the extra number of times I have to wash them in a day, so they hurt, too, and waking up two or three hours early for a week before being totally deprived of sleep is a good way to shorten a temper).

...Two hours before I have to get up to be able to get to church on time...I hope two hours gets me a little sleep, at least...ugh, so tired...rambling...zzz...


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

You are only now seeing your real dog. The first week was an adjustment period for him so that wasn't the real him. Think about what you've done when he barks and doing the opposite is the answer to your problem. Simply put, whining is working for him so why not keep doing it. 

Also, sleep to 10, you should'nt have gotten a dog. 7:00 is a luxury to me.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I would wait and see what the next few nights are like. Quite possibly something in the wormer was affecting him. I have found having the crate right alongside the bed sometimes keeps them quiet as you can tap on the crate without saying anything.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 22, 2008)

1. It could be caused by the meds he just got (rabies shot and deworming)... time will take care of this problem.
2. It could be he is just now adjusting to his new life and you are seeing the real dog ... see #4 below.
3. Could be that he is just not ready for bed ... Make sure he is tired at bed time.
4. When he whines, take him outside to verify that he is not whining to go potty. After that give him absolutely NO attention for whining. Attention is what he is seeking and every time you say anything to him, look at him, otherwise acknowledge his presence he is getting reinforced for whining. You must not must NOT do any of these things while he is whining. When he stops getting what he is seeking, he will stop whining. This could take some time for him to realize this.


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## Sandy87 (Dec 7, 2008)

It must have just been the wormer. About seven AM Sunday, he ate some breakfast, then went outside and did a big poo (about double the normal volume, half normal color and half paler and yellowish, but all solid), and came back in and took a nap with me. He was a little finicky on his food Sunday (wanted to sleep more), but since then he's gone back to being polite and quiet all night long, only whining once to go out to potty, and acting normal and happy in the daytime (he wrestles with our other dogs and is starting to really get the idea of "sit" now; he's so smart).

I guess the moral of the story is, if your vet prescribes Drontal for your puppy and tells you to give it to him the next day (she wanted to be sure he wouldn't have a reaction to his rabies vaccine first), _don't_ give it at three in the afternoon. Either shoot for early morning so the craziness dies down by evening, or late at night before bed so it doesn't start until the next morning. I suppose either the dieing worms thrashed and upset his belly, or he just has a problem with one of the drugs (according to what I've found, Drontal is usually well-tolerated, but I guess it's possible to react to anything).


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