Dakota-- Our first great dane puppy

[Kristinpsc]

First, I am so glad to have found these forums. They have been such a help to read leading up to finally getting Dakota as well as obsessively reading them the past 5 days we have had her. She is so sweet and loves to cuddle. Our struggle with her is the terrible crying she does when we leave the room. Its so sad. When she was crated alone (without me sleeping next to her) her 4th night, she cried for 20 minutes. And another 20 minutes each time we took her on her two overnight potty breaks and returned her to her crate. This gets better right?!

Today our first day back to work after getting her last Thursday. I am worried to leave her in her crate but both me and my wife went home on breaks to let her out and do a quick play session.

Also, she cannot do anything but worry when we are coming back in the room when we leave. She doesn't lay down or play with her toys, etc. She cries and looks for us. She only has access to one room now while we are still potty training. Is this her still adjusting to being in a new environment and away from her litter mates?

Anyway.....here she is and again, I am so glad to have found these helpful forums!

[mejawh]

Welcome! She is gorgeous! Yes the crying gets better, I have a 13 week old and she cried the first 4 days incessantly, just a big change for them and they miss their momma's. After that she only cried to wake me up at 3 am for her potty break and now she will whine for a minute but knows I will be back and goes to sleep until I come home. I let her wander around the house with me if I could watch her constantly but blocked her out if I wasn't going to be there to supervise. By 9.5 weeks she was ringing the bells consistently to go outside to potty and now she been accident free for a couple weeks and with that she has started sleeping in our bedroom on her bed at night with no accidents! You will be there soon and it is soooo much better when you get a full night's sleep again!

[oshagcj914]

Welcome, cute puppy! Yes, the crying gets better, give her a little time to adjust! Are you leaving her something to occupy her when you aren't in the room, like a stuffed kong or yummy chew? Are you crate training? I'd highly recommend working on getting her to be calm and quiet and ok on her own for a short time. If you have to go do something in another room, put her in her crate with a really great chew or treat that she likes so you know she's safe and she learns to have quiet time alone. With Finn, I would also randomly throw or leave treats in his crate for him to find when he went in there so he learned to like the crate, and we fed him in there too.

[ImJustMe83]

Your pup is adorable! Bae cried in her crate for 45 minutes the first night home and about 20 the second and less and less each night after that. I think by day four she stopped and only cried when she had to potty. Don't worry your pup will be ok and this too shall pass.

[Appygirl82]

Crate training is an EXCELLENT choice. The first week (maybe a couple) are rough. Yes they cry, like above posters talk about....they are in an unfamiliar territory. They miss mom and littermates.

In the end though, crate training pays off big time. My dogs enjoy their crate, they get a treat when they go in and best of all....they are not out tearing up my house when I am away

[Kristinpsc]

Thank you for the encouragement!! Yes, we are crate training! Last night was less crying, so that felt great. I think what we are missing is randomly giving her a kong in her crate while we are home. Because at this point I cannot do anything around the house because when I leave her in her blocked off room she goes nuts. So instead of leaving her in her blocked off room, we will get her a kong and crate. AGAIN, your posts made us feel better!

Any special kongs that your puppies likes besides straight peanut butter? We need to change up her kong stuffings I think.

[jrturk]

Any special kongs that your puppies likes besides straight peanut butter? We need to change up her kong stuffings I think.

We prefer stuff you can freeze (yogurt, cream cheese, smashed banana, PB). We'll use a combination if one ingredient is too rich, or we'll mix in other stuff like kibble for texture.

[mnmouse]

Canned food and kibble mixed, then frozen in the kong works well. This mixture helps to avoid a lot of extra rich foods in the kong if your puppy has a sensitive system.

[SuzanneRM82]

I use any combination of peanut butter, cream cheese, meat baby food, leftover meat, yogurt, fruits, cheese, canned food.

[Kristinpsc]

Thanks so much! Going after work to pick up your suggestions! So.....do I fill the whole thing? Or just some of it? With leaving in the morning and taking her out twice in the day I don't want to over feed her or under feed her so shes done with the kong in two minutes. thanks!

[jrturk]

I shove a piece of cheese or soft treat in the small hole, then fill the whole thing up and freeze. That's why something rich (cream cheese, PB) gets mixed with something else (smashed banana, kibble). A whole Kong of fatty stuff could be bad news .

[oshagcj914]

If you freeze the kong it will last much longer. Or try the thick bully sticks frozen. They'll last a while for now, not so much when they get bigger . Just decrease her meals a little bit if she's getting a kong daily. Or put her meals in the kong and use that to feed her.

[Kristinpsc]

Thanks! Just put some peanut butter cream cheese kibble mixture in kongs in the freezer for tomorrow. I will try thick bully sticks in the freezer too! We have bully sticks and she love love loves them. But I get worried to leave one in the crate. But if I get thick ones to freeze that would be good.... Another question.... She's crated while we are at work and we make make two stops home to take her out and play for a few minutes.. But when she's in the crate she doesn't have her water. That's ok to give her the kong as long as she gets water when we come home?

[dukers]

Thanks! Just put some peanut butter cream cheese kibble mixture in kongs in the freezer for tomorrow. I will try thick bully sticks in the freezer too! We have bully sticks and she love love loves them. But I get worried to leave one in the crate. But if I get thick ones to freeze that would be good.... Another question.... She's crated while we are at work and we make make two stops home to take her out and play for a few minutes.. But when she's in the crate she doesn't have her water. That's ok to give her the kong as long as she gets water when we come home?

Should be alright without water for a little bit as long as she has free access while you are home.

We put block cheese chunks, chicken jerky and PB in Duke's kongs... He doesn't like frozen things... goober

[junogriffin]

We put a nonfat Greek yogurt and kibble mixture into each Kong and freeze it. The probiotics in the yogurt are supposed to be good for their digestion. As much as Maude loves peanut butter, it was making her really thirsty so we save it for special occasions.