Anxiety issues? Breaking Bad Habits? Hell I don't know.

[Brittany]

Some of you know I recently added a Great Dane rescue puppy to my home. He is 12 weeks. His name is Jixer. But is affectionately know my P.I.T.A. dog (pain in the ass). He is a sweetheart just stubborn and hard headed. LOL The best thing is him and Busa get along so well. Jixer is house broken, knows sit, come, lay down, paw, waits for the take command for his food and we are working very hard on not pulling on a leash. He is a smart dog just like Busa. My problem........ well isn't a problem more of an issue. Is he won't sleep during the day with out being right next to you or on your lap. He has to touch you. At night he sleeps fine in his kennel in the bedroom. He wakes around 2 am to go potty and will whine when we put him back in the kennel to go back to sleep but that usually only last a minute then he goes back to sleep. Busa sleeps on the floor on his pillow and has been for at least a couple months now. Busa will not go near his kennel when he is in there. We taught Busa to leave him alone in the bedroom. That is sleep time. During the day is a whole different story. He will not get good sleep really unless his is touching you. We have a kennel in the living room also. After feedings I kennel Jixer for about an hour. So there is no playing just rest. I worry about bloat. He will lay down and dozes off and on but is restless. During the day after play he won't just lay down and sleep. Even though I know he is tired. I have tried putting a pillow at my feet and telling him stay with a raw hide but he will whine every 10 mins to get up on the sofa with me or for me to get down with him. I tried moving the pillow next to Busa who is sleeping. That doesn't work either. I mean tried too. I will do this for and hour or two of just getting up and putting him back on his pillow when he comes over to me.He just wants to snuggle. I have tried the kennel in the bedroom with TV or fan and no distractions (Busa or I) doesn't work either. I have tried laying in the bedroom on the bed so he can see me while he is in the kennel. Doesn't work either. He just whines but not the constant whining just a whimper every now and again. I am worried he isn't getting enough sleep. If I put him on the sofa with me he could sleep for hours on end. He gets plenty of play and exercises both with Busa and with just me. The best sleep he gets during the day (without being next to me) is in his kennel in the living room. I hate the thought of putting him in the kennel during the day just to sleep. I want him to be able to fall asleep out with the rest of us during the day. I have been trying to just be firm and consistant with the schedule and rules. I don't think its and obidence problem as he is not a bad dog and I don't know if it is anxiety because he is not really clingy when inside or out. Just when it's sleep time. But he needs sleep.Good sleep. Any suggestions or advice would be appricated.

 

[victoria1140]

perhaps he never had a safe zone before and is now worried if he goes to sleep something will happen and as you are the alpha he feels comfortable next to you.

If he isnt showing signs of any seperation anxiety at any other time if you are able I would just let him be comfy next to you until he learns to trust again.. Once he goes to sleep perhaps you can then move away from him to see if he stays asleep.

Gradually condition him then that if he wakes up you are near and once he is more confident then he should start learning to relax and trust.

do you know any of his history that may be relevant

 

[Brittany]

Some more info. The family I got him from had him and his brother. They got them at 4 weeks. He was crated during the day and out with the rest of the family after school and work. Even tho being taken away
from his mom early there is no mouthing issue. I assume because he had a sibling to teach what hurts. Even tho his rough and unfortunate start (being sold out the back of a pick up truck) He is healthy, eats well, Ect. He went to the same vet we take Busa so she is familiar with him.

 

[new_2_newf]

keep in mind, if he's asleep, he doesn't care if he is in his kennel or not. I think if that's what works for him to take a nap during the day, I'd pop him in a kennel near wherever you spend most of your day when he is ready for a nap, or you are ready for him to have quiet time. I also wouldn't worry too much about how much sleep he gets during the day if he sleeps well at night....he'll sleep when he needs to.

It's super cute to have him snuggle with you now when he is smallish, but it may not be a habit you want him to have when he is fully grown and you are trying to check your email or knit or something, and he decides he NEEDS to be in your lap. Dogs on the furniture is totally your call, I love to snuggle with mine while I'm watching TV, but it's annoying when I'm working from home, so they have to be ok not right beside me as well.

 

[Brittany]

The women saw puppies being sold out of a pick up truck called authorities. There were 2 litters. 2 mothers 1 father. Mothers were nice and appeared visually healthy. She took two puppies. The man who was selling them said they were weaned at 4 weeks. She bottle fed them once they were home. That's all I know. I don't think at her house there was much of a set schedule. With ,kids and work. But were well taken care off. He has had no pet or food aggression. Does great at pet smart.

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

I have nothing to offer, except for A: holy cow. 4 WEEKS?! Poor wee little things. That's probably actually illegal in your state, as it is most states (to sell pups at that young an age). And B: Danes are actually very sensitive dogs and a breed that needs socializing more than most others. Just an FYI. I really wouldn't worry about it too much as he's still a wee little guy at 12 weeks and multiple cat naps throughout the day may actually be the only thing he needs. Infants and puppies are actually a lot alike in that way, in that they need very many short sleep periods per day rather than prolonged ones.

Also, could some of your anxiety regarding his sleep actually be making him more anxious and insecure? That could be a possibility. It also could be a result of being seperated so early from his mother and littermates, the crappy way he lived for (what, 8 weeks?) before he came to you (being crated for what sounds like a lot for a wee pup) PLUS the fact that he's a Dane, which are (in general) already fairly sensitive dogs to begin with?

 

[NinaA]

My guess is the early separation is causing the sleep issues. May be that he'll outgrow it. May be that he'll settle in with you all and they'll go away. Just don't expect anything to resolve too fast. Good luck. Good grief - four weeks! Poor baby.

 

[lacey9875]

Poor baby. I was wondering how he was doing. Just remember he's very young, and probably isn't feeling completely stable yet. He'll get there.


If it were me, he'd end up being the biggest lap dog ever, because I'd be hauling his big butt around as long as I could. I am a spoiler of animals, and my Mom swears I do something to make them super clingy. ( Probably carrying them around until I can't anymore!)

 

[Brittany]

Poor baby. I was wondering how he was doing. Just remember he's very young, and probably isn't feeling completely stable yet. He'll get there.


If it were me, he'd end up being the biggest lap dog ever, because I'd be hauling his big butt around as long as I could. I am a spoiler of animals, and my Mom swears I do something to make them super clingy. ( Probably carrying them around until I can't anymore!)

I carried Busa around till about a month ago. He is too big now I spoil them too. My boyfriend saw me cracking a pig ear open and shoving peanut butter in it. He just looked and me and said "What a pig ear isn't good enough it has to have peanut butter too?!?! Lol

 

[blaue_augen]

I would think there has got to be a lot of things a puppy learns from his mother between 4 and 10 weeks. And maybe sleep how to fall asleep is one of them? I don't think it seems like a bad thing to put him in his crate to sleep. I do know that dogs can get so tired that they fall asleep standing up. (As a child our dog was hit by a car, and the metal stitches were painful to lay down with. He would fall asleep standing up, then fall over, cry out in pain and stand up again. It was very sad.) So given that, I would think that eventually your puppy would get so tired he would just fall asleep. Maybe you just have to let him whine, when he can't be in your lap and he will eventually fall asleep.

In our dog training class we would to a leadership exercise. Put the dog on a leash, sit in a chair and put the leash under your butt leaving enough leash for the dog to lie down but not wander around. Then ignore the dog. He will try to get your attention and whine and go through a series of things, but should eventually resign himself to just lying down. You need to sit there for at least 30 minutes (so hopefully your chair is near the tv or computer or book so you don't get bored). Maybe you can use this same exercise to teach him to lay down without getting attention from you.

Also, it's very common for Danes to be lap dogs.

I cropped my friends head from the photo on purpose. Also, pay no attention to the fact that she had mange when we got her rom rescue.

Good luck! It sounds like you may have a few bumps in the road, but I think everyone does with puppies. And it makes it a fun ride!

 

[CMDRTED]

Not to start anything, but I saw you menitioned they got rawhides. I don't know if your aware or not but rawhides can be dangerous for a couple of reasons.

1. They are chemically bleached and treated.
2. They are a bigtime Chocking hazard. I learned a lesson a couple of years ago. I had a dog choke on one. They get them soft by chewing on it and they swallow them. Mine got the rawhide stuck down their throat and it cut off their air (not a Newf). I was devistated. We allow not rawhides at all. There are plenty of others chewies available that are ok for a dog.