why-do-puppies-cry

Why do puppies cry

You have just adopted a puppy. Sure, he's so cute, but he starts crying as soon as you're not in the same room as him, and even worse, he wakes you up at night crying and will end up disturbing the neighbors too... Find out why your puppy has such a behavior and what to do about it.

 

Understanding why your puppy cries

The main cause of your puppy's crying is anxiety: the anxious puppy cries because he is separated from you, his owners. Crying is considered a kind of barking. The anxious puppy immediately calms down with his owners but when he is separated from them, he is in full distress so he barks, cries, can also destroy what surrounds him and can even go as far as doing his business everywhere. These behaviors are indicative of deep anxiety in the young dog.

The causes of anxiety in dogs are also very diverse:

• Separation anxiety: this is a behavioral disorder that is expressed by signs of distress when the dog is separated from its owners or people to whom it is very attached. This is the case when the owners do not make the necessary detachment for the young puppy to become independent as his mother would have done. Thus, when the puppy sees his only reference, his master, leave, he becomes anxious and shows his distress by destroying and barking. Separation anxiety is then a consequence of hyperattachment.

• Phobias: a phobia is an anxiety linked to important fears outside. It is a fear reaction that is disproportionate to a normal environmental stimulus. Basically, fear is a normal reaction, it allows the dog to protect itself and is limited in time. Phobia, on the other hand, is an amplified reaction that blocks all learning.

• Hyperactivity specific to the Hs-Ha syndrome (hypersensitivity-hyperactivity): this is a developmental disorder of the dog that can be responsible for anxiety but also for a secondary hyperattachment.

 

What to do if your puppy cries?

To suppress this behavior, it is advisable to teach the puppy to detach himself from you, if it is not already done, and thus to teach him to stay alone.

Even if it may seem difficult, it is advisable that your puppy does not sleep in your room because it would only reinforce :

- his attachment: which may be the cause of the problem as we have seen above.
- its dominant character: which can cause other behavioral problems.

Do not systematically respond to your puppy's requests, it is up to you to initiate contact with him. So don't hesitate to come and get him to play even if he's napping!

If you want to leave your puppy in one room of the house at first, that's fine. Try to spend some time with him in that room, especially before you leave (at least at first), so that he doesn't associate going there with leaving; try to get him used to spending more and more time there, even if you are there.

Before leaving, leave him in that place, locked up, but don't stay too far away so that he knows you are there, for at least ten minutes. This will reassure him and prevent him from associating this place with your absence.

If he cries, don't answer his calls, even to reprimand him, because he will associate your return with his crying and not with the reprimand! He will then start again each time.

When you come to pick him up, don't cuddle him or let him cuddle you: ignore him for ten minutes and push him away if he seeks contact; that way, he won't associate your return and release with cuddling.

Break the leave-and-return ritual: Before you leave, ignore your puppy for a good half hour, so he doesn't associate leaving with no contact between you. You should do the same when you return: if he parties, push him away or tell him to go to bed (by scolding him), and you will re-establish contact, on your own initiative, only half an hour later.

If he's made a mess, don't scold him or clean up in front of him: he won't understand and will be more anxious.

Finally, to help your puppy learn to stay alone, there is a product that diffuses canine pheromones of appeasement in the ambient air of your house (Adaptil). This pheromone helps reduce stress and anxiety in dogs when they are left alone. The use of this product must be done in conjunction with the application of all the training tips mentioned above.

If your puppy continues to cry, consult a veterinarian.