Hi friends! I picked up my now 11 week old Pomeranian last Saturday, and was hoping for some guidance.
Once we got her home, I figured she would be tired from the 3 hour car ride with us, so I put in the playpen I got her. It had an open kennel inside with a bed, food, water and toys, and I covered it with a blanket to reduce stimulation. Didn’t last long though because she screamed absolute bloody murder when she couldn’t see us.
We took her out and played, and when we tried again it was more of the same. I realized that that night I should probably not cause her so much stress so I did what I read about on this sub, which is to move a crate in my room so it’s right next to my bed so I can smooth her and reach in when she cried. It was irks pretty well, did that for a few nights but she got really scared of something one night and woke me up crying with her back against the back of the crate, and was scared of one side of the kennel.
The last two night, I moved the pen in my room on the floor next to my bed with lots of cozy things. Last night I added a heartbeat puppy stuffie, which she seems to like okay, but she still cries because she hates the pen even during the day. I also have a calming pheromone plugged in nearby, and I also ordered the spray to put on her bed and stuffie. Tonight I am trying a slightly bigger kennel again, and that hopefully we have a better outcome than before.
In the pen, she cries unless she is touched, until she falls asleep. I am a bit stressed because I have been letting her go around the living room while I’m in there to keep an eye on her, and there is totally relaxed. But the minute she is put in a pen, which is still big at 36”x36” she acts like I’m torturing her.
This sub seems mostly on the side of being attentive to them in the crate, but I’m also worried I’m creating separation anxiety. My boss has a one year old at Bernard and used the cry it out method and thinks I just need to do that.
So here’s my question. She’s still a little baby and is adjusting really well to my house outside of this issue. But I’m not sure if at 11 weeks this something I should approach with softness or tough love. How long did this stage last? What worked for you? She’s my third pom but first I’m raising from a puppy.
I don’t want to create problems for her as an adult, and it’s giving me a lot of anxiety and causing me to have puppy blues. Any advice is welcome.
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