[Mymalkona]

We just brought our Alaskan Malamute puppy home this past Saturday 3-21-11.He is 2mths old. He was 1 of 11 pups so very used to being with mom and siblings. Let me start by saying he is a very smart pup but also a bit stubborn at times which this breed is known for. The first night home in his crate (which we had made very comfy for him) he did fairly well. Obviously he whined,barked,and howled but we all got through the night. Second night he whined and howled all night long so therefore we were up all night with him. We take his water away at 9:00 pm and take him out before putting him in is crate which mind you he never willingly goes into. So here is the problem he has peed and also pooped in his crate and I just don't get it at all. He has been with us for 5 nights now and it's just not getting any better....I don't know what else I can do at this point. I have set a ticking clock next to him, covered the crate, put toys in there with him...even put a blanket that I slept with so he has my sent with him and nothing seems to help. We take him out on a regular basis and it just doesn't seem to matter.Also he sleeps on our kitchen floor during the day which is hard wood so we removed his comfyness from the crate thinking maybe he's more comfy without the softness. If anyone has some advice I would really appreciate it!!!!

[lange]

He's 2 months old! He can't hold his bladder just because you put him in a crate. You need to take him out during the middle of the night. Set your alarm & take him out to do his business. Some will only need one potty break some might need two, it depends on the individual dog but at 2 months you're being unreasonable.

[Yogi]

As an AKC breeder, mine are crate trained before they go. In addition, 8 weeks is in fact still too early. Most are under the impression that a pup is weaned when it no longer nurses off its mother. In fact that is only phase one of the weaning process. The second phase is litter mate interaction and teaching bite inhibition which falls on the dam to do. This process usually can take from 3 to 4 weeks which is why most reputable breeders will not let pups go til they are around 11 or 12 weeks of age. Much of this problem you are having is that it is still missing its mother and siblings and unfortunately shy of returning the pup for a few more weeks you are going to have to ride out the puppy stage. The crate should be treated as the pups private space. Feed the pup in its crate etc. so that it looks at the crate as a sanctuary and not a restricted cell. Do not use the crate as a means of discipline which I doubt you are doing but it will send mixed signals to the pup. Try removing the water earlier and set a feeding schedule that you and the pup can both stick to. Dogs are routine oriented and in time will get it but there can be no variances otherwise it will throw them off. Good luck. One note, where is the crate located? Best it be near you when sleeping.

[Mymalkona]

Originally Posted by lange

He's 2 months old! He can't hold his bladder just because you put him in a crate. You need to take him out during the middle of the night. Set your alarm & take him out to do his business. Some will only need one potty break some might need two, it depends on the individual dog but at 2 months you're being unreasonable.

We do take him out during the night...as I said in my post we take him out on a regular basis.

Originally Posted by Yogi

As an AKC breeder, mine are crate trained before they go. In addition, 8 weeks is in fact still too early. Most are under the impression that a pup is weaned when it no longer nurses off its mother. In fact that is only phase one of the weaning process. The second phase is litter mate interaction and teaching bite inhibition which falls on the dam to do. This process usually can take from 3 to 4 weeks which is why most reputable breeders will not let pups go til they are around 11 or 12 weeks of age. Much of this problem you are having is that it is still missing its mother and siblings and unfortunately shy of returning the pup for a few more weeks you are going to have to ride out the puppy stage. The crate should be treated as the pups private space. Feed the pup in its crate etc. so that it looks at the crate as a sanctuary and not a restricted cell. Do not use the crate as a means of discipline which I doubt you are doing but it will send mixed signals to the pup. Try removing the water earlier and set a feeding schedule that you and the pup can both stick to. Dogs are routine oriented and in time will get it but there can be no variances otherwise it will throw them off. Good luck. One note, where is the crate located? Best it be near you when sleeping.

Thank you so much for your reply I have read that before about feeding in the crate and u r correct we do not use it as discipline he actually is only put in there for bedtime. We did start to remove the water earlier and also have a set schedule for feeding. His crate is located in our kitchen. If we bring him to our room for bedtime won't he continuously expect that when it is time to take him back to the kitchen for bed? I do think he is very attached to us already we have a playground across the street from our house and we started to let him in the backyard while we go over there just so he can get used to us not constantly being with him and he carries on like crazy and it is only for 15 min. that we are away.

[Yogi]

It is important that since he was not fully weaned that he needs to bond therefore having the crate in the bedroom with you offers him a sense of security in itself. To be left alone is part of the problem. Sometimes a pup will relax just knowing that you are near it. This is the best solution at this time from what you have noted. It still may take a couple nights but I would give this a chance.

[Mymalkona]

Originally Posted by Yogi

It is important that since he was not fully weaned that he needs to bond therefore having the crate in the bedroom with you offers him a sense of security in itself. To be left alone is part of the problem. Sometimes a pup will relax just knowing that you are near it. This is the best solution at this time from what you have noted. It still may take a couple nights but I would give this a chance.

Thank You!!

[lange]

Originally Posted by Mymalkona

We do take him out during the night...as I said in my post we take him out on a regular basis.

Sorry, when you said you took him out on a regular basis you didn't specify when so I assumed you meant during the day.