# Cosmo's home! (pix and questions)



## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

Hi Guys

Cosmo finally came home on Saturday. Its been an interesting couple of days to say the least.

Generally Cosmo has been fine, he plays, sleeps (a lot!) and as we have the door open to the garden, seems to the majority of his "business" outside. So all good. 

Where we are challenged is basically the sleeping. Cosmo has a crate, which we have partioned with a box, and we havent put any puppy pads down as the plan was to get up when he needed and take him out. 

The first night wasnt too bad. I put him in his crate and after about 45mins of crying he settled down and slept. I woke him up at 5am and took him out to do his stuff, and he did so. So all went to plan.

Yesterday was a different matter. We gave him a bath as he smelt pretty strongly since he came home. The bath was tough as he was wriggly, but he actually smelt worse after? Is that normal? It was a real wet dog smell, and pretty grim. Hes fine today, but was bad yesterday, and i didnt expect that after a bath. Even so, there is still a whiff about him. 

Feeding is all good, although not partcularly interested in eating from the Kong. WE are hand feeeding him as we are using the kibble to do the training, but even when i put some peanut butter in the kong it dodnt quite work out, and the kibble just stuck to the peanut butter and none came out, so we are doing something wrong here. Either way, his appetite is fine. 

So on to the evening. I sent him outside before sleep but he didnt do his stuff. We tried a number of times, but no luck, and eventually i put him in his crate. Hes fine stepping in and out of his crate during the day for a rest, but at night when i close the door its a challenge. I tried a tough love approach yesterday and i went upstairs to sleep and he was having none of it. He cried for 3 hours straight. I went down, took him out, and he wouldnt do anything. Are puppies afraid of the dark as he wont go outside. He ended up going on paper for a wee, but not outside where we are going in the daytime. 

I put him back in, and went up gain and her just wouldnt give up, so i ended up back on the sofa. Once i was on the sofa he was fine after a bit. I hope this doesnt mean im on the sofa forever now! Any ideas on how i can extracate myself from the sleeping pattern. He sleeps in his crate, but seems to need me there all the time. Today he is being extra xclingy after his experience yesterday. To be expected i guess. 

All in all, hes a delight, but hard work - i did all teh research, read all the books, but jut as with children, theres a lot of unkowns to deal with. Roll on night 3!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Cosmo is adorable! Bonnie was scared of the dark when she was little I used to leave a light on for her at night in the beginning. 
Some of us have our puppies crate in their bedrooms at night at the beginning. It may not suit you but if he is crying for 3 hours you may find you get more sleep if he is with you. Once they get used to being away from their litter mates and into a routine they can be moved wherever you want them to be. I couldn't be tough if my puppies cried it was torture to me, now we all sleep together one big happy family and we all sleep like logs!


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I've said it before but ear plugs really are your best friend in the early days..I know it is tough but do try not to keep going down to him ...it will only teach him that if he hollows long and hard enough you will come to him.

A few things to try ( if you aren't already!!)

1 . Cover the top and sides of the crate with a blanket to create a den feel.

2. Leave a small side light on

3. Leave a radio playing softly

4. Leave an old T-shirt of yours in his crate if you haven't been given something with the mothers smell from the breeder

5. Put something warm and snuggly in the crate - I had a bean bag type thing that you put in the microwave.

I remember night one being OK, then terrible for the next few nights before starting to calm down again...

Good luck xx


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Lady was weary of the dark at first outside only...so I would just stand with her for as long as it took to pee.

She was AWFUL at night...I would put her in her crate and she would cry non stop for hours and hours and hours...I wasn't sleeping so I had to think of something else...I ended up sleeping on the couch for 3 weeks.....first week, I had to be in her line of site....then the following week I moved her out of site but close by....then the third week I moved her crate even further away....then she was great in her crate...untill she turned 1...now we let her sleep in bed with us...this morning she was using me as her pillow....lol I love it!


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## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

thanks for the advice - i guess i just want this to work quicker than he does! I like to idea of gradually getting out of sight - i shall try that tonight. Also, was going to do the radio trick as well. Its hard to know when they are crying for their toilet needs, v feeling alone. I went down 3 times and took him out 3 times last night, and he still pooed in the crate, (on top of the box we used for a partition!). He could have used to option outside, but he chooses not to for some reason at night. 

So tonight the plan is.

1. Sleep a little further away - maybe out of sight
2. Keep a radio on for some noise comfort
3. Ignore, Ignore, Ingore


I shall try this for a week, and then im going to go back upstairs, and its back to tough love approach!

R


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I am sure in a week...he will be quite settled...he is super adorable!
love chocolate!!!
The going in the crate thing..that will pass soon too....I think Lady had a messy crate only 3 times...then was clean since.


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## KCsunshine (Apr 16, 2012)

cosmo is sooo cute!!!

Great advice on here as always..


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## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

So what's the deal with the puppy smell...our living room stinks and we have a bunch of ambipurs going at the same time, and together it's worse (although my wife is obsessed in trying to drown out the smell). The bath didn't help and him and Cosmo wet was even worse. Is this a short term thing?


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I'm not sure what the deal is but both my puppies had quite a strong smell to begin with ( not sure if it is all the weeing they do on each other in the litter)..
in my experience it took a good few baths and a good few weeks to go!!


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## TraceyT33 (Jun 25, 2012)

it is hard and in comparison to you and some others ive had it quite easy with millie so far.... however today I have had to wash her bed and the blanket she came with as it was stinking... iv already put a thread on here about bathing millie and will go to petsathome later to buy something. i didn't want to bath her straight away as i wanted her to settle in first but now (day5) i think its a good time, plus she is going to the vets in 2 days to get her first jab so can get her bathed beforehand.

as for the thread, persevere and ignore as much as you can. millie has calmed down a bit more with each night that has passed... cried for half hour first night, 20 mins next, 15 and then it was 5 mins last night. i put a blanket over the top of the crate so she knows its bedtime and i say the words too. fingers crossed she will be ok tonight but because its still early days i just go with it.

good luck for tonight, sounds like a good plan. xxx


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Cosmo is adorable! 

I'm afraid I have no trouble with tough love and with Biscuit I totally covered the crate with a dark blanket (still do as he seems to really settle when he can't see out) although I leave one side free for air which is alongside a sofa. I then went to bed, put my ear plugs in and didn't go back until the morning (although I knew my husband would be able to hear if he got really distressed). I left a puppy pad in the crate, which was wet for about 10 days and was then dry from then on. I still do cover the crate and I've used ear plugs for years as with 3 boy and a husband who has to get up at 5am, they are a necessity for my survival! Good luck with tonight! x


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## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice. He had his first jab today and they gave us a hard chew thing which he seems to enjoy but again we are stuck with the not doing poos or wee at in the dark outside. 

He goes into the crate with no problems but im watching him now and he's watching me and we both know what's going to happen in a hour or so. It's a cockapoo standoff.


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## mairi1 (Mar 12, 2012)

Haha... They aren't daft!! Molly is over 6 months and still won't go into her crate off her own accord . She is totally fine once she is in there and doesn't make a squeak but I have to put her in EVERY night!! 
Cosmo is totally adorable, a real head turner


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Yes, I have to lure Biscuit in every night by throwing in a few treats. He then watches me close each latch and then just sits there with the most adorable look. It's very difficult to pull the blanket down but it has to be done! x


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## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

So I've escaped upstairs! Project Cosmo extraction complete! 
Night light....check
Radio on.... Check
Cover on crate... Check
Poo and wee before sleep....fail
Quiet exit wearing my quietest flip flops....check


And so far no noise.....wish me luck!


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## Toffin (Aug 8, 2012)

Good luck 

Toffin


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## Duckdog (Jul 23, 2012)

Good luck..hope you have a peaceful (ish) night!


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## Blackstreet (Jun 15, 2012)

It lasted one hour.
Crying again and im upstairs with my head in under the duvet hoping it stop. Must not break!


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## susanb (Jan 19, 2012)

Hope it's going ok. Be strong - the stronger you can be now, the quicker things should get sorted out. It seems like it will never get better - I used to think that! - but it will get better!!!


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## Nanci (Mar 1, 2012)

Hang in there!! I used ear plugs with Sami, I still use them now, just cant bare the crying! With a new little girl comming, now it all starts again! I will have them both in the same room in side by side cages, so fingers crossed this works (and doesn't stress Sami out to much!!). Be strong! Sami does not mind his crate for sleeping, but does not go in for naps, wants to be with us in the living area.


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## Carolyne (Mar 13, 2012)

Adorable! He looks so much like our Mollie! This photo was taken at about 9 weeks old ... will upload a more recent one as soon as I can (she's now 17 weeks old).


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