Help! My puppy always wants to be held...

[sdkath]

I am suddenly thrown back to the days when I had my colicky baby in my arms 24/7! :o Our new puppy is absolutely insistent that someone hold her ALL the time. I mean every waking moment that she is not being actively played with, she wants to be held. HELP!

It's 10:30pm and I am trying to type and she is screeching in her play pen in the living room next to me. She can't see me but she knows I am here. I played with her for about 2 hours just now and then I cuddled her while she fell asleep on me and now it's MY TIME and I want her out of my arms. So instead I have to listen to her bark and whine like mad. UGH.

During the day, DH says she's the same way. She is in her playpen in the office next to him and just whines and cries all the time. He has to work on the computer so he can't be holding her. He still ends up cuddling with her from around 7-9am while I take the kids to school. Then again around 5 when he's done, he again plays with her and holds her.

HELP! What are we supposed to do? Will she outgrow this neediness??? She's about 15 weeks now and seems very comfortable and settled in our home. Are we spoiling her? Or not holding her enough??? :blush:

Katherine

[2morkies]

Yep, Puppies are just like babies. :hearter: Does she have to go potty? Maybe give her a warm towel or blanket(like just out of the dryer) give her a shirt or something that smells like you, give her a hug and a kiss, put her down and turn out the light, say "night, night go to sleep baby" and let her cry...until she goes to sleep. Do the same thing every night as routine is good for them. Sorry...they really are just like babies :o Good luck

[Morkie4]

Well, I have two that are "Love" needy!!!!! :p

The moment my hubby walks into the house from work, Brandy "HAS" to be held or touching him in some way or she digs at him so he usually accomodates her and she is a happy camper. Buffy is a need little gal too. She loves to be in your lap, chest, back, well, just anywhere you want her as long as she is touching you. I would say that 95% of the time I am at the computer, Buffy is on my lap. I found that the maltese breed is just a very affectionate breed and has a graving for human companionship and touch. I guess that is what I love so much about them........makes me feel loved and needed. :D :D

I am sure that after playing with her for two hours, she is just not ready to be put into the pen "away" from you......it is obvious that she is bonding with your family. I think it will get better as she gets older and can be trusted to free roam the house. I know mine will all go bonkers if I was in one room and they were in another in a pen.............they can't stand for me or the hubby to be out of their sight. Where I go, they go!!!

[JiJi's Mom]

I put their crate right next to my chair or bed and that will quiet them down. They hate being in separate rooms.

[Emma's Mama]

Emma was the same way. It felt like I had a newborn in the house instead of a puppy! I was so worn out the first few weeks. It felt like I couldn't get anything done because I had a crying, barking puppy nonstop who was constantly clinging to my leg. Emma will be 2 next month and she would still fuss if I tried to leave her in a pen or crate while she knew I was home. The exception is that she has slept in her crate every night since I brought her home. I put her crate beside my bed and as long as she can see me there, she's perfectly fine and sleeps all night. When she was a puppy and I didn't want her roaming around the house by herself, I'd just put her on a lead and loop it around a chair leg or something in the same room that I was in. It freed me up to do some things and she was happy to have me close by. I think part of it she will outgrow and part of it is just the nature of the Maltese!

[CinttisLuke]

I am suddenly thrown back to the days when I had my colicky baby in my arms 24/7! :o Our new puppy is absolutely insistent that someone hold her ALL the time. I mean every waking moment that she is not being actively played with, she wants to be held. HELP!

It's 10:30pm and I am trying to type and she is screeching in her play pen in the living room next to me. She can't see me but she knows I am here. I played with her for about 2 hours just now and then I cuddled her while she fell asleep on me and now it's MY TIME and I want her out of my arms. So instead I have to listen to her bark and whine like mad. UGH.

During the day, DH says she's the same way. She is in her playpen in the office next to him and just whines and cries all the time. He has to work on the computer so he can't be holding her. He still ends up cuddling with her from around 7-9am while I take the kids to school. Then again around 5 when he's done, he again plays with her and holds her.

HELP! What are we supposed to do? Will she outgrow this neediness??? She's about 15 weeks now and seems very comfortable and settled in our home. Are we spoiling her? Or not holding her enough??? :blush:

Katherine

Well! I'm not good for this to give you an advice!:o:o

Since the day one I brought Lucas I couldn't resist him crying! I tried to crate him and he cried like a baby! I didn't want him to cry (I think thats way he is so spoiled:o) So he has sleep on our bed since day one! He LOVES to be in my arms and when I'm busy he does understand and gets to his bed that I've in the living room until I finish or he goes to Andrew's or in law's! When he knows I'm not doing anything he comes and scratch my legs really gentle like "Hey I'm here" so I can hold him and I do:o:o:hearter:!!

Good luck with Ginger! She sounds like a "normal" maltese:lol2::hearter:

[ilovemysnow]

i say don't do anything. let her cry. Or keep her occupied with a toy or something to nibble on. If she sees you reacting to her crying, she'll keep doing it cause she knows it'll get you to come get her. she has to understand that being quiet and calm is the only way she'll get attention. THEN AGAIN... she is a puppy.. and i'm not really good with dealing with puppies since I got Snow at age 1 already (estimated). As mentioned, it does calm them down just to be able to see you. So the expen/crate next to you should help ease her anxiety.

Snow doesn't cry often (only when he needs to go down the bed to drink or pee). He knows when he cries to look for me, nothing happens. Like when he's in his expen and he cries, i don't come near him. Only way for me to get him out is if he sits down calmly and wait for me. Now, i will walk up next to the expen and he'll sit down and wait for me to get him out. Sure he'll jump around as soon as i turn around, but once i face him he knows he has to sit down and look at me. Then i'll say "gooooood boyyyy come to mommy!!!" and pick him up. :)

he does bark or yelp actually when i'm not in the same room as him, as if to ask out loud "where are you mommy?????"... he doesn't do this when my BF isn't in the room. Only with me.. Lol Like many on here, Snow just has to have me in his sight for him to be OK.. Like when I'm in the kitchen and he's in my room, all you'll hear is a yelp or two every 5 mins. Lol Then when i come inside, he'll whimper a little cause he's so happy i'm back.. then settle down and nap as soon as he knows i'm next to him.

I do think she'll outgrow a bit of the separation anxiety, but i also believe it's part of their nature to always want to be held by their favorite people.. such loving breed Maltese are! Good luck though!! Please update us on any progress.. I'm curious how puppies are too. OH and when you leave them for longer period of time, i always keep a distraction. EVERYTIME i leave, i don't say bye or make a big deal, i just give him his kong full of treats inside to occupy him and quietly leave. He used to cry hysterically when he hears my keys, so I just leave my keys by the front door so he doesn't hear them. He's been good the past month or two. Not sure if any of that helped! ;P