How do you make a 6 week old puppy stop crying at night or anytime she is alone?
I found that when my dog went through this stage, that if I gave him plenty of toys to keep him occupied, and played with him to tire him out – this usually helped, and now he doesn’t even cry at all. I think all puppies go through this stage, at 6 weeks, puppies are used to being with their mother and the other puppies, so it is a big adjustment when you take them from that situation. Be patient and give your puppy lots of love, affection and stimulation through play and toys and I am sure you will both be fine.
A 6 week old puppy is not mature enough to understand being comfortable while alone, they are still extremely dependent. Most puppies are only just starting to wean at 6 weeks, give her a break! Crate train her with a nice doggy crate, and keep it near you so she can sense your presence. Each week, move the crate farther away from where you sleep at night, until she is out of the room completely at night. By 2 or 3 months or so, she should be perfectly comfortable sleeping by herself, since she will be assured of her security.
As everyone else has said, 6 weeks is way too young for a puppy to be taken, and if you don’t believe me, just read all the questions on here about puppies being aggressive and such because they were taken from their litter too early. They should be 8 weeks at the very earliest. If taking the pup back is not an option, or if she does it later, ignore her. Don’t coddle her or comfort her because it just encourages her to do it more. Get her a good sturdy crate where you know she is safe, give her toys and blankets and let her be.
How did you get your hands on a 6 week old puppy? She isn’t ready to leave her mother and littermates for almost another month. You have two options: a) Take her back to her mother and littermates. She still has a lot of growing up to do with them, behaviour-wise. Puppies that are taken from their litter too early don’t get the time needed to socialise and learn important things like bite-inhibition. b) Ignore her. It sounds cruel, but if she learns that whining and crying is going to get her attention, she is going to be whining all day and all night from now on. Give her a warm blanket, perhaps a hot water bottle and a clock wrapped up in something that smells like you. Put her crate in your room; it might make her feel more secure to be closer to you. Beyond that, there’s not much more you can do.
