new puppy depressed?

by I.Newmark
(Syosset NY)

We adopted a four and a half month old boxer puppy from a breeder with the parents and 7 other dogs in the home.

Our puppy has been walking from room to room crying since we brought him home ( we have no other dogs)

How long will it take him to get over it? Should we crate him alone in the kitchen at nite when we sleep ( he cries all nite).

Hi
It's perfectly normal for a new puppy to feel lonely and homesick for a little while after leaving his canine family. At 4 1/2 months old, your pup has had his extended family around for quite a while, so he's feeling lost and lonely.

However, it's not something to worry about too much, it's heartbreaking for you to see him upset, but he'll get over it in pretty quickly. Usually it doesn't last very long.

Give him plenty of love and affection and set up a regular routine so that he feels comfortable and secure. At 4 months old his bladder/bowel control should be starting to improve, so crate training should be a bit easier than starting with an 8 week old puppy. If he is lonely in the kitchen by himself, put his crate in your bedroom if you can. That may make him feel better.

I think you may find these pages helpful:

New Puppy Care

Crate Training A Puppy

Best of luck!