Puppy yelping uncontrollably

by rebecca
(el paso texas)

My 12 week old puppy yelps uncontrollably at night and when he is picked up.

When i took him to the vet they said it is from being startled by a new environment, but i have had the dog a month nd it seems like it is getting worse.

What can i do to fix this problem?






Hi Rebecca
First of all I'd take your puppy back for a thorough check up at your veterinarian's clinic, to make sure that there's definitely no health issue that could be causing this yelping. It's always possible that your pup has hurt himself somehow and is actually in pain or discomfort, so get that ruled out first. If you're not happy with the vet that you went to first time around it's always okay to seek a second opinion to be certain.

If your puppy does get a clean bill of health physically, then chances are your vet is right and this yelping is a symptom of anxiety and stress. After a month though, it's obviously pretty severe and your pup needs some help to get over it.

Regardless of what causes anxiety in dogs (separation from family/owner, thunder storms, fireworks, car rides etc.) there are some treatments available that can help calm them down. I'd recommend that you check out my Dog Separation Anxiety Medication page as it has many natural products that you might find will help.

For night-time, a dog relaxation CD could be the answer. You might also want to check out
the Thundershirt, as it can be really helpful in reducing stress and anxiety in dogs.

Whatever you decide to use, be patient with your pup he is obviously very upset and may be a hyper-sensitive little guy. If you find that nothing helps, then I'd recommend getting in touch with a canine behavioral therapist and asking for some more advice.

Hope this helps some, best of luck!