pup cries a lot

Question
7 days ago i got a 5 week old golden retriever/ german shepherd mix.  i had him to the vet yesterday and he is perfectly healthy. he has been very happy, playing with my older dog, and eating fine.  last night when we went to bed he started crying a lot. at first i thought that he had to potty because he will cry if he has to go out already.  i would take him out and he would go, but when we came back inside he would continue to cry. he couldn't lay still. he also hasn't been eating like he used to.  we got him some canned food and he won't even eat that. i thought that it might be his teeth so i called the vet and they said that is was probably not his teeth.  he is still behaving this way now, what could the problem be?  please help   thanks   Ashley

Answer
You have a very young puppy in your home (I'm sure you know that). He is still very new to the house, and since the novelty of a new place to be has apparently worn out, he is lonely.

Are you crate-training him? It's not cruel, it resembles the den/crate/box he remembers with his mother and littermate(s), and he will feel safe in it. It will also help you in housetraining him since he is whining when he needs to go. If you're not crate-training at this time, there are several excellent sites online that explain how to do it without too much trauma to you or the puppy. I don't believe that once you crate-train that the dog has to be crated for the rest of his life, but at this time it could help you bring a routine to this little guy.

The whining AFTER he goes could simply be a call for sympathy. It could also be the start of a type of separation anxiety, which needs to be nipped in the bud. Please don't be tempted to bring him to your bed; when this puppy is full-grown (we used to have a golden/shepherd mix...beautiful, but big), he'll be a handful. Now is also the right time to start him on training, walking on a leash, learning 'go potty', 'go for a walk', etc.

Since you've already taken him to vet, I'm sure he's up to date on worming and shots...and the listlessness he feels now *could be* effects of the shots, vet visit, etc. Though definitely not a vet, I agree with yours that it's not his teeth (though get a load of chew toys, because the retriever in him will chewchewchew, especially when he's around 4 months and he starts teething).

Call the vet if he goes completely off his food, doesn't drink water, or has diarrhea or seems constipated. Other than that, I suggest lots of cuddles, an early start at some obedience and a lot of patience.

Hope this helps.