8 week old puppy acting strange? EM

[stemen2015]

Hi,I am new here so I am sorry if this has been posted, I have looked at this forum several times. We got an 8 week old, female, english mastiff on Sunday. She literally doesn't do anything but sleep and go to the bathroom. We have another dog (lab/beagle mix) and when he tries to play with her she freaks out and gives an angry yap. When you throw a toy for her she looks at it and just sits down. Sometimes she will have spurts that last maybe 5 minutes with our other dog but other than that she wants nothing to do with anyone. We tried to put a leash on her to start to train her but that didn't go over so well either. I have always LOVED LOVED english mastiffs and my dream came true when my husband bought her. We are not first time dog owners either but we are first time EM owners.

 

[JamieHalverson]

I can't speak specifically to EMs, but we got a Bullmastiff puppy last June. It takes them a while to bond with you and the family, they've just been removed from their littermates and mamma dog. Also, my puppy hated walks at first. Her breeder called her a "concientous objector" because when she didn't want to walk on a leash she just flopped over on her side and layed there. Keep interactions positive and reward behaviors you like and she'll come around!

 

[JamieHalverson]

Oh, and yes, they sleep ALOT.

 

[season]

Oh, and yes, they sleep ALOT.

Yep...8 weeks, still very young....I wouldn't be forcing much onto it at this time....get them in routines as far as potty breaks and feeding protocol. You can slowly start getting your dog use to the leash (I'd have your dog on a leash all of the time in the house unless it is in the crate. There are many things you can do with your new pup to help with getting it comfortable with you and it's new environment. here is a good article that is helpful.you'll be getting a lot of advice from very knowledgeable people. take it in.Leerburg | The Ground Work to Becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader

 

[stemen2015]

Yep...8 weeks, still very young....I wouldn't be forcing much onto it at this time....get them in routines as far as potty breaks and feeding protocol. You can slowly start getting your dog use to the leash (I'd have your dog on a leash all of the time in the house unless it is in the crate. There are many things you can do with your new pup to help with getting it comfortable with you and it's new environment. here is a good article that is helpful.you'll be getting a lot of advice from very knowledgeable people. take it in.Leerburg | The Ground Work to Becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader

Thanks for the article!!

 

[season]

No prob. A lot of useful stuff.


"Today is victory over yourself of yesterday."
- Miyamoto Musashi

 

[tmricciuto]

I agree with the others. It sounds like pretty normal behavior considering what that little puppy has gone through. Just give it time and consistency and the puppy will come around. Mine literally sleep a minimum of 16 - 18 hours a day. They are 9 months old.

 

[Victoria93]

If you haven't already, a vet visit wouldn't hurt to make sure she doesn't have anything wrong. But it sounds like she is still adjusting to a whole new life and world.

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Completely normal! Our guy used to sleep ALL the time. He still does but I always said he's sleeping and has the hiccups so he must be growing!! Congrats!!

 

[DennasMom]

Sounds like a good excuse for a nap with a puppy, to me.

I would give her opportunities every day, but don't force anything on her. Make sure she knows you will provide safety and security... and love and food... and the rest will come in time. Joining a new home is very stressful, so lots of naps are required for all the new information to be understood and absorbed.

Enjoy your puppy!!

 

[EM Nani]

My Nani is 11 weeks old; we got her at 8 weeks. The first week she was very active on and off, but I think she slept a lot more then. Before we got to bring our girl home, we visited the litter once a week since they were 5 weeks old and the pups were always sleeping. I could definitely tell that some slept more than others as the weeks went on since your breeder would send us picture updates where our girl would be awake while others were still sleeping (and vice versa). Even now, some days she sleeps more often than others. Just the other day she would wake up and be extrememly active for 20 min or so and then sleep for 2 or three hours. It's alittle weird, but puppies do sleep a lot. Also, I've been told that this breed tends to sleep quite a bit even as they get older compared to other breeds. I can understand your concern because believe me, I had tons of questions since she is our first EM and furbaby. Did your pup have a good wellness exam before you got her? If so, I wouldn't worry much; give her a couple more days to settle in and she'll adjust.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Hi,I am new here so I am sorry if this has been posted, I have looked at this forum several times. We got an 8 week old, female, english mastiff on Sunday. She literally doesn't do anything but sleep and go to the bathroom. We have another dog (lab/beagle mix) and when he tries to play with her she freaks out and gives an angry yap. When you throw a toy for her she looks at it and just sits down. Sometimes she will have spurts that last maybe 5 minutes with our other dog but other than that she wants nothing to do with anyone. We tried to put a leash on her to start to train her but that didn't go over so well either. I have always LOVED LOVED english mastiffs and my dream came true when my husband bought her. We are not first time dog owners either but we are first time EM owners.

Sounds about right. I'd be grumpy if someone was bothering me while trying to sleep too!

Be careful with exercise while they are really growing. Their bones grow so fast that their muscles and tendons are sort of stretched and achy and they are goofy because they don't necessarily have the strength to properly handle their size. I wouldn't walk them very much if at all. Only walk them as far are you are willing to carry them. Walks on leash around the house or in the yard are ok. Growing so much so fast really takes a lot out of them. You will notice this until the bulk of their height is on, which is normally around 8-10 months. They still grow up* after that but not at such an alarming rate and that's around when they start filling out. That's about the time I start going on regular walks with mine, there's less risk of injury and/or giving up and needing carried home. These dogs aren't meant to be hyper and super play driven. They are more like natural couch potatoes with the occasional short workout. Every dog is different though so really just play it by ear.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Oh I almost forgot. :welcome:

 

[Jaszies_dad]

Hi,I am new here so I am sorry if this has been posted, I have looked at this forum several times. We got an 8 week old, female, english mastiff on Sunday. She literally doesn't do anything but sleep and go to the bathroom. We have another dog (lab/beagle mix) and when he tries to play with her she freaks out and gives an angry yap. When you throw a toy for her she looks at it and just sits down. Sometimes she will have spurts that last maybe 5 minutes with our other dog but other than that she wants nothing to do with anyone. We tried to put a leash on her to start to train her but that didn't go over so well either. I have always LOVED LOVED english mastiffs and my dream came true when my husband bought her. We are not first time dog owners either but we are first time EM owners.

I'd try hand feeding as much as possible

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