So I don't know if I've been doing the right thing or not... I've seen lots of photos and posts of Labrador puppies snoozing in various locations. Basically Poppy doesn't ever go to sleep anywhere other than her crate. When she is tired she will either become very bitey or she will wander around whining. Sometimes she does curl up on the floor by my feet and I think she is about to go off to sleep but then she gets back up and picks up a toy and starts chewing it again or just wanders around. Sometimes she sits and looks at me and whines. She did doze more at first but it has always seemed hard for her to switch off - she just is too interested in things. And it's not like I've got a very hectic busy household. I've tried removing all but one toy, sitting quietly and reading near her, sitting on the floor next to her, everything really. So what I've been doing is putting her in her crate at scheduled times. So she gets up between 7 and 730 and at 930 I put her in her crate and she settles straight away and sleeps for 2 hours. She then sleeps again 2-3, 5-6 and again sometime around 8/9 until 10. I get her up at 10 and play with her and take her out for a final toilet before putting her to bed at 1030 and she now sleeps through until 7/730. So she is sleeping about 14 hour, but I don't know if I've done the wrong thing by essentially scheduling her sleeps rather than letting her learn to switch off and go to sleep? I wonder if she needs to learn to be bored and just go to sleep? In a way does it matter so long as she sleeps? But it means that I have to take a crate with me if I go and visit a friend because otherwise she just won't sleep. And I end up having to plan my day around her sleeps (like a little baby!) rather than her just curling up and sleeping whenever things are boring! Any suggestions?
How old is Poppy? Rolo sounds exactly the same to be fair and he will only sleep in the lounge when he is EXHAUSED. I used to feel mean putting him in his crate, but he never makes a fuss and is genuinly tired as he falls asleep within minutes. Sometimes Rolo finds the lounge too hot so even when he goes to fall asleep he will get up and huff and puff and sit by the door till i let him in his crate I wouldnt worry too much, apparently as they get older they do become lazier and lounge anywhere x
Stanley gets bored and goes to sleep in out front room now. But that's a recent thing maybe a month/2 months and he's nearly 10 months. Whenever anything uninteresting is happening he either gets on his spot on the couch or goes in his bed. But if we're at other people's houses he never settles. At my mums at Xmas he wouldn't settle in or out of his crate and was getting really stressed and frustrated. I'm hoping it's something that comes with age.
That sounds like a very similar to routine we adopted with both our pups, only they tended to get up earlier in the morning. Even now there are times when tired Benson will take himself to his crate to nap, especially in the late evenings. Bramble now a year has a day bed in the front room, and a crate in the kitchen, she prefers to sleep on her day bed if given a choice. Benson was crate trained when we brought him home though which really helped. Bramble as a young pup did sleep more than Benson. I thought at one point there was something wrong with her!
Poppy was 11 weeks on Tuesday. Her crate is in the dining end of the kitchen, which is just through the door from the lounge...from the sofa I can see her crate. She never goes in voluntarily (she won't take herself into her crate) but when I put her in there she settles straight away or after a few huffs and puffs. She has a bed in the lounge too but doesn't settle to sleep in it. So this morning I tried leaving her to settle in the living room. From about 9am she whined and wandered. Eventually at 945 she fell asleep on my feet. But every 5 minutes she woke and moved. So at 1015 I lifted her and put her into crate and she went straight to sleep and hasn't moved since. It is almost like she can switch off better in her crate. Perhaps it is just because she is young and curious?! I am not complaining as her sleeping through the night is a godsend... I was just worried I might be doing something wrong.
Yes she is still very young and no I wouldnt worry it may even still be all new and getting used to it. Rolo is 6 months old and still like that So you have nothing to worry about, the crate can often feel like a place of safety to them and comfort. Its great she sleeps so well in the night!
You are doing just fine Mollie was the sleepyest puppy I've had until this week - she's 18 weeks old - now she hardly snoozes at all on the morning, but has a long afternoon sleep. ...
Bailey at 11 weeks old was a restless sleeper unless in his crate - now he sleeps anywhere, depending on the weather and temperature of the room he will snuggle up on the sofa with us for a bit, then crocodile slide off onto the floor (I swear he doesn't even open his eyes!). At night he has his bed by the side of ours, alternates between that, the floor, the landing floor and our bed depending on how warm he gets. Majority of the night is on our bed until he pushes me out! He was a nightmare at my mums at Christmas, would not settle at all. I think it was more that my sisters dog was in another room and he wanted to play! Also although just over a year old, my sisters dog still goes out for a wee in the early hours and Bailey heard them and started playing up to go out too .
Oh man! Don't worry at all. 11 weeks is so young! Duncan was crazy ALL DAY LONG and all night long at 11 weeks and I would have to pop him in his crate for periods of time while I worked from home - He would get up with my husband around 6am then crate from around 8 or 9am till 1030-11am then lunch and playtime then pop him back in his crate around 1230-1 until probably around 3-330 or a little later sometimes when I had calls -- he would NOT go to sleep on his own if anyone was awake and there was potential for playtime/attention but he then adopted that schedule as his own and snoozes at those same times without me having to put him in his crate and also as they settle down they take a lot more naps or just lounge around... he just turned 1 year old at the end of Jan & he is definitely not lounging around A LOT, but I remember him never settling down at 11weeks unless I forced him to by crating him! sometimes still when I am working and he is particularly rambunctious or wandering around bothering me all morning I pop him in there and I can tell he is exhausted but just does not want to turn it off and as soon as I pop him in there he takes a deep snooze and basically doesn't even want to get up from his snooze when I open the crate doors to let him out for lunch and playtime! haha It all gets better and although they are by no means super calm at 1 year old it is a lot better than 11 week old energy all day long!
Hi guys, These posts have been really helpful!! I've got a 3 month old Lab who won't settle unless I crate him so I came up with a little schedule...I work from home and my partner and I decided to crate Max for 1,5hoirs in the morning after playing,,walking, training etc...then for another 1,5/2hrs in the afternoon and then for an extra hour in the evening so we can have sometime for ourselves and he gets his so needed nap time but I feel guilty crating him like that!! He whines a little when I put him in there but 2min later is asleep...not sure what the right thing is...any suggestions? Ps- I do play with him a lot when I'm not working and have him with me in the kitchen if I'm cooking etc... I'd be interested in finding out what your views are on this pls!!! Tks!
Don't feel guilty - (I know it is easier said than done - I have massive mother's guilt) - but you need some time for yourselves and he needs naptime or he will become overtired and start acting out & that is not a long time at all to crate him! Some people, although personally I could never do this, crate their dogs while they are gone at work all day and they are only let out for short potty breaks once or maybe twice during the day - so small 1.5/2 hour crate times is very short and you need uninterrupted time to get work done and uninterrupted time to yourselves without the pup! don't feel guilty especially since he goes to sleep after a couple minutes and he probably needs to be popped in there to take some much needed naps!
Hi Bridget, Thanks for your reply! The mother's guilt is still there but you're right, he needs his nap, I need to work (he's lucky enough that his mummy works from home!!) and my partner and I do need some couple's time so I'll have to live with the guilt until he grows up and starts lounging around a bit more and I can tire him out on long walks!! Thanks again! Tx
