Hi everyone! Apologies if there is already a thread of this nature but I could really do some with friendly help and advice! We picked our beautiful puppy, Sampson, up on Friday 6th October and we just adore him. He’s wonderful. However, we’re struggling at nighttime with him and wondered if anyone has any tips. Currently he is in his crate downstairs in the lounge, he has my hot water bottle and a toy that smells like his mom with him and the fish tank light on. We purchased an ‘Adaptil plug in diffuser’ to see if this will calm him down during the night but no luck. Sampson cries and howls continually from about 1 or 2am until 6am. We’ve been told by a lot of people to leave him to cry as the more we go to him the more he’ll do it, but it’s awful. It upsets us to hear him crying and howling. When we go to him in the morning he has often wet the bed (last night he had poo’d too) and it breaks my heart to leave him like that. What do we do? We’re very tired and just want the best for our fluffy bundle. Thank you
It’s entirely your choice but here is an excellent article to help you decide - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-cope-with-a-crying-labrador-puppy/ They are all different in how quickly they begin to settle at night, but nearly all will need a toilet break in the night for a month or so. And welcome to you from Mags, Tatze, Mollie and Keir from Manchester UK Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German. Mollie is my fourth Guide Dog puppy, a black Lab who is twelve months old. Keir is my fifth Guide Dog puppy, a yellow Golden Retriever/Flatcoat cross and he's nineteen weeks old.
Hi and welcome ! I didn't use a crate, never have done but this doesn't mean I don't agree with them , I think they can be life savers for some ! I think if it were me , I would take the crate into the bedroom , just so that he is comforted by your presence , whilst he is still a baby .
Hi and welcome to the forum. First off it gets better When we got Vanilla for the first week we had her sleep in our bedroom in a box next to us. This allowed us to settle her and I managed to keep an eye on her. I took her out to the toilet just before we went to bed about 1130pm, then set the alarm for about 2am and then 5am. After the first week we moved her downstairs and did exactly the same, but now in her crate. Would gradually increase the 2am to 3am and so on. Unfortunately due to various ilnesses etc. I at times would spend the whole night downstairs with her. So we could not lock the crate door after about 2weeks. She just went during the night on pads and then back to her crate. By about 5months ish she was starting to settle and slept for a good 5hours ie last trip about 1130pm and then get up at 5am. Now she sleeps pretty much through the night exept a wake up cuddle about 3amish. Every pup us different but they all get there in the end. It is just a matter of time and patience.
I have always gotten up during the night to toilet my dogs when they were little. Just a quick visit to the garden, no play or attention giving. Just out to the garden then back to bed. It does seem to work as they soon start to realise that they are not alone but night is for quiet and sleep. It will get better, just as it does with babies. Good luck with your little one.
Thank you everyone! We’ll try setting an alarm half way through the night and take him out for the toilet for a few nights and see how that goes! Fingers crossed it works as I’m back at work on Monday and need sleep!
That website is really helpful! I’ve researched so much and been on so many websites! Each site says something different as well which just adds to the confusion!
My experience, having had three puppies, is that the safer they feel, the quicker they settle. I had each of mine in the bedroom with me for a few weeks and they moved downstairs when they were more confident. If they cried I gently spoke gently to them / stroked them and they went back to sleep. Many people get up in the night to let their puppy toilet outside. I didn’t do this but chose to cover the floor with a thick layer of newspaper. ( My puppies weren’t crated so they could move away from their bed. Some people use a puppy pen in a similar way.) Letting your puppy cry for hours seems to me the worst route for either of you - Sampson is distressed and you’re exhausted. Having your puppy near you while they’re very small doesn’t mean they’ll always have to be in your bedroom. And giving your puppy the confidence that you will always look after them is invaluable.
Is he quiet up until then? If so, then sounds like he needs to go outside to the toilet. I think I would try setting the alarm for 3 hours after you have gone to bed, then take him out with minimal interaction - no talking, lights on etc. Maybe do the same 3 hours later. I totally understand how upsetting this must be for you. My puppy when little wet and soiled in her crate until I started getting up twice a night to take her out. I found that upsetting enough. She never made a noise so I had to judge when I thought she needed to go. Quickly got in tune with her. It seemed to take forever the getting up at night but by four and a half months she was lasting all night.
Agreed. It’s about temperament too, of course. Some pups are much more sensitive than others. Keir shouted the place down when he first arrived and he is quite a sensitive boy. When I leave him during the day I have a careful routine to let him know what’s happening, if I just leave the room he shouts and cries. .
I never wanted my dog upstairs so he slept in a cardboard box in the hall. As soon as I heard him I would get up and take him outside, no chat though and he would go back to sleep, then again first thing in the morning as soon as I heard him I'd get up He went in a crate at about a month when he started chewing the box and I carried on. He was always clean at night. It was exhausting though so I sympathise. He's a year old now and very settled in the crate at night and when I go out so I know he's safe.
Sam grew up on a farm until he came to live with us, so he’s used to having a big barn to run around in the night, so I think the crate doesn’t suit him as it’s too confined for him
We didn’t put Sam to bed until midnight last night which is about 2 hours later than normal as we went out (he stayed with my sister in law whilst we were out) and he settled down really quick and slept through the night. It was only when my boyfriend got up for work that he started crying. No crying or mess or wee all night though!! We decided to puppy proof the kitchen and leave his crate door open instead! Worked a treat! Fingers crossed for tonight!
Great news! This is what I did, puppy proofed the kitchen, put on a baby gate, newspaper by the back door, pup in her crate but with the door open. She did her business on the newspaper then took herself back to her cozy crate. At about 12 weeks she was clean and dry so we then locked the crate door.
My pup when I first brought her home would constantly whine in her crate until I moved it into a place where she could see me at all times. Some just don't feel safe alone I guess. It got better in the later months when she started to establish the crate as her "safe space", so then it could be moved wherever.
