Struggling to cope

I never realised how hard it was going to be looking after our 9-10 week puppy. My 14 year old Daughter really was keen to get a puppy, especially a labrador.
It's the amount of attention Millie is looking for that's tiring me out and the whining as well. She is a lovely puppy though and my Daughter adores her.
We have had Millie for 5 days now but it seems like a lifetime )
During the day I keep her out on our small deck and every 90 minutes I take her to her designated toilet spot which is a small pen where I normally get her to Pee and Poo. I praise her when she pees or Poo's but maybe I should introduce a random treat. Poo'ing is more problematic - early morning Poo I am ready for but during the day more difficultto predict and she can poo on the deck or somewhere else in the backyard.

Do you think its okay to have those 90 minute intervals on the deck.

Also night time potty training she goes into her crate around 10:00 and I'm currently getting up at 03:15. I intend to extend that by 15 minutes each night for the next 14 days to get through the night till 07:00. Is that to ambitious ?

Look forward to your replies for my sanity and reassurance. I tend to worry to much as I'm of the nervous disposition.

thanks,
Ken

 

Also forgot to mention I have playtime of around 10 minutes with Millie after she’s hopefully had her Pee after the 90 minutes on the deck.

o o

 

Hi @Auldreekie

Hang in there it will get better.

The toilet breaks when she is awake should be 30 minutes not 90 minutes.
Praise is not enough. Definitely give food treats the puppy likes. Wait until finished urinating or defecating. Say Yes and give a treat or two.

Night time potty. Expect her to be able to hold bladder for an hour for each month of life. I'm afraid your plan is too ambitious. She is a baby. She lacks the physical maturity to control her bladder and bowels for your planned times.

I realise it's very hard. But as I said she is a baby. She needs your patience. She will grow up very quickly. Far too quickly. And you will laugh, or at the very least smile, about the times you're having now. Push through. Get your 14 year old daughter to help you.

Whining? If she has urinated and defecated and fed at the proper time, you need to ignore her. Put her in her crate and ignore unless she is distraught. If you respond to the whining, then you will reinforce it and she will whinge more.

 

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement Michael.

Millie seems okay with the 90 minute period unless she drinks a large amount of water. I used to do 30 minutes but she would not always go.
It was interesting to hear that night time potty training should be one hour for each month. Last night for example she went to her crate at 21:45 and I took her to the toilet at 03:30 in the morning for her pee ( Her crate was dry - no pee). Then got her up at 07:30 for another pee without any incidents.
Maybe Millie has a large bladder ?

It is good to get feedback from others especially as this is our first ever puppy.

 

Willow was house trained around 4 months she would go to bed in her basket in the kitchen then we would get her up at 5am for pee and poop then go back to bed until 8am.
Now she wakes at 8am she is 6 months old.
She had pads down at first as she would poop in the night.
Are you giving your pup enough water as you said she only pees alot when she has drank alot.
Is fresh water available to her at all times.
Some people take the water away at night I never did this.
Hang in there it does get easier.

 

Hang in there. It does get better!! Somethings get better pretty quickly and some get better a little at a time. If I could suggest keeping a log of when she pees and poops, it really helped me. You begin to see a pattern (wether it is an accident or in her designated area) You will probably see at this point that your puppy needs to pee ever twenty mins if awake. The pooping with Labs especially is pretty scheduled if you just look for their schedule. I quickly saw with a log that our puppy pooped first thing in the morning. Pooped again within 5 mins of eating breakfast. Pooped about an hour after a lunch time feeding and pooped about 30 mins after a dinner feeding. I began to see her signs as well because I knew the times I needed to be looking for it. Pooping was the quickest thing that she was trained to go to the door. She now even gives a bark if I don't notice her sitting at the door. She is 4 months old! Anyway....my long answer just to say, YES it gets better and keep a log of her and it will help you greatly

 

With the whining, I'd be wondering about stimulation - meaning, at her age, mostly socialisation and trips to new places every day. You mention toileting and crating but not much else... Is she getting off your property daily with you, to a new experience and location?

Labradors are super-smart and very active. They need mental and physical stimulation daily, even as puppies. (Not too much physical as puppies!) You can and should have several short training sessions during the day with her but then also most importantly at her age, need to get her out to experience new things.

This will leave her feeling tired and ready to sleep when at home and will make the rest of your life much easier in turn...