so Juno has been here for 4 nights now. She gets up routinely at midnight and again around 3am, then up for the day at around 6am. I would really like to drop one of those wake ups! Last night she was so tired she would not try to pee at 9pm. She previously went around 8pm. So instead she just went right to bed. Se wouldn't even eat dinner! I'm finding she is really tired at night. She usually passes out early, like 7pm and is too tired to eat. Last night she started this thing in her crate where she whimpered all night! Or at least it seemed like it was all night. Sometimes I would look in at her and she was sleeping, but whimpering. I didn't take her out since I knew she had just gone to the bathroom (we woke up at midnight at 3am). Her crate is right next to my bed so the whimpering was hard to sleep thru. Right now I just put her in her crate in the living room, and I am sitting on the couch in the same room. She's whimpering non stop. But she sleeping! Or trying too. Will this behavior eventually stop? She seems restless, moving around her crate trying to get comfortable. But she isn't sitting up looking at me or anything. I was told she is eating 3 cups of kibble a day. But here at our house she sort of grazes. She eats a few bites, comes back 30 minutes later for a few more bites, etc...at night she is so wiped out she doesn't usually finish her dinner. I can't feed her earlier because she sometimes doesn't finish lunch till 4pm! I haven't been giving her treats. Is that bad? When she pees and poops outside I praise her. She's had one pee accident in the house and about 4 poop accidents. Usually I catch the poop accidents mid-poop and I scoop her up and run her outside. Sometimes it's too late. Should I be giving her a piece of kibble after she goes peep or poop outside so she knows its a good thing?
Re: Some new puppy questions I wouldn't leave the food down, she won't get into a regular pooping routine and nights will be difficult. I would feed 4 times a day 'till 12 weeks then 3 times 'till 6 months then twice a day from then onwards. If you teach her she will begin to learn to wee and poo on command - then you can make sure she is empty at bed time, then wake-up calls are unlikely
Re: Some new puppy questions You'll probably get a lot of different answers so be warned My latest pup(and only my second dog) came from a kennels where there was food down all day so I started him out on 4 meals a day that were evenly spaced between 6am and 6pm. I didn't leave his food down, if he didn't eat it I picked it up. I kept an eye on his weight to make sure he kept gaining weight. Once this was established I made his mid morning meal later and started to reduce his afternoon meal until this turned into a 12:00 lunch. He's now scoffing with enthusiasm 3 times a day 7:00, 12:00 and 18:00. Sleeping has been pretty easy(all things are relative! I'm knackered but he could have been worse!), I slept downstairs for about a week. I started with alarms but gave up and just got up on demand, pup went out, wee'd and went back in his crate. After a week I figured he was settled and his routine was shaping up to be last pee at 11:00/11:30 with a pee sometime between 5:00 and 6:00. Last night he actually slept through til OH went down at 6:30. In the day housetraining is proving tricky....his poos are pretty regular after meals so are always outside but he seems to wee little and often. I've counted out a UTI and he is getting better it's just taking a while. I would try and remember treats for pees and poos outside but I'd be a bit concerned about the eating. Does she have dry kibble? I would add some warm water to make it smell nice or even some tripe (either raw or tinned) to encourage her to eat. How much does the packet say to feed her? If she was fed with her siblings it could be hard to ascertain how much she was eating. One caveat - my pup was 9 weeks when I picked him up and he's 11 weeks now. We've been on 3 meals since 10 and a half weeks but your pup may not be able to change over that quickly.
Re: Some new puppy questions I'd try to get into some sort of routine during the day so that after a period of play / activity your pup has a nap, so that she's not exhausted by the evening. When Molly was a puppy she would only eat if I stood right next to her and I've also occasionally hand fed her and changed her food. I wouldn't get up in the night unless your puppy is really desperate for a wee. Like you I had Molly in my bedroom at first ( I moved her downstairs at about 16 weeks I think) and if she whimpered I'd just say something reassuring. I only had to get up in the night for a few days. I wonder if Juno is hungry during the night because she hasn't eaten enough during the day? These early days are very tiring, but things will get easier soon.
Re: Some new puppy questions Some good advice here , its hard to establish a suitable routine as all pups differ with regards to their needs to wee or poo . Hang on in there , these shattering times don't last for too long
Re: Some new puppy questions OK, so what about the whimpering?. I am on vacation this week and I've been trying to leave her alone here and there and get her used to the crate. She pretty much barks non stop if I put her in and the kids are home and walking around. Monday and Tuesday she was good about napping in her crate. She slept for about 2 hours in her crate on Monday. No problems. Yesterday she slept for maybe an hour in there. Today is a different story. She's been up since 6am. She started whimpering last night in the crate. This morning when I put her in, she just will not settle down. I ran to the store for 30 minutes and when I came back she was still barking and panting heavy. I did let her out ( during the few seconds where she stopped barking) and we went outside and she peed and pooped right away. I brought her back inside and she is whimpering and yelping here and there still and she's not in her crate. Is she anxious? I will switch to 4 feeding a a day and pick up her food after 30 minutes. I'll start with like 6:30am, 11:30am, 3pm, and 6pm. She is laying on the kitchen floor now whimpering. What gives??
Re: Some new puppy questions I'm too inexperienced to give any proper advice, but I'm trying to create positive associations with the crate by leaving treats (a couple of bits of kibble) in there to find, feeding her in there sometimes etc. There's an article http://www.thelabradorsite.com/your-labrador-crates-and-crate-training/ about crate training which may help. But the whimpering outside of the crate, I don't know, sorry :/
Re: Some new puppy questions What follows are obviously guesses! First, presumably you've taken her for a check up at the vets since you brought her home? (Just ruling out health problems.) Whimpering could be boredom or loneliness as well as tiredness. You said she's been out for a wee but have you also played with her? Molly needed a lot of attention, in short bursts, when I first got her, so it would be play and explore in the garden for an hour, or carry her down the road, then half an hour's sleep and repeat! I also put Molly on my lap and cuddled her to sleep sometimes in the first week and then put her in her bed. I've never used a crate so no suggestions, but lots of people do so I'm sure you'll get some good ideas.
Re: Some new puppy questions Thanks all. I did bring her to the vet Monday. In perfect health, although a bit pudgy! No worms, etc... Every morning sheets been up around 6am and she is playing until 8am when the kids get on the school bus. Then she might eat more, or go outside with me. (She's just been out for 15 minutes while we wait for the school bus too). Then she seems tired and will usually sleep. But today she has had a hard time settling. I brought her out at noon to see the people I work with and she whined in the car, had fun at my work, then slept but whimpered more in the car on the way home. Once we got him she fell asleep by the kitchen door. She was exhausted! Incredibly her up and moved her to her crate without a fuss and she has been sleeping there for 30 minutes. No whining! She has a puppy play date at 4pm. I hope she sleeps till 3:30! I think she misses her litter mates. Or she is just lonely. I do play with her and take her outside exploring the backyard for 10 minutes or so each time thru out the day.
Re: Some new puppy questions You have already had good advice here. I too agree you need to pick up food and feed regularly. Then after food straight out then bingo..poo. I have never had a poo inside (5 dogs). I cant advise about the wimpoering I guess it could be habit or something health related. I am sure you can check that out with the vet at jab time. Regarding the crate if I put Meg straight in she would fuss (except at night) so I usually bung a kong in or a chew, then she settles. Good luck you will get there in the end
