Nightime crying

Hello! I collected my new Labrador puppy 2 days ago. He is 7 1/2 weeks old. We had a 2 hour journey back from the breeder and he was so good sat on my lap. It was his first time in a car and he was only sick once, no wees or poos.

The first night we went to bed at 10.30pm. He is in a crate downstairs on his own and he cried for about 15 minutes then went back to sleep. He cried again at 3am and I thought 4.5 hours was quite a long time for a puppy to go without toileting so I got up and went into the room when there was gap in his cries. We went outside with minimum communication and he had a poo. Took him back to the crate. I went to bed and he cried again for a little while. Next time he cried was at 5am. I got up and let him out and he had a wee. I thought this was quite successful because he actually did need the toilet both times I let him out.

Last night (second night) we went to bed at 10pm. He had already fallen asleep so I didn't hear anything from him until 2am. He cried for about 20 minutes. I didn't go to him. He then cried at 3am and I did go down. Same style as night before (minimum attention), we went outside and he had a poo. I put him back in his crate and he cried for about 20 minutes. He then cried at 4am for another 20 mins. He cried at 5am and I got up because I thought he may need a wee. He did!

I know it is only his second night but I am concerned that his crying is getting worse. He is very clingy and doesn't like it when I am not in sight. I will go back to work in a month so I need him to be ok when I am not at home. Is his behaviour normal? Am i worrying too soon? Did I do anything wrong? I keep encouraging him to go in his crate and seems happy in there if the door is open and he can see me or my husband.

He is general a bit whiny and vocal which I am trying not to encourage! I ignore the noise and praise the quiet.

Any advice gratefully received. He is absolutely gorgeous and such a quick learner. He is sitting, lying down, and coming to his name and we've only had him 2 days. I just want to make sure I do everything possible to have a happy dog thank you x

 

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and my boy Bailey. What's your boys name? All sounds perfectly normal to me - you basically have to remember that you have a baby that is in a strange place, away from everything he has ever known. You are doing the right thing, re night-time wees. After two days in a strange place he is following his natural instinct to follow you and be close.

Those more experienced than me will be along shortly I am sure - my boy was in a crate next to my bed (now on a dog cushion bed next to our bed) and when we go out he is left upstairs with his food and water with a radio on and is fine, although he is never left longer than 3 hours (my boy is 10 months old).

You could try a hot water bottle wrapped up, or I know some people use something that mimics a heartbeat and warmth - your little one up until two days ago was with mum and brothers and sisters and now is on his own in this big scary world. You are going to be his world until he is older. If you are going to be leaving him on his own you need to start getting him crate trained - there are other treads on this on the forum. Do you have the Happy Puppy Handbook - its brilliant. There are also articles on the main website try this link http://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ there are loads of training tips on the site.

Do you have any pictures of your boy? We love puppy pictures on here!

 

Welcome to you from Mags, Tatze and Mollie

Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab three years old. Mollie is my fourth Guide Dog puppy, a black Lab and she's thirteen weeks old.

The crying thing is a fine balance - we need to meet their needs and know when they require the toilet etc but we don't want to teach them to shout and we appear!

I have a puppy heat pad which stays warm for twelve hours, Mollie loves it.

Each pup is different and we slowly get to know what works for them. With all of mine I spend a few days discovering their natural wake up time then set my alarm for 15 minutes before that so that I'm waking them up. They less they need to shout for help the better.

He will get more clingy as you are his source of everything so don't worry about that, just work on being able to leave the room for a few moments building up to minutes without him crying. Mollie was great at night but being left in the day - even for a short time - took three weeks of careful training. Now I can leave her for half an hour or so during the day and will build the time up to an hour over the next month or two.

You also do right only entering the room during a pause in his shouting




...

 

Hey im not sure if you have tried this, but it worked for us. Rather than waiting for the crying could you go in and disturb him to make him go out to pee? i did this every two hours the first two nights then gradually increased it by 15-30 minutes until he slept right through it didnt tak3 long at all and now Rolo doesnt make a sound untill we wake up

It can be tiring and inconvenient but it worked for me as I didnt want him to associate crying with me coming down soon after.

 

Thank you for all your comments and reassurance @Samantha Jones @Boogie @Jyssica I really appreciate them. My fella is called Frankie and he's fox red. I will try and put some photos on when I get a chance and and yes I have the book and am spending a lot of time on the website!!

The 3rd night we put him in his crate at 10pm and he cried for a few minutes then quiet. I went down at 4.15 and he was awake or I had woken him but he was not crying. Yay! Went outside he pooed and peed. Last night, same routine but he cried at 4am so I had to wait for a break before I went down to him. I have been trying to put him back in the crate after this toilet break for a few more hours sleep but he gets so excitable and whiney it is really difficult. I did put him back in this morning but he just cried for 30 minutes so I ended up getting him out the crate again.

So if he keeps this pattern of sleeping through till 4am then out for a wee and poo should I just stay up with him after that rather trying to re-crate him, even though I know he's going to fall asleep again? Also I'm really not sure of the best way of extending the nighttime sleep from 4am. Some people say to get to him before he cries and some say to leave him crying a bit longer? I tried to catch him before he cried this morning but I was too late.

He's been so good at toileting and only had 2 wee accidents because we (my husband!) was too slow letting him outside so I do not want to jeopardise this by keeping him in his crate too long overnight.

Thanks

 

Hey there, I think if you leave him until 4am at such a young age, he will continue to wake and may even get in the habbit of staying awake once let out.

Thats why the waking him, before he woke us worked for making him sleep longer. He is still only really small and even of a night time from 10om-4am is a really long time for a puppy to hold his pee, he may even be distressed as he doesnt want to mess his den.

I would consider going back to basics and put him asleep at 10pm and let him out a few hours later at say 1am. It can be really tiring but Rolo will now sleep sometimes 9 hours and I feel this technique helped us but as theyre so young I feel they need to be let out more frequent.

Some people dont like that method as they prefer sleep too much, but they often have Pens instead of crates.

Good luck and I cant wait to see pics of your boy

 

When I put the pup back in the crate, when so young, I sit by the crate until they settle again. This for a week or two then they get into the routine.

They soon start to sleep longer as their bladders mature.

 

I'm not going to be much use on this - I have one of those rare pups that from day one has slept all night, not needing to go out at all during the night - my sister on the other hand had to set her alarm for every two hours to let her pup out during the night. I know they gradually extended the time but in 10 min increments - in fact while we were staying the night over Christmas her husband still got up at 5am to let their boy out (he took Bailey, my boy, out too as neither dog would go out without the other), but this upset Bailey's routine and he then didn't settle properly again. Bailey wakes me up at around 7am, but that is more to get my space on the bed than wanting to go out!

Good luck and I can't wait to see the pictures of Frankie - my Bailey is a fox red too!

 

Last night we did the usual routine to of toilet before bed at 10pm then into the crate. I took your advice and set my alarm to wake him. Got up at 2.45am. He was awake when I went into him but not crying. We went outside and he had a poo and a wee. I had hidden his toys and interacted with him very little to try and keep him calm. I threw some treats into his crate to get him to go back in and left him. He cried for 2 hours! Everybody keeps telling me I must leave him when he does this so I did! I went down at 5.30 after About 10 minutes quiet and we went out to the toilet. I've just stayed up after and hes asleep on the floor. Does this sound like progress? Seems a bit strange waking him before he cries rather than letting him tell me when he needs to go out.

 

That's what I did with my last puppy, and it worked well. Willow didn't really cry much, though. With this puppy, I decided to try the crate in pen arrangement, and let her go to the toilet at the far ed of the pen overnight. It really didn't work for us, because Luna would pee or poo in the middle of the pen, then walk through it so it was everywhere, then start to cry. So I spent my night still getting up to clean up. I've reverted back to taking her out regularly through the night. and building up the time. Last night, it was midnight then 4:30am. Both times, she was fast asleep and didn't really want to get up, but still went to the toilet when I took her out. I stay with her while she settles - I didn't have to do this with Willow, but Luna builds herself into a frenzy if I don't, and starts throwing herself into everything, so I'm worried she'll hurt herself. It only takes a few minutes, then I can go back to bed. The fact she's sparko lets me know I can extend the time a little more tonight.

 

Thanks @snowbunny Maybe I should try staying with him after I put him back into the crate until he settles. I was just concerned that this would reinforce his whining and crying. He's my first puppy and I just feel so overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice

 

I think each puppy is different and you have to work out what works best. I never go into the room, talk to or make eye contact with my puppy when she's being loud. I wait for a break (which might just be a breath) before going in to her or telling her she's a good girl. So the noise is being ignored and the quiet is being rewarded. I also have a remote trainer I use for rewarding quiet when I'm in a different room during the day.
At nighttime, I just sit down next to the pen and pop my fingers through to be there with her (unless she starts biting hard!). I don't say anything, just be there for her until she nods off.

 

Stanley didn't sleep through for about 7 or 8 weeks when we got him.

We tried waking him up but he did the same and cried for hours after so I gave up with that.

He'd yap a few times and I'd wait for a pause and go in. Wouldn't say anything but just let him out. I knew that if I put him back in his crate he'd start crying so I used to go in the front room behind a baby gate (again without saying anything) and just sit in the couch (in an exhausted haze I think). The first few times he'd try and play a bit then realised I was being super boring and just went back to bed. After that he got the message mum was no fun on a night and would give me a look and and just slope off back to bed. Then I'd shut his crate and go back up for a few more hours sleep.

It got to the point where he'd just yap 3 or 4 times because he needed the loo then I'd go down let him out, he'd go straight back and so would I. Then one day he just slept through and he's only woken me up a few times if he's had a toilet emergency or been sick.

 

This is what worked with all of mine, just make sure you are there but very boring, back turned, don't speak - then when he's settled leave the room.