Hi, Our pup is coming up to 13 weeks now and we optimistically thought we'd cracked the night time routine quite early on. Although we've been having increased issues recently, any advice would be really appreciated. She goes in her crate at night time at about 10.30-11 and from the age of 9 weeks to 10 weeks would sleep through until 5 every day. Whilst this was early, we were happy that as she grew shed be able to hold it longer. She had space in her crate to go if she needed to but never did. From weeks 11 to 13 she has started to wake increasingly early at 4.30, 4, 3.30, 3, 2 and now wakes twice in the night. When she wakes she is incredibly loud and doesn't just cry but barks like an adult dog as if she is in severe distress. Since her vaccines she has needed poos on most get ups in the night too (will this settle again). We have tried leaving her to cry, but she will cry/ bark for over an hour and we just can't have it that loud and long in the night for the neighbours. If she was just whining we probably could. We try not to.go to her until there's a gap in her cries although I fear we have taught her to come to our cries. As they are so loud and persistent there isn't really a gap. We have in the past week been noticing that she is wetting herself before we get to her also which is also out of character. The only way for us to get sleep now us for one of us to lie next to her crate after she's woken up. Please help us get back to normality. Thank you.
How about putting the crate by your bed until he gets into the habit of sleeping through, then slowly move the crate back to where you want it? .
What @Boogie said. That's precisely what we did with Stampy, who would have us up at 4 at the latest until he was almost 5 months old, and woke up multiple times too. We moved his crate next to my parents' bed and he very quickly started sleeping until 4:45, 5, 5:30, 6... and kept it up after being gradually returned to where we wanted him in the living room. Not that it matters now though because I decided I wanted a roommate so he sleeps with me, and he immediately started sleeping in until after 7. Has to be woken up to go for a walk now!
I too would recommend the same as Boogie and deadandchocolatey. Having your pup/dog with you at night is the best way to ease their anxiety and help everyone to have a good night’s sleep. Dogs are social and can find it very stressful to be alone, especially when young. Sounds like her anxiety is escalating over time but I bet that if she’s in a bedroom it’ll disappear instantly.
I'm another vote to move the crate into your bedroom for a short while until things go back to normal. We wanted Bailey in our room and from the first night we popped him in his crate and he slept all night - now he sleeps where he wants to in our room - his bed, floor, landing, our bed and the only time he kept us awake was when he hurt his tail (swimmers tail) and he was in pain bless him, he just couldn't get comfortable and cried occasionally - got him painkillers from the vet the following day and he slept like a log the next night! Good luck and hope things improve for you
Agree with the above. Sophie (5months) sleeps in her crate from about 10.30 until 6.30 without a peep, but we took turns to sleep alongside her on a camp bed, gradually increasing the distance between us, until she was on her own in the conservatory with us in the room next to her. She could hear and smell us and that seemed to be enough. We only did this for 2 weeks, but could have gone to bed after just a few days really. Poor Bailey with the swimmers tail!
It certainly worked for us, I posted on here (new puppy advice) when we first had Daisy May, she is 11 weeks today... we were so upset by her cries on her first night home, we put her in bed with us which settled her, she would wake around 2 ish for toilet then settle right back down till 6.30. Two weeks on, last weekend, we decided to move her into a crate in our bedroom, as she was getting a bit fidgety on our bed and I was worried that if we left it any longer she might try jumping off. From the first night in her crate she has slept without a fuss only waking between 2-3 for toilet then settling down till we get up at 6. The only problem for us is that she seems to be getting very clingy with me, so if I am not in the bedroom when my OH puts her in her crate she cries (even though he is there) till I come into the room, then is immediately quiet. We plan eventually when she needs a full size 42 inch crate to have her sleep in the kitchen/ dining area but only till she is over the chewing stage .....around 18 months I think...... then she can sleep where she likes.
My puppy Jet also used to poo during the night. She would go at least two but often three times. I can't remember exactly when this stopped (she's nearly seven months now) but I think it started improving from about four months and she had probably stopped her nocturnal pooing by five months. I tried to make sure her last feed was no later than 6pm but it didn't really make any difference. Good luck.
Have you considered having her checked by the Vet for a possible urinary infection or something related. The sudden relapse could be medical.
