We have a 12 week old female puppy that we got when she was 8 weeks old. We have been trying crate training from day one, but she still wakes frequently at night. Initially, we figured it was because she needed to use the bathroom, but now it mostly seems to be because she just wants someone with her. For a few nights, she seemed to be sleeping for longer stretches, but then the last couple nights she has reverted to waking and whining almost every hour. I eventually end up going into the den where her crate is and taking her out and letting her sleep on the couch beside me. I know that's probably the wrong thing to do, but on the other hand, I have a 7 year old child in school that can't go night after night not getting sleep. When she's sleeping with me, she has easily gone 4-5 hours without needing a bathroom break, so I feel sure the waking up is due to separation and not a need to potty. I am home most days during the day and usually crate her when she gets sleepy so that I can get a few things done, but do you think that maybe she's being over crated? As soon as she wakes, I take her out to play, potty, etc, so she's not being left in there for extended periods of time. Even when I crate her out of necessity (to take my child to school/ pick her up, etc) it's not for more than an hour or so. Do you think she's being over crated? I had hoped that this would get her more comfortable with her crate, but I'm just not sure. Her separation anxiety seems to be getting worse, not better. We've tried making her crate a pleasant place, but apparently she doesn't think so Any suggestions??
Hi @Deborah Jowers Welocme to the forum The general rule is that a puppy can hold her bladder for about an hour for each month of age. So three hours and you dog is on her physical limits. You will need to get up to let her toilet more frequently than you have been doing. Sorry.. So wake her up before she starts crying. Say every 2.5 hours if she she has been used to crying every three hours. Put her on a house line, grab a treat and take her to the same spot in the garden. Reward her when she urinates. It is important that you don't do anything else. We don't want the dog to think this is play time. Put her back in the crate. You quietly go back to bed. If she starts crying ignore her. You know that she doesn't need to toilet because you have dealt with that issue. It doesn't sound as if you are over-crating her. But you do need to give her things to do. A well-stuffed kong is ideal. See the link I give below for additional details. During the day, when dogs are awake, they need to toilet more frequently than at night. The hour figure I quoted above is an average. With respect to making the crate a wonderfiul place to be, please read https://thehappypuppysite.com/crate-training-a-puppy/ Let us know how you progress.
Hi Deborah - Before a puppy (or a child for that matter) can feel safe alone in a place, they need to associate that place with their caregiver (you). Then, even when you are not present, the place itself has become 'safe' through association with you. If you get a new puppy and put her in a crate at a distance from you, when she is just a baby and has never been separated before - having previously had mum and littermates around - you are going to do the opposite, and instead associate the place (crate) with anxiety and fear due to being alone. The solution, is to put her crate right by your bed for a good while. If you don't want her in the bedroom later, then don't let her find her own way in and out of there - carry her in and put her in the crate - if you do this, it will not encourage her to try to get to the bedroom later. If there is not space for the crate by your bed, buy a smaller one temporarily - they are pretty cheap, especially in smaller sizes. If she wakes in the night, cough, sniff, turn over in bed and make some noise like that, so she knows she is not alone. Feel free to put your fingers through the bars of the crate and/or lay a hand on her. Do not get her over-excited or play with her. Keep things like this for at least 2 weeks, until she is totally fine and stable like that. Meanwhile, in those 2 weeks, you are spending time in the day associating the 'day time' crate place with fun and games. Teach her to go in the crate on cue, using treats, then immediately release her with ok to come out again - over and over, from further and further away. Give her Kongs in the crate. Ensure the crate is a positive place. Then you will be able to transition to putting her in that crate at nights as well and all will be well...
