I know it's been discussed several times but here is my experience! Ted will be 9 weeks old tomorrow and we will have had him s week. We have a crate for him but he is still crying and wining.. He'll happily sleep on the floor in the living room all evening from 9pm to whenever I go to bed but then as soon add he is left in his crate he hates it! I've tried going to bed at midnight and keeping him as active add I can but he sill whines on and on! I've been getting up at 5ish with him, letting him out and having a nap on the sofa while he goes back to sleep on the floor until I'm ready to get up properly.. Usually 730/8 so he gets ignored until then hopefully teaching him that 5am is not acceptable to play! Tried leaving radio on for background noise, etc but nothing helps! Does anybody have any advice or is it a case of more persevering! Functioning on little sleep is taking its toll!
Re: Sleep!! I am by no means an expert here and I'm sure you will get replies from people who have a lot more experience than me but I thought I would put my 2 penneth in. The week we brought Rolo home was really hard. I didn't have a clue what I was doing if he was in his crate he would whine, especially in those first few days he was missing his mum and his siblings. I was advised to put an old hot water bottle wrapped in blankets into his crate (give him comfort from the heat like he would get sleeping with other pups) also I wore a top I didn't mind losing and put that in his crate so he had my smell in there with him. Rolo's crate is in the kitchen and I know a lot of people say if the crate is near you at night ie in your bedroom he will settle better but I didn't want Rolo to become dependent on us at night and I must say Rolo only makes a noise when he needs to go out and in those first weeks we were setting an alarm every few hours to let him out. I didn't think things could ever improve but Rolo is now 14 weeks and he goes out for his last wee at 22.30 and sleeps right through and he whines at 6.30 to go out. Things will get better. Don't open the crate whilst he is whining only open the crate door when he is quiet. Hope this helps. I felt overwhelmed in those first few days/weeks but it is so worth the sleepless nights I didn't know having a puppy could be so rewarding. Have a look at this article from Pippa. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ Rolo and Kris
Re: Sleep!! Hi yes, he's never let out when he is making a noise and we've been clicker training him re his crate following instructions in Pippas book Luckily I'm off work this week but when I go back on Monday I'm going to struggle if he doesn't improve! (Partner will be in so he won't be left alone!) Tried old tops but that didn't help
Re: Sleep!! I know it doesn't feel like it, because sleep deprivation is a form of torture, but he is only 9 weeks old and is probably still wondering what happened to his world. Where did his mum and litter mates go. I was in your situation just a year ago. I hardened my heart and Molly very soon 'got the message'. She doesn't hate her crate, trots towards it if I say "off to bed", I leave the door open and she sometimes pops inside for a rest.
Re: Sleep!! Hi there Matt, It's heart wrenching hearing them upset and blummin tiring when you have the broken nights.... I was lucky that Dexter was crate trained when he arrived so my experience isn't vast. How long have you built up to Ted being in his crate during the day and how does he seem...does he cry then? Try some of the suggestions that have been put forward .......he's only very young and new.some Forum members found having the crate in their bedroom for the initial settling in period worked ...it doesn't need to be for long but just until he's settled in a bit more. Being off work this week gives you a good few days to practice him settling quietly in his crate....good luck,let us know now you do
Re: Sleep!! Make his crate a happy place. Feed him in his crate, give him stuffed Kongs in his crate. Crate him when you are there with him so he feels safe in it. And, 5 minutes at a time, leave the room with him in the crate and come back. Then 10 minutes and come back and so on. He is still so little and his whole world has changed in a blink of an eye. But crating a puppy is the best way you can house break them, know they are safe when you leave the house. Some pups love crates some take time to love them. But crating is the best thing for puppies. And for you. Good luck.
Re: Sleep!! My Tatze (18 months) adores her crate. Gypsy hated it - despite my many efforts to make it a happy place. We put her in a puppy pen at 14 weeks, after 4 weeks of trying the 'I love my crate' efforts. They just didn't work - she went to bed fine, but whenever she woke up she shouted the house down. She didn't look back, no shouting at all in the pen, and she is now just in a bed - no crate or pen at 5 months.
Re: Sleep!! I dont know where your puppy sleeps. Sounds like in the living room area all alone? We got our pup when she was 8 weeks old. She sleeps in our bedroom, in a crate. The first 2-3 nights, she did minimal whining when she was put in her crate. After that she didnt whine at all and she has slept from 9 or 10pm until 6am without getting up. If you leave your dog in a room alone, I would guess thats the cause of it. They want to be with their people.
Re: Sleep!! That's the thing, he will sleep in the crate during the day if we tempt him in and sleeps if we go out.. Its just bedtime!
Re: Sleep!! I think your dog needs to learn to be happy alone without you, so night time - when he's fast asleep anyway, is a good time to start.
Re: Sleep!! [quote author=MattJones88 link=topic=8545.msg120955#msg120955 date=1414840793] That's the thing, he will sleep in the crate during the day if we tempt him in and sleeps if we go out.. Its just bedtime! [/quote] My dog, Whisky, took a few nights to get used to his crate at night but was fine in the daytime. Then we had a eureka moment - he prefers not to fall asleep in the dark ;D ;D. We found out that when he was first born and until we collected him at the 9 week point all the puppies were kept in an area where there was some background light (the breeders had a digital photo album which they kept on 24 hrs a day - they used the ambient light to check on the puppies). At home his crate is in the lounge and at night we switched on a night light. After that peace and quiet. After a further month we did not bother putting on the nightlight and he now falls asleep in complete darkness. Perhaps you can try a nightlight - or leave a digital photo album switched on?
Re: Sleep!! You need to make his crate the utimate fun place to be. Kongs stuffed with goodies, treats chucked in there. Bouncer's crate is in the kitchen & we have found that the washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer lul him to sleep in no time. Oh & he gets looooooong walks now, but even before he was aloud outside on the floor we never realy had problems.
