Is he winning ? are we to soft ?

[dali]

we've made a little progress ...he's in the bedroom in his crate . A few really good nights so far. But also some bad ones.

 

I have not been able to figure out the difference in sounds when he cries for attention or for a genuine "toilet call" .

 

So he has managed to be carried down at night for no apparent reason , except that he goes outside for a walk around the garden and to bring me his ball .... .... I refuse to play then and take him back up and crate him again. No harsh words or anything and I tell him he's a good boy when he goes in the crate but a minute later he starts crying again. ( we have managed to let him cry and he will settle down eventually , but we're are suffering from lack of sleep and don't want to end up grumpy )

 

We've had a bit of a heatwave so we did give him water during the night. ( first call )

 

I don't think we can classify that as (bad) attention can we ??

 

We've started taking him out on a decent walk just before bedtime but he comes home all happy instead of exhausted

 

What other bedtime routine tricks can we use ??? ( warm milk and a biscuit ? )

[Shetlander]

We've started taking him out on a decent walk just before bedtime but he comes home all happy instead of exhausted

 

What other bedtime routine tricks can we use ??? ( warm milk and a biscuit ? )

 

I wouldn't walk him right before bedtime. Perhaps earlier in the evening. That gives him time to wind down.

 

I haven't read this whole thread, so I'm probably repeating what others have said. But I'd just be very low key and matter of fact about bedtime. I always give a very small bedtime snack, say good night and that's it. Any outings during the night are on leash and virtually silent other than "good dog" and "back to bed." Pretty soon pups learn the only real reason to wake you is to potty.

 

If it is truly hot and you feel the pup needs water, I'd rather be safe than sorry on that one. He should certainly be sleeping through the night at this age unless he has a urinary tract infection, some other medical issue or intake is too unregulated and it doesn't sound like that's going on there. So you probably just need to hang in there to break a bad habit of wanting to goof around at night. And the best way to do that is always be boring, boring, boring during the night.

[RaisingRiver]

Routine! That's how you know when your pup might have to go potty or when he is whining for attention. My 11wk old went potty last night at 1am and then whined to go potty at 6:30am. That is a typical night at our house. Feeding is always within an hour of the same time each day and winding down for the night is as well. Around 9-10pm is sleepy-mode for my pup.

 

As a reminder, don't let your pup out of the crate if he's whining/crying. Wait for the moment where he takes a sec to calm down before he starts again. Fling open the crate, say 'GOOD BOY!' and then immediately take him out. You did the right thing about not playing with him. Use a potty command and treat him after he goes - then right back in and to bed.

 

You sound like you're on the right track.

[2 Devils]

If he wakes you in the middle of the night, take him out on leash and give him a couple minutes to do his business and then right back to the crate.

 

Don't give him a chance to find a toy, stick or whatever to play with because he is self rewarding. The middle of the night potty break is just that and nothing else and should not involve anything fun. I also would not give him a treat or attention when you put him back in the crate because again he is getting what he wants.

 

You are on the right track.

[Janet808]

Well, lets face it we have the smartest dogs! They learn very quickly whether its good stuff or bad. It's hard to ignore him since he's only 12 wks old. You don't want to ignore him only to find out that he really does need to go potty. But it sounds like you're doing the right thing. You're not playing with him, you're putting him out, etc. That's good. I know when we got Misty it was rough going for awhile listening to her whine and wimper because she was in her crate alone in the other room. Some people suggest putting them in the room w/ you to help, but I tried this with our other dog, and it didn't work, she just whined and wimpered and kept us up. If playing with him before bedtime tires him out, then I would keep it going. Also, we found that if we stop Misty from drinking by 8pm she lasted longer thru the night. We still do this even though she'll be a yr old in a couple of weeks. We stop all food by 5pm. for the same reason.

 

I've heard horror stories of people allowing their pups in bed with them and the pup peeing in their beds, so I agree w/ your hubby on that one. No dogs allowed on the bed. Especially since I got a new mattress... Good Luck! Hang in there, he's young, he'll grow out of it.

[dali]

Ok , so we played the " boring , boring" game. No conversation , just a quick potty stop in the garden and back in the crate .

 

two minutes of silence and then ....... a whole night of crying ...... my husband eventually went to him and took him out because we did not get any sleep .

 

Now last evening for the first time in Dali's life we had a thunderstorm. He did not appear frightened or worried . But my husband ( who is very sensitive to the before-and-after storm effects) said there was a lot of electricity in the air .

I don't feel any of it so I always joke it away ...but perhaps it affects Dali as well ?

 

Would that be possible ??

 

Of course Dali is sound asleep now ...while we have to work

 

he didn't even open his eyes when I just took his picture ...the little rascal !! ( How lucky are puppies that they are so cute , you forgive them anything )

 

here he is after keeping us awake all night

[Shetlander]

I've heard horror stories of people allowing their pups in bed with them and the pup peeing in their beds, so I agree w/ your hubby on that one. No dogs allowed on the bed. Especially since I got a new mattress...

 

 

All my dogs sleep on my bed. It’s just a matter of personal preference. The soonest I’ve had a puppy on the bed was within a few nights of coming home at 7 weeks. The oldest was 8 months. I base when to let the puppy on the bed by his willingness to stay put all night and not go off in search of mischief while I sleep. I’ve had no trouble with urinating on the bed other than when I stupidly followed a vet's advice and put Quinn on a large dose of prednisone (fortunately, I had a great mattress protector for my new, expensive mattress). Most dogs are hard wired not to mess the place where they sleep and this is easily reinforced with schedules for when eating, drinking and pottying. Again, I do wait until I feel the puppy is fairly settled in to the new home and willing to stay on the bed all night.

 

I think Dali is just in a bad habit right now and his poor owners need to ride this one out with consistency and possibly ear plugs. I’m horrible when sleep deprived so I feel for you guys. Yes, good thing Dali is so adorable but this is the kind of thing (along with a horrific first couple of months with Quinn) that has made me decide to go with a teen/young adult for my next dog. Five little puppies, one of them a coyote, ihas been enough for me!

 

The best thing is puppies grow up a lot faster than babies!!!

[2 Devils]

Does Dali nap before bedtime? If so, I would make sure that come about 4-5pm, do everything in your power to keep him awake. You don't have to be totally interactive with him but don't let him sleep in the evenings until bed time.

[fotobridget]

Liberty had a crate from the very beginning--and loved it! I had three cats, plus my boyfriend's dog and the crate served as a little 'LibbyRoom'.

 

Now that she's full grown (44 pounds and 19 inches tall) she has a four foot by three foot cage that she sleeps in. It's at the foot of our bed, where I can lean up and see her.

 

She stays in it at night and when we are gone--but only because she has an electrical cord fetish and I am terrified she'll hurt herself when I am gone. When we get home, she doesn't whine. She knows that if she does, she'll have to stay in until she is quiet.

 

 

We also feed her in her crate. If she's fed in the kitchen with the bigger dog (st. bernard/lab mix) she gulps her food and has choked before. Feeding her in her crate slows down her eating--and it's an integral part of her routine, as I feed her right before I go to bed. Then she settles down and goes to sleep until her Daddy gets home six hours later (third shift).

 

He feeds her, lets her out, and puts her back to 'bed' until i get up. Then she's out all day with me in our 'upstairs office' where I work and she watches Disney movies!

 

Crate training my mom's idiot dogs (puppy mill rescues) is a whole 'nother story. They still aren't crate trained--or potty trained. ANd their older than Liberty. The problem--a lack of consistency.

 

My advice, get your dog on a routine and stick with it. You're dog will get used to the crate, and it will make things easier on you. Try giving your puppy a little snack before putting him in the crate--or put a few treats in there so he'll associate the crate with good things. Libby 'knows' that if she's a really good girl (quiet) while in her room, treats will sometimes 'fall from the sky'. She especially likes a small handful of Captain Crunch--i sprinkle it around her cage, so she can 'sniff' them out. It's cute!

 

 

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/475344

[dali]

UPDATE:

 

thanks for the " crate in the bedroom " advise !! Dali has now been sleeping soundly for a full two weeks .....we are happy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tassie]

UPDATE:

 

thanks for the " crate in the bedroom " advise !! Dali has now been sleeping soundly for a full two weeks .....we are happy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Excellent! Crates are great. My two don't use them at home now, but are in a crate in the car for travelling, and love their crates at a safe place at agility trials, and when we're staying in dog-friendly accommodation while we're travelling. They obviously see them as a really safe, special place.

[Ooky]

I think I messed up crate training with Odin, but I am trying to come back from it.

 

His second night, we put him in the crate, and even though he had napped in it, door closed off and on all day, he freaked when confined in the crate in the dark in another room. I had read DON'T go get them when they make noise, but he just wouldn't stop. Then he started banging around in the cage and hitting the walls, so I couldn't help it and let him out. He was the most agitated and upset I've ever seen him, and needed a lot of cuddling and kind words to settle down. Outside the crate, next to me.

 

He was so easy to housetrain - he has the occasional accidents, but pretty much all I've had to do is pick him up when he pees and take him outside. I feel it is my fault when he goes, because he DOES hold it and clearly prefers going outside. Overnight, he is always good -- as long as he sleeps with me, not in the crate. I don't pay attention to him once I get in bed, b/c I want our 2 cats to have a place where they still feel the attention is all theirs. He sleeps next to my side of the bed, whether we are at home or staying w/ the in-laws.

 

He holds it for 8 hours overnight (he is 12 weeks old) and I can't believe he can do that after reading this thread. But he does. He has free access to water. He has been waking up at 4 am but I don't take him outside until 5am - he chews on a toy until then. During the day, the 1 mo = 1 hour rule seems to apply better, and we have accidents when I forget not to measure since the time he was last outside, but when he actually last went. I am learning to read him better.

 

I take some inspiration from Dali b/c I really want Odin to be crate-trained. I will be able to take him into the field for work for sure, but when I write documents (about 1/2 time), I go to a neat open Google-style office with a cubicle. The management is trying to go "dog-friendly" and we will be able to bring our dogs if they are crated, then I can walk him during breaks/lunch by a really nice lake. I just feel I messed it up as he is clearly now scared of the crate. We are feeding him in it and putting peanut-butter kongs, smelly-like-mom t-shirts, etc. in it. Still, he doesn't choose to go in of his own volition. Any other pointers?

 

--Ooky

+Odin, Dr. Benway, and Lobo

[hsnrs]

Guess we were really lucky. My Alfie was a cry baby the first night. After that it worked out great. We put the crate next to our bed. When she started to cry the second night I just tapped the top and told her quiet. When she woke up to go out and potty, she was fine after coming back in. Just be consistent whatever you do.