Author Topic: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?  (Read 2548 times)

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Offline Arrielle

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Hello,
3 days ago I brought home an English Cocker Spaniel.
He is 10 week and 4 days. On Sunday he will be 11 weeks old.

During the day time I keep him in my office in an ex-pen or in the kitchen & hallway with me when I cook. During the night he stays in a crate.

He whines and need to go potty about 3-5 times a night. So I wake up and take him out and then put him back in. With this routine he rarely has had an accident so far.

When should I stop waking up at his whines and let him sleep all night long?
How old should he be? Or what are the signs that it's time for me to stop waking up and let him in the crate all night long?

I want him to learn, in the end, that waking up during night and peeing is not on option.

Thank you.

Offline bmthmark

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2017, 01:47:10 PM »
Very good question, I feel your pain as I have just experienced everything you said. Waking up 5 times in the night is hard times.
But I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I think mine was about 7 months old when he stopped waking us up.

He is 11 months now and I put him to bed at 10pm and he sleeps until 6.30am.

It sounds like you are definitely on the right track and I expect yours will be a lot quicker than mine was. I had extra problems with mine as he didn't like the crate, so I had to overcome that hurdle first.

Good luck!

Offline Alwaysupforawalk

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2017, 05:48:28 PM »
Hi

My puppy is now 15 weeks old. I think they do all vary but I put Beany(when I first got her at 8weeks)to bed at 10pm in her crate and for the first week only I got up at 2 to let her out for a wee. She would then sleep until 6.
I full intended to get up for longer than a week but on the last night it was absolutely pouring with rain and she wouldn't wee at 2 and when she got up at 6 she was dry and clean! So I never bothered again!
I still give her a hot water bottle at bed time and a cheesy Kong and the crate is covered with a blanket.....so maybe some of that helps!

Offline Patp

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2017, 07:42:23 PM »
I approached it slightly differently.  Jinley had a crate with just a hotwater bottle, a tshirt of mine, blanket, a battery childs night lamp and a ticking clock.  I slept downstairs in the same room (we are all open plan) for 2 nights and let her out when she stirred.

On the third night, I went to bed.  She had a last wee at about 11 then she was put in her crate with a biscuit.  I decided that I could cope with puddles and poo if I had a good nights sleep and didnt want her to think that if she cried then I came down.

She slept after about a week from about 10 pm until I came down at around half 6 in the morning and it wasnt long before there was no mess to clean up (wooden floors were a godsend)

Obviously it all changed at around 4 months, when my OH decided she should sleep upstairs  >:D >:D now she mithers us after 9 to go to bed with her!!

You do what you are comfortable with, there is no right or wrong its what suits you and your puppy xx




Offline Arrielle

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2017, 12:19:01 AM »
Thank you all for your pieces of advice.
I just want to do it the right way so I can get a good night sleep.
I cannot keep it like this for long.
I will try to go upstairs in a week and let him be in his crate till morning.
Some say that if he pees on himself he will never learn not to do it.

I really don't know what's best for all of us.
My husband it is already a basket " I told you not to get a pup, but to adopt an old dog"...
:)
Yeap, that's my life now

Offline Arrielle

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2017, 12:22:00 AM »
Oscar has only a towel in the crate. Nothing else.
He does not mind that...it's just waking up for peeing that I see turning into a major issue.

I don't think I can keep it too long..

Offline Alwaysupforawalk

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2017, 09:49:19 PM »
Why don't you try cutting out one of the night time visits at a time?
So go from 5 to 4 and so on...that's assuming he pees each time you take him out?
Maybe a bit of ignoring is in order??

Or maybe start putting him to bed as late as possible and up again as early as possible? And then gradually move the times.

Also some people suggest taking away water supply from a certain time.... For the first couple of weeks I picked up her water bowl at 9pm. She is 15 weeks now and I don't bother.

Good luck! I know how important sleep is!!

Offline Finvarra

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2017, 10:25:49 PM »
We got Dylan at 8 weeks, and he was crated in the bedroom. He was taken out last thingat night, around 11.30, then I set the alarm for 3.00 am, took him out, and he slept then til around 7. I extended the time by an hour each week and he was soon going through the night. It was summer fortunately, and it,s light here in Scotland by three in the morning, so it wasn't too bad. I'm a light sleeper so if he stirred I woke up. This is the first pup I did this with, and it made it much quicker to housetrain than my previous nine dogs, who slept in the kitchen and had to be cleared up in the morning.

Maybe if you cut down on the night trips? Just take him out once during the night? It too, two or three weeks for Dylan to go through the night, he was a good pup, but all dogs are different. Best of luck.

Lesley and Dylan
Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2017, 09:34:50 AM »
We got Dylan at 8 weeks, and he was crated in the bedroom. He was taken out last thingat night, around 11.30, then I set the alarm for 3.00 am, took him out, and he slept then til around 7. I extended the time by an hour each week and he was soon going through the night. It was summer fortunately, and it,s light here in Scotland by three in the morning, so it wasn't too bad. I'm a light sleeper so if he stirred I woke up. This is the first pup I did this with, and it made it much quicker to housetrain than my previous nine dogs, who slept in the kitchen and had to be cleared up in the morning.

Maybe if you cut down on the night trips? Just take him out once during the night? It too, two or three weeks for Dylan to go through the night, he was a good pup, but all dogs are different. Best of luck.

Lesley and Dylan

This is more or less what we did except that Humphrey was downstairs in his crate and we set up a baby alarm (via an app on the cellphone). Can't remember exactly when he started going through the night, but it didn't take very long. We had no messes at night at all.

Offline bmthmark

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2017, 11:54:06 AM »
Wouldn't it be great if there was a guide that told you the exact steps to successfully teach a puppy to sleep through the night. After following the guide you have a puppy that sleeps through the night with no issues.
I think this is wishful thinking as all pups have different ways about them.

Mine was just a pain in the butt  :005: but after lots of sleepless nights and many swear words  >:D - I made it through.

Looking back now, I think my mistake was that when I got my pup the first few nights I should of slept downstairs with him, then gradually moved away. Instead I put him in his crate and left him. I think by leaving him, upset him a lot more - this was my mistake.
Mine was very good at toilet training and he never had any accidents in his crate, but I had more problems with him crying  :'(

But he is now 1 year old (birthday today) and he sleeps fine now.


Offline ips

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2017, 12:09:08 PM »
Wouldn't it be great if there was a guide that told you the exact steps to successfully teach a puppy to sleep through the night. After following the guide you have a puppy that sleeps through the night with no issues.
I think this is wishful thinking as all pups have different ways about them.

Mine was just a pain in the butt  :005: but after lots of sleepless nights and many swear words  >:D - I made i through.

Looking back now, I think my mistake was that when I got my pup the first few nights I should of slept downstairs with him, then gradually moved away. Instead I put him in his crate and left him. I think by leaving him, upset him a lot more - this was my mistake.
Mine was very good at toilet training and he never had any accidents in his crate, but I had more problems with him crying  :'(

But he is now 1 year old (birthday today) and he sleeps fine now.

Happy birthday 🎂
Muddling along in the hope that one day it all makes sense.

Offline Micahs Mum

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2017, 01:21:14 PM »
Micah is 16 weeks old now & for approximately 8 out of 10 nights he'll be clean throughout the night from 9.45pm until 6.45am & is quiet all night.

I've had 8 puppies over the years & in the early years I got up during the night but with the last 6 pups I followed the same routine which I found worked well with the exception of my 2 year old Golden Retriever who was a nightmare.
In the beginning if they wake in the I will go into the hall but generally out of view & speak softly to them to soothe them until they settle but I don't get them up. Usually after the first week they settle. The beauty of crate training is that it teaches them to hold themselves as generally, but not always, they don't like to mess where they sleep. Obviously in the beginning there are going to be accidents but I've found by not taking them out during the night it speeds up the process of them being clean overnight.
It can also speed up their ability to settle for longer periods, Micah settles for 9 hours at night now & is generally clean.

That said all puppies are individuals & the same routine may not work for all, Alby my Golden Retriever was very hard work & I had to put his crate away at 4 months old and move him in the bedroom otherwise I'd of faced eviction but that's a whole other story!

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

Sam, ECS Micah & Golden Retrievers Logan and Alby

Offline bmthmark

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2017, 01:35:54 PM »
Wouldn't it be great if there was a guide that told you the exact steps to successfully teach a puppy to sleep through the night. After following the guide you have a puppy that sleeps through the night with no issues.
I think this is wishful thinking as all pups have different ways about them.

Mine was just a pain in the butt  :005: but after lots of sleepless nights and many swear words  >:D - I made i through.

Looking back now, I think my mistake was that when I got my pup the first few nights I should of slept downstairs with him, then gradually moved away. Instead I put him in his crate and left him. I think by leaving him, upset him a lot more - this was my mistake.
Mine was very good at toilet training and he never had any accidents in his crate, but I had more problems with him crying  :'(

But he is now 1 year old (birthday today) and he sleeps fine now.

Happy birthday 🎂

Thank you and thanks for the help over the the past year  :D

Offline ips

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #13 on: October 13, 2017, 01:42:13 PM »
Your welcome, hows things going with the little fellas training ??
Muddling along in the hope that one day it all makes sense.

Offline bmthmark

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Re: When should I stop waking up when the pup whines during the night?
« Reply #14 on: October 13, 2017, 02:14:46 PM »
Your welcome, hows things going with the little fellas training ??

He is doing really well thanks. Lead walking will always be a work in progress, but he is 100 times better than a few months back. The majority of the time he will walk loose lead at my side, but he still gets easily distracted by any animal that walks by (squirrels, cats and other dogs).
But overall I can't complain as he is a great dog and I wouldn't change him for the world.