Hi,
Well Peanut had us over last night; at 4am we met the screaming banshee in her, howling, attempted barking at full pelt, I heard the neighbours awake!
We need to change routine urgently, can you suggest anything please? She’s 8.5 weeks and been here for 6 days.
She’s in her crate when she sleeps, if she doesn’t take herself to the crate in the day I carry her over. We’ve kept the crate door open as we’ve made downstairs puppy safe.
Usually I get up at 4am to take her out for a wee and put her back in bed with no fuss, I go back to bed upstairs. Last night she howled for an hour, I can see through a camera that she’s not in trouble and that she wants to play! After 50 mins with no break in noise she was still full pelt howling/screaming and as bad as I felt I left her until she was quiet. That took another hour. As soon as she was quiet I crept downstairs to find her wagging her tail and ready to play, I thought she’d have tired herself out but no. She hadn’t come out of her crate, we put a wee pad about a metre from the crate door in case she gets caught short and she’d used it.
I fed breakfast an hour early, played fetch with her and laid her down in the crate, she slept straight away.
My wife thinks I should sleep on the sofa for a few nights so that Peanut knows somebody is nearby. I’m not sure what to do. What we need to avoid is having two working adults shattered with no sleep.
Moving the crate upstairs is not a good idea as we would have to close the crate door for safety reasons (cottage, low windows, steps etc.). I don’t want to encourage weeing in the crate so like the door open.
I’ve given in and bought a metal play pen so that it can be hooked onto the crate and pads can be put down. I feel that’s a step backwards but my wife says Peanut is a baby who has had 5 days of fantastic behaviour but she’s a baby and potty training will take longer with many backwards and forward steps. Wife’s view is that she’s not getting up at 4am so I’m doing Peegate shift!
I’ve bought the playpen as it might come in handy in the garden or as a stair gate but I intend to continue with 4am Peegate. I’m ok about sleeping on sofa, it’s comfy
Thanks.
John