Leave to cry or take outside?

[Misskb]

Hi everyone

I'm really confused in what to do with my 8 week old puppy during the night. We havnt got her yet, we pick her up in 6 days but I'm doing some reading up and some people have said to leave the puppy when she cries during the night and some are saying to go down to let her out to go to the toilet.
She will also be in a crate, and do I lock the crate at night or leave it open? I don't like the thought of locking her up!

Would appreciate your advice. Thankyou x

[Danni and Freya]

For the first couple of weeks its unfair to expect your pup to hold it all night. They won't want to mess in thier bed but by leaving them you give them no option. I got up once a night for a week or so when shes cried. Let her out, no fuss straight to garden then straight back to bed with a treat and then ignore. Worked a dream for Freya, she was house trained within two weeks 

[Karma]

If you are confining your pup in a crate, for the first couple of weeks you should expect to let your pup out for a loo break in the night... ideally do this before she cries, so that she doesn't learn that she can summon you for attention... if you don't let her out, she will just toilet in her crate and you lose one of the main benefits of crate training...

A crate is most effective when shut - it creates a safe den for a dog and discourages toileting as a pup will be reluctant to toilet where they are sleeping.

[ClaireH]

I set the alarm for 4 hours after we went to bed, got up and took Storm out for a pee, I didn't wait for him to cry as I didn't want him to learn that crying = me. Then I gradually by an hour a time, lengthened the time I left him. Within 2 weeks at 9 weeks old he was dry and clean day and night. Although I did get up early at about 6.30-7am in the mornings.

Exciting time, enjoy your pup x

[Sheepscheeks]

Well, we left Freddie from day one in his crate all night. It was big enough when he was 8.5 weeks to have bed one end, newspaper at the other. He did wee on the paper for about the first week but thereafter wee'd as soon as he was out of his crate in the morning (6-6.30am) on the paper outside the crate door. It didn't delay house training, it was just the way we chose to do it. He is still in his crate with the door shut each night and he's 2 now. We tried leaving the door open to give him a bit more freedom but he cried at the kitchen door so we shut him in again. He has a blanket covering 3 sides and it is what he is used to. We have moved on to a bigger crate now but don't envisage changing his sleeping arrangements - I don't want him in our room. I think it's personal choice.

[Patp]

Well, we left Freddie from day one in his crate all night. It was big enough when he was 8.5 weeks to have bed one end, newspaper at the other. He did wee on the paper for about the first week but thereafter wee'd as soon as he was out of his crate in the morning (6-6.30am) on the paper outside the crate door. It didn't delay house training, it was just the way we chose to do it. He is still in his crate with the door shut each night and he's 2 now. We tried leaving the door open to give him a bit more freedom but he cried at the kitchen door so we shut him in again. He has a blanket covering 3 sides and it is what he is used to. We have moved on to a bigger crate now but don't envisage changing his sleeping arrangements - I don't want him in our room. I think it's personal choice.

I did the same as Sheepscheeks, we bought a Whelping Pen so it was big enough to have one end with newspaper.  If I did go down at all, I made sure I didnt switch any lights on so Jinley got used to the idea dark = sleep time.

She is nearly 5 months now and we still have the odd accident during the night, but I would rather that than her crying during the night and then having the hassle of settling her back down.

Just what worked for me. 

Pat

[henryjack1dogs]

Same Here.  Crate shut with one sided vet bed and the other paper.  My older boy sleeps with his crate door open now but my 9mth sleeps in a bed - no crate.  Used crate shut until housetrained - 14 - 16 weeks for both.  Good luck, lots of different ways no right or wrong in my opinion.  Have fun, a torch, a warm coat and yes a umbrella  in these cold wet evening. 

[ClaireH]

Mine still sleeps in his crate as well. If hes left out he barks at cat noises and so on, so he just goes in there and he's fine. None of mine sleep in my room, all downstairs.

[max2011]

Hi, I put the crate in our utility room and left Max in there with the door opened. I then put newspaper down for him to use in the night. He never cried in the night and I didn't hear him until he barked at about 7am. Once he was about 4 months old and his bladder was bigger I worked out that he was only using the newspaper when he woke up so then I did start shuting the crate and he held it in until I went down to let him out.

This worked really well for me as I need my sleep! However it may of delayed toilet training as he was not fully trained until 5 1/2 months!!

[bracken]

I never used crates or got up with mine, but if I had a pup now I would do it differently. My son has a cocker pup he was picked up at 8 weeks he has a large crate to sleep in at night which is covered with a blanket except for the front.
 Pup goes to bed around 10 pm then my son got up once during the night but didn't speak only to say 'wee wee' then popped him back into bed. He is then up at 6am. He is now 15 weeks and completely dry with no wee at night any more
Good luck with your new pup 

[LinziS]

Had Tilly for 1 week and the first night she cried every hour to get out for a wee...2nd night it extended to 2 hrs between the toilet run....next couple of nights she poo'd her crate(then stepped all over it) at 3am and howled the place down.
However after taking some advice we moved her last feed to later in the evening..stopped mixing her kibble with other puppy food and lo and behold she goes down to sleep around midnight and sleeps right through til morning...no accidents in crate either.She is locked in and crate covered on 3 sides.
During the day when we are at home we just continue with the toileting routine..ie out as soon as she wakes..before and after feeds...after playing etc...and luckily she also heads off to the back door to let us know she needs.

So far so good....just hoping it stays that way as i was getting exhausted

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

When I first got Charlie he was 13 weeks old. He was up once during the night and after a week or two he'll sleep through the night. Over the past 6 weeks or so he's been up twice during the night (once because he was sick) and the other for the toilet. So all in all I'm happy .

[bluegirl]

I don't use a crate but if pup cries in the night and is persistent then I go down. I don't make a fuss of them (as you can be sure they will be happy to see you and the only reason I'm downstairs in the middle of the night is to let pup out for a toilet break). Once pup has been outside we go back in and I settle them back down with a little fuss as possible (difficult bit). The last thing I want to do it to let pup think we play in the middle of the night so I have found this routine works best.

 However I would never leave a pup which sounded very distressed because I have encountered two incidents over the years of one getting stuck behind the radiator and one going missing and getting stuck half way up the wall behind the washing machine.

[Nicola81]

I am bringing Dexter home and Friday and have been wondering what to do!  He is going to be in a crate at night, but don't know whether to take him out into the garden during the night if he wakes or just put him on a puppy pad at the back door and then during the day take him outside!

He isn't getting his initial jabs till Thursday next week with the vets been shut over Christmas and people at work have been telling me not to let him in the garden at all if there are cats or squirrels around as he may catch something!  Would only put him on the patio outside the back door but the peeps at work have freaked me out a bit about the garden!! 

Would it be confusing to him going on a puppy pad during he night and outside during the day?!!!! 

[Evadee]

Sleep downstairs if you can for the first 3 or 4 nights (it's worth it honest)

Crate puppy with the door shut, put a puppy pad at the front of the crate and arrange the bedding at the back.  Pup will only use the puppy pad if really really desperate.

If pup cries or scrabbles at the crate in the night, let her outside for a toilet but don't talk/play/interact with her except to praise if she goes.  Pop her back in the crate and ignore whilst she settles down again.

We made the MISTAKE of leaving our first pup's crate door open the first few days in a small room (only about 4ft x 5ft) and she just soiled everywhere and then trod in it and messed it up the walls etc    she had to have paw baths then it was vile!

After talking to the breeder we were given the above advice and after about 3 nights she was sleeping through, did the same with Jake a few weeks ago and I was back in my own bed after 2 nights with him sleeping from 11 - 5!

last feed is around 6pm and water available til about 10pm.

You can always use a long lead in the garden for the toilet, that's what I do most of the time for our pup