Lily is now home! Am I doing the right thing at night?

[LilyLu]

We picked Lily up on Friday and she is adorable  We all love her to bits already.         So far she's settling into our home really well.  She plays well with our two sons and they play well with her, leaving her alone when she needs a rest, normally on the eldest sons knee!  She's eating well and so far (fingers crossed!) we've only had a few wee's indoors!

When we put her to bed in her crate on Friday night she slept well for an hour and then squealed the place down!  After a few minutes I went down to find she must have had a bad tummy as she'd pooed in her bed.  I took her out of her crate and, as I was a bit concerned of her runny tummy slept with her on the sofa (bad start!!).  But she seemed fine only waking once to go out for a wee! and then eating well the next day.

Last night she was fine, we put her to bed about 10ish and she woke at 11.30 and 2.30 to go out for a wee and then straight back to bed.  But she woke again at 4.30 wanting to play!!  I took her out for a wee but she didn't want to go, I went back to bed and she cryed again, I went back down gave her some water (which she didn't want), let her out for a wee (which she didn't want) so I popped her straight back to bed and let her cry for about a minute (seemed like 10) and she slept until my boys woke her up at 6ish.

Does this sound about right?  As she went straight back to bed the first couple of times I thought she really must have just needed a wee.  But obviously I don't want her to think I am going to go down to her every time she cries as she wants to play.  

Also, sorry this is sooo long, should I be putting a bowl of water in her crate with her at night?  I'd hate to think she was thirsty, but she didn't seem to want water either night.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Love Luan and Lily xx                    

[Shirley]

Hi Luan

Glad to hear that Lily has arrived and is settling into her new home.  I'm sure you children are delighted with her  .

I've found it so much easier with Cooper than I did with Morgan.  Cooper is in his crate in the bedroom with us and he has only woken through the night once or twice in the past four weeks.  Morgan was in the kitchen and settled okay the first couple of nights and then decided that he would cry (sometimes right through the night) for about 6 weeks - I was like a zombie before he settled into a pattern of sleeping through.  I wish now that I'd just taken Morgan's crate into the bedroom - but hindsight's a great thing :roll:  :wink: .

If you've decided that she's not going to be allowed in the bedrooms though, you're probably better starting as you mean to go on.  It's early days with Lily though and you may well find that she settles fine in a couple of days, she'll still be missing her mum and littermates right now.

As for the water, I tried this in Morgan's case and found that he just tipped it over, even the bowl that was attached to the side of the crate.  I think Lily will be fine without waterat night, indeed she'll probably wake even more often for a wee if she drinks during the night.

Hope this is of some use to you - everyone is different though, and there have been plenty times when I've thought I was doing things that were going to make things worse instead of better.

Have fun with Lily, we'd love to see some pics                      

[Cathy]

Hi,

On the second night, with Jazz, we placed her in her bed/crate and Alan locked her inside, at about 2.am she started screaming the house down, and when we went down to her about 10 mins later, she had wet her bed and was covered in poo. Then we played alittle, only to ease her panic and let her go outside.

From the next night, I unlocked her crate and put newspaper on the floor just outside her crate. I then shut her in the kitchen, shut the dinning room door then the bedroom door...with the intention if i couldnt hear her, then i would feel i had to go down to her. I could hear her.. but it didn' seem so heartbreaking... After going down to her for the first few nights to let her out, she stopped crying in the middle of the night, and I would say within only a few days she slept form about 10/11 through to 7am. It probally took about 2 nights to stop any crying when we first left her. '

If you do go down to her, just only let her out, wait for her to do her thing and after you have prasied her, put her straight back to bed. So she knows its only about going to the toliet.

I would not put water inside her crate, I know its important to make sure they have fresh water, but i have only been putting down water at certain times, and always take it up about an hour before bed time, others may disagree, but its worked really well with Jazz, and help to have dry nights, which helps with toliet training...

HOw old is Lilly, and how many meals are you feeding her, and what is she having?

Her runny tummy was likely to be due to chage and a bit of nervious, she was likely to be scared of being alone, and maybe gave er a gittery tummy.

Cathy                    

[Jan/Billy]

I agree with Cathy. We did the same with Billy. Put his crate in the kitchen and shut the kitchen door but left the crate door open. After having read other peoples stories regarding night time i realise how extremely lucky we were with Billy. Billyonly ever dried the first night. He now goes to bed and stays there until we get up in the morning (about 8am).
He has never cried. If he wakes upearly he just plays with his toys and chews  
Our trainer advised us to take his water bowl away from his at 7pm. He is on dried food mixed with water so apparently the water in his foodat night is sufficient until the next morning.He has never has an accident during the night since we did this                      

[Pammy]

Your approach sounds a reasonable one and I agree the runny tummy is very common in the first few days - change of water and all that :wink:

You are doing exactly what I did with my boys, except they were in a crate in my room, but when they cried I got up - took them outside then straight back to bed, no fuss no messing. They soon learn that crying only gets them taken out - which is great for helping to toilet train them at night too. They got praise if they went to the toilet, but only gentle, calm praise.

One other word of advice, although it's very cute to let them sleep on your knee, I would put her in her bed whenever she is tired, that will also help her to know her bed is where she sleeps. At this stage and doesn't know the difference between day and night. Sleep is sleep whenever it happens as it going to the loo etc. She needs consistent treatment day and night to help get her well settled and a make her easier to live with longer term. That's not to say you should never enjoy that wonderful time when they fall asleep in your arms - just try to ensure it's not the norm

Enjoy your puppy - they are gorgeous

hth                    

[Sam n Riley]

We had a nightmare first night with Riley, put him in the crate and he fell asleep, got upstairs and were just dropping off when he started howling like a banshee!  I too slept that first night on the sofa with him!  Second night the same pattern until we figured out that it was the crate he hated, we let him have the run of the lounge and kitchen and we have never had a word out of him at night since!  He sleeps on the floor (and the sofa!) in the lounge now and doesn't bother when we leave him to go upstairs.

Oh how I remember that poo splattered cage, yeuch!!                    

[LilyLu]

Thank you so much for your kind replies and advice.  It really does make you feel better knowing that you have been in similar situations.

Lily seems so much more confident today, chewing everything and everyone in her path, I feel so bad constantly saying no, but she still wants cuddles so she can't mind too much.

Last night was better, she only woke up twice, I let her out for a wee but she didn't go either time, just wanting to play, so I popped her straight back to bed, said night night and let her cry for a while.  They certainly know how to pull on your heart-strings, she made me feel so bad, but she settled down after a while.  Hopefully by the end of the week she'll be a bit better, but as my youngest son took 12 months to sleep through the night I'm not really that worried how long it takes, she can't be as bad as that!!!

I would put her in her bed whenever she is tired, that will also help her to know her bed is where she sleeps.
hth

I did this most of the day yesterday and she seemed quite happy but I did it again this morning and the little monkey woke up, took one look and me and ran straight back to her original place of sleep and slept for a good half hour :roll: I did have to laugh!! I shall keep trying it though, thank you.

I definately agree the runny tummy must have been a one off/change of water/nerves as her poo's better now (sorry, not the best subject)!

I shall try and post some pictures soon, but so far she's a bit quick for me, you go to take her picture and all you get is her bum leaving the scene :roll:

I'm sorry my messages always seem so long, I talk non-stop in real life too!

Thanks again for your advice

Love Luan and Lily xx