Night time tips

[Georgina]

I posted yesterday about our new puppy Cosmo and I had some lovely replies. So I'm hoping you fellow COLers will have some tips about nightime. Hes only been here 2 nights so he probably is still a bit unsettled at night. He is in a play pen downstairs in our utility room and he has his cosy bed in there with a blanket smelling of mum and one of my t shirts. He wines a bit when we put him down but then seems to settle.
But am I suppose to be getting up when he whines during the night to let him out or should I just be ignoring him and clearing up the messed newspaper in the morning? Also does he need to have his water over night?

[Murphys Law]

I have always kept a new pup crated in our bedroom for the first few months so I hear them whining when they need the toilet. I take Millie out and then put her straight back to bed, even if I am due to get up in 10 minutes. This way I am in control of when it's time to get up.

If my pup was downstairs I would set my alarm and let her out every couple of hours and then straight back to bed. As he gets older and gains control of his bladder you can increase the time. Millie, 14 weeks can go from 10pm to 5.30am without needing to go out.

I have never left water for any of my dogs overnight.

[Georgina]

I have always kept a new pup crated in our bedroom for the first few months so I hear them whining when they need the toilet. I take Millie out and then put her straight back to bed, even if I am due to get up in 10 minutes. This way I am in control of when it's time to get up.

If my pup was downstairs I would set my alarm and let her out every couple of hours and then straight back to bed. As he gets older and gains control of his bladder you can increase the time. Millie, 14 weeks can go from 10pm to 5.30am without needing to go out.

I have never left water for any of my dogs overnight.

Thank you, we dont want to have him upstairs long term so I dont want to start it now. My bedroom isnt big enough for his pen as well! 

Will try setting my alarm. Would you wake him up if he is asleep when you come down or just leave him until the next alarm?

[Markr64]

I would set the alarm and not wait for Cosmo to whine, he might then start to think if he whines then you will come running and you don't want to get into that way of thinking. With Dexter we woke him and took him out and then quickly resettled him which worked fine. We also had him in a crate and pen downstairs as the long term plan was not to have him upstairs, but at every opportunity he still goes straight upstairs and is on a bed.

It will not be long and he will start to be able to hold his bladder longer and longer, remember if he does have an accident just clear it up without any fuss and use a good cleaner without ammonia. The nights become easier very quickly and it is the daytime that becomes more fun with lots of naughty fun behaviour.

[Archie bean]

I'm afraid I'm going to give a conflicting opinion!  I have never used a crate (if you do, then I believe it is vital to set an alarm and let pup out during the night) so I have always let my puppies have their bed in a safe area with a washable floor. I put them to sleep and leave them, clearing up any mess in the morning. I never had any trouble with this method with my first two pups who both slept in the kitchen, moving to the lounge when they were clean and dry through the night. I think this way avoids the risk of a pup learning that whining at night gets you to come down to them. They all became dry at night very quickly. (Although during the day?........not so much.  )
I do have to admit that current boy Archie was a bit different. He developed a urine infection when he first came home and was miserable. He was peeing every 10 mins and obviously uncomfortable so I took him into my room "temporarily". I spread newspaper on the floor in front of his bed but by the third night he had managed to do some mountaineering up the duvet and I found him curled up under the covers with me in the morning. Four years later.........he still sleeps in my bed! 

[Penelope]

I am another who never goes down in the night to puppies.  I am lucky though as I have more than one dog, so any new pup is not totally alone.  Separated from the older dog/s by being in a crate for their own safety.  I just clear up the mess in the morning whilst pup can go out and play with the older dogs.

When we got Dexter nearly 5 years ago, it was deep snow.  He couldn't go out in the garden at all as he was too young to maintain his own temperature.  We trained him to use newspaper put down in the downstairs bathroom.  2 weeks later when the snow cleared, I really worried about how to re-train him to use the garden.  All we did was shut the bathroom door and let him out with the others.  We honestly never looked back.  He picked it up from the others so quickly.

Good luck with your new pup.  Whatever works best for you and pup is fine.

[Finvarra]

I used the newspaper method with our prvious dogs, but with Dylan I used a crate, in the bedroom. I set the alarm for 3.00 the first night, took him outside without fussing, straight back to bed. Every couple of nights I i creased the time by 15 mins. In two weeks he was going through the night til 7. We are on one level, so it was easy for us, plus we are retired so it was easy to watch him like a hawk in the daytime and get him,outside reguarly. He never did a poo indoors, and no wees after a month, truly the easiest pup we have ever had, but I put this down to our being around all the time.

He still sleeps in the bedroom, but now is in a bed. He has a couple of biscuits when he goes to bed, and doesn,t make a sound until 7.30 next morning. He's 20 weeks now.

The first two,weeks were tricky with getting up in the early hours, but it was summer which helped, and it was sooooo worth it. We never had to use newspapers at all and he learned so,quickly that outside is the place for him to wee.

Best of luck with your lovely Cosmo 

Lesley and Dylan

[Georgina]

Thank you everyone, iwill set my alarms and wake him up tonight, fingers crossed no mess in the morning
Im sure i'll be back to pick your brains again soon and with lots of norties to tell you! 

[JEM95]

As a new puppy owner it is interesting to read these threads.
I haven't crated Molly indoors, but used a pen instead in the corner of my kitchen / garden room - she sleeps in it and goes in when I leave her. We have a 10 year old flatcoated retriever too and its good for them to have their own space. She seems really happy in there.
I used puppy pads for the first few weeks, but now M just has her bed in the pen. If she ever has any accidents (very rare) the floor is moppable.
We've just had a week's holiday and Molly's pen came too.  I think the familiarity helped her settle plus I didn't have to worry about her chewing or damaging anything in the cottage.
I use a crate for the car.

[Patp]

I am the same as Archie - I valued a good night's sleep and much preferred mopping floors than coping with a puppy in a zombie state!  Jinley had a heated pad and a ticking clock in her bed which had a roof on it to make her feel secure.  I slept downstairs for the first couple of nights then left her to it after that.  Just do what is best for you and your lifestyle