First Day/Night!

[markpt]

Hi All!

Picked up our male Choc cocker , Nero, at lunch today and so far great! He lasts about an hour then seems to go for 20min naps!

We are using a crate with him - have it fleeced, including some from his mum/sisters, and a blanket over to keep "dark" - he's been in twice and had short naps in there with the door open, but his last sleep he got out and has gone under the clothes horse in the kitchen?!?

How do I go about putting him to bed tonight in the crate with door closed?!! Just close it once he's in there and job done?!! He will sleep in his crate in living room, where it currently is

Also, just before his last nap, he seemed to clamp onto my arm with his front paws and was errr trying to mate my arm?!!! Even 8 weeks seems a little early for this?!!

Welcome any comments on first night and sleep work!
Thanks
Mark

[Sep1702]

Hello!!

Congratulations on yr new puppy!!  We have had our little girl 3 weeks today.  I was expecting a few sleepless nights but Mali amazed us by sleeping through without a sound right from day 1.  We have her in a crate in our utility room which is just off our kitchen and due to that we don't need to close the crate as we have a baby gate on the doorway instead.  One thing we did do was to pop a ticking clock into her bed (we bought a bed with a zip underneath and put the clock in there) she settled and has done so ever since.

Good luck on your first night.

Sarah & Mali

[elaine.e]

Hello and welcome to COL

Don't worry about the humping. Puppies and even adult dogs often hump just while playing or being excited or even stressed about something. At Nero's age it won't be anything sexual, but when he does it try distracting him with a toy to play with so that humping people's arms doesn't become a habit.

[markpt]

Thankyou! Must admit I did feel getting the only male in the litter was maybe for a reason?!!!

Our choc lab passed away in November at nearly 15 - so it's been a WHILE since we had a pup!


We have a radio we will leave on overnight, a puppy hot water bottle too!!

Is it best to just place him in crate 30mins before I go up and close door, anyone?!

Am sure a lot of these things fall into place as the weeks/months go on, just like bringing a newborn home for the first time….a bit scary again!!! 

[Sep1702]

I'm still very new to this but we literally put her in as we are getting ready to go up to bed and she has got used to that routine already.  We shut all lights off, don't leave tv or anything on for her (we have done during the daytime) and she just knows its bedtime. 

[markpt]

Cool - thanks for the input!

What tends to be an average day time nap? His 2 so far since lunch have been a bit broken and last around 20mins….it's nearly 6pm and this one (funnily enough the kids are out!!) is about 80mins!!!

Bit worried any longer will ruin bedtime!

[Olwen]

Hello, aren't cocker puppies gorgeous? When we had Blod we had a large crate in the living room with a small cardboard box with fleece inside for a den. At night we put in the cloth from her litter mates, a toy she'd brought with her and a teddy bear hot water bottle after one of the children. At night we shut the crate door, put the lights out and then went to bed ... not a peep. I resisted the temptation to keep checking. One morning we discovered her cwtched up to the hot water bottle with her face against the teddy's face - so sweet. We kept that routine for a few months before putting her in the kitchen in a smaller crate. She was quickly clean overnight, we were very lucky but all pups are individuals. Good luck with Nero.

[HBP]

The first few days we had our pup he slept more or less constantly... and he still slept through the night. Just think of them like human babies 

Personally I wouldn't put him in the crate until you're going to bed. If you put him in a while before, he'll hear you're still around and probably want to be out and with you. We put ours in his bed, switch the light off and go quietly upstairs, so he knows its bedtime.

Whatever you do, you're probably not going to get a full night's sleep for a couple of days  But they learn quickly, and it'll soon get better x

P.S: PUPPY PICTURES 

[lynnruby]

Hi Mark, welcome to COL 

It is a bit like bringing a new born baby home isn't it?  I would just leave him to nap for however long he wants to.

I agree with HBP, I wouldn't put him in the crate until you're going to bed.  We left Ruby with a hot water bottle and a soft toy to cuddle up to, we also had a night light.  She did cry a bit for the first few nights    One thing we found that really worked to help her settle after she had been here a few days ..... was to wear an old tee shirt for the day (or even a couple of days  )  then put it in the crate with her at night.  That way, she could smell us even though she couldn't see us.

Good luck! 

[markpt]

Thanks all some good points- think we have all "bedtime extras" covered so will just have to see I suppose!!
Pics to come!

[markpt]

A quick update on night 1!
Shut him in crate around 1045 and we had 20mina of howling which works one of my daughters so I decided to go down - day by his crate to settle him for 15mins and then edged to bed!

Had a ew more mins of howling then nothing til 0540 and no mess in crate- very happy with that!

[markpt]

One things he's not doing is eating- didn't touch last meal last night of this morning- am using dry Arden Grange as supplied by breeder - and adding a little water as she did- presume I just stick with and he will eat eventually?!!

[markpt]

So first night went ok! He started crying about 1130- waited for him to ease and came down to sit by crate he settled quicky and slept in til 0540!

Second night - nightmare! Woke crying at 0340 and as I above 2 girls under 10 I couldn't leave him doing this as it would wake them! I basically let him out for a wee and he was wide awak- no chance of going back in crate!

Think my error was letting him sleep too much in the hours before bed.

So tonight he has only slept for 30mins at 9pm since 7pm, I've settled him in crate earlier and off to bed shortly..... Fingers crossed!!

[mitches]

Hi did it go the 2nd night?

I dont think it makes any difference if they snooze most of the evening or if you try to keep them awake. We tried to keep our puppy up in the evening but it didnt make her sleep through the night!!

Our pup was up about 3 times in the first few weeks, then down to twice, that has been for 10 weeks, its exhausting!!

She has slept right through the night until 5.30sh for 3 nights in a row, its been bliss, but we are not holding our breathe in case it doesnt last!
We dont want our sons sleep disturbed too much that is why we cant let her cry too long.

Hope your doggy has a better sleeping pattern than ours.

Cheers Elaine

[Welsh cocker]

Hi. One tip that worked for my pup to help her settle without be present was to leave the radio on really low. I guess they go from having noise around them all day, and then silence which can be quite scary. Anyhow, classical fm worked a treat for our girl, and she settled within a couple of minutes.

As for not eating we had this problem and was advised that it's probably just to do with the changes. We were reassured that she would eat when hungry but by day 3 I gave up waiting and out a little cooked chicken on top. Got her eating, and didn't lead to her being a fussy eater longer term!

Good luck tonight