CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: Blueberry on June 17, 2016, 06:57:03 AM
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I brought Blue home on Monday afternoon. He's 10 weeks old. The first two nights were not as bad as expected in terms of crying, I put him in his crate/pen at 10pm, came down to check on him at 3, and then left him again until 6. I took him outdoors briefly at 3, but he just wanted to play, so I decided on night three to leave him alone all night. There was some howling, but nothing too difficult to ignore.
Yesterday I tried to keep him up and active as long as possible, thinking if he had less naps in the daytime, he might be more settled at night.
Last night however, was horrendous. He started up the noise as soon as I left the kitchen, and he has howled, yapped, sung, barked and groaned all night long - 8 hours solid - honestly, you would never have believed there was just one tiny pup in there, it sounded like a pack of Huskies. Fortunately we are in a detached house, otherwise I think we'd have had complaints from the neighbours.
This morning he is still full of beans, wish I could say the same for myself; I'm so tired I feel physically sick. (And this morning he is biting everything; clothes, legs, feet, face. If I put my hand up to say No! he bites that as well).
My hubby is really not impressed - he never wanted a dog in the first place, so this is all down to me to sort out.
How do I get him to behave at night time, and how long can I expect it to take until he settles at night? (The biting I know has been addressed many times on the forum and I will look at those threads for advice on that).
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Don't cut back the day time naps. They need them and keeping a pup awake when it needs to sleep just gives you a wired pup as you have discovered. I think at that age Henry needed a nap if he had been awake for one-half to two hours. Some were short naps but others were several hours long. If he hadn't taken himself to bed after 2.5 hours of being up I'd pop him into his crate and he'd fall straight asleep. But generally I let him regulate himself. Google how much sleep a 10 week old pup needs. It's A LOT. 12 hours at night plus long naps during the day.
Biting in my experience gets a lot worse when they are tired.
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Thanks for the help LG. He's fast asleep now.
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Don't cut back the day time naps. They need them and keeping a pup awake when it needs to sleep just gives you a wired pup as you have discovered. I think at that age Henry needed a nap if he had been awake for one-half to two hours. Some were short naps but others were several hours long. If he hadn't taken himself to bed after 2.5 hours of being up I'd pop him into his crate and he'd fall straight asleep. But generally I let him regulate himself. Google how much sleep a 10 week old pup needs. It's A LOT. 12 hours at night plus long naps during the day.
Biting in my experience gets a lot worse when they are tired.
Agree with this, I know when Toby is over-tired he is all the things you describe, annoying though it may be, puppies need their daytime naps to re-charge their batteries (hard to believe at times, but true none the less) I use the time he is asleep to catch up on stuff I need/want to do and they wake so much the sweeter. I think it must be more of a problem when you are trying to convince hubby it won't last forever
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We had this with Lola...try leaving a radio on low and we also covered her crate with a blanket a night to give a den effect and to differentiate between night & day .....hang in there x ☺
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Is this your first dog? Because every puppy is scared, needy and upset when he is taken to a new 'home.' Just think: his little world was big warm Mum, siblings, safe and secure and familiar smells and sounds. What you're describing is a terrified puppy who only knows how to do one thing- shout for help. If you took a baby out of the nursery it would be the same or worse.
Many people seem to have quite new set regimes for puppies now which make me uncomfortable- we've had four spaniels and each was different but all VERY anxious. We never used crates because it seems odd to me to do to a puppy what I wouldn't do to a chicken. We never left them alone the first few nights, either taking up to bed or one of us sleeping downstairs. To some owners this seems to be a no-no. Yet they settled in the first week and every one of ours turned out to be lovely dogs. :-*
Biting is his only way of letting you know he's anxious. Later he'll bite when he's teething but that's a different thing.
Puppies can be a challenge or a joy. Take a deep breath and think OK this isn't what I expected but there are ways to make it better. Don't make him over-tired. Don't try to discipline him. Let him find his confidence in this new situation. He's wanting to and looking to you for help. good luck.
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Pup doesn't know what 'no' means. He just hears sound and sees you waving your hand at him. If you are raising your voice even a little it increases the energy in the room. And that energy goes straight into your pup and out again as excitable behaviour.
A sharp ah-ah might get his attention long enough enough for you to redirect him to a toy or other activity. He's still REALLY young, but it's worth starting redirection now. Rather than discipline, which they don't understand, pups need to be redirected to an activity you DO want. They want to learn and to please so showing them what you want them to is the best way to teach them what you DON'T want. They put two and two together very quickly. And it also means you have to act positively rather than negatively which helps your frame of mind too.
It's early days. Take a deep breath. You'll get there.
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Thanks all.
I do usually successfully redirect any bitey chewy behaviour, it's just today. I feel like I did 7 rounds with Muhammed Ali last night, and he's just so challenging this morning.
He is not my first puppy, I had one before, but it was over 30 years ago, and I'm sure she was challenging, but I don't remember her being this noisy!
His sleep this morning didn't last long, he's in and out of his crate, (which is covered, by the way), roaming in his pen and dragging various toys about. He's whining and yapping every time I go out of his line of sight - even if I'm in the room and still talking to him. This has been happening since day one, I know he's anxious about separation. I give him lots of love and cuddles, but I do need to be able to get showered, use the bathroom, a bit of cleaning now and then etc. (OK, maybe not the cleaning ...)
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By the way, do you think I should reinstate the 3am visit downstairs or not? Happy to do it if it's beneficial, but don't want to create more problems inadvertently.
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Oh boy do I understand!!
We picked Maisie up last Tuesday, she's 9 weeks now. By day 4/5 I was in tears, feeling a failure and wondering what on earth we had purchased!!
Then I found this site, read all the puppy threads and it was like a weight had dropped off me........she was NORMAL!!!
She still screams, still bites, still eats everything in the garden but the difference is me. I know now that she will grow out of it so I am relaxed and determined to enjoy every bitey, snappy moment!
What I am trying to say is don't give up, he's just doing what every other pup on here has done.
Practically, it sounds like he has bonded with you now, hence the increased noise last night. He missed you! It will get better. I have convinced Maisie (read bribed with food) that her basket is the best place ever, it has carrots, frozen kongs stuffed with goodies, teddies to cuddle and bite! Just everything that is wonderful to a 9 week pup. We now just have disgruntled groans in between the full blown drama queen screaming which doesn't last long anymore.
If she bites which incidentally she wakes up doing!! I shove a Kong knotty teddy in her mouth instead of my fingers. Has he got loads of toys he can chew on to releave the teething pain? I've found that 10 mins of determined chewing calms down the biting.
I'm more than happy to swop puppy horror stories so we can both hang in there!!
Xx
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Thank you MM!
Unfortunately he doesn't seem very food orientated. I tried him with a stuffed Kong, he licked it and then ignored it. It's still in his pen. He's not bothered about treats as a reward either, he responds much better to an enthusiastic 'good boy!' - he certainly knows what that means ;)
He has a knotty teddy and several other chewable a, which he does love to gnaw on, but this morning he was just very fixated on getting as close as possible to me.
I'll soldier on, and thanks for the support - I really did feel like cr*p this morning, but I'm fortified with caffeine now!
Re the biting. When I said I put my hand up to say no, I did not mean I waved my hand about, I put it up like a policeman stopping traffic. I usually use 'ah-ah', but when things are going too far the 'stop sign' has previously worked.
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Murphy was the bitey pup from hell. He never slept during the day and was pretty much a nightmare. My theory was that he had too much energy so I spent all my time trying to tire him out.
Unfortunately I was completely wrong and what he really needed was sleep. When he started getting tired his biting got worse so we started putting him in his crate for an hour or two for a nap (it was the only way to get him to sleep during the day) and things literally improved over night.
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I can recommend stuffing a toy in his mouth then cuddling. Then stopping the cuddle if he refuses to hold onto the toy. They love their cuddles and Henry learned very quickly that if he wanted a cuddle he needed a toy in his mouth. Even to this day he frantically searches for a toy when he's let out of his crate or someone comes in the room, because that's the rule if he wants a cuddle. Often he's so desperate he'll pick up ANYTHING and come barrelling over. It was a block of wood the other day...
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Teddie was just the same. The first two weeks were hellish as he also had an upset tum. This forum was just what I needed to realise he was quite normal.
He is nearly 16 weeks now and sometimes sleeps through till 6.30ish. Mostly
Still needs a wee about 3, but things have settled down.
We leave the radio on low and stay quietly nearby until he settles. He's a little Velcro dog in the day too, which I don't mind as am home and like the company. Hang in there x
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Our house is a bomb site atm with doors off, tools everywhere and all rooms a tip etc so our Monty (16 weeks) needs to be kept safe. To us, the crate (with puppy pen attached) has been an absolute godsend. He sleeps in there overnight downstairs very happily (the breeder introduced one way before we picked him up). He also goes in there for 3/4 naps a day (usually an hour) with a tasty treat after walks or training sessions. It was essential that I gave him lots of time away from me, for both separation anxiety issues and to avoid him becoming too obsessed with me. I don't go down to him overnight, just deal with what he does in the morning. I'm noticing the odd day when there is nothing to pick up so he's getting better!
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Hehe BB, this really is like a Groundhog Day.
We have always had Labs who are born half puppy/half dyson!! So I was really surprised when Maisie delicately picked one piece of kibble up at a time and had a walk about in between. I too thought she wasn't food oriented.
I wasn't happy with the food she had been on so I changed it after a few days ( I know you are meant to do it gradually but I reckoned it would do her more harm being on a cereal based food than swopping straight away to a whole prey kibble). This was a complete changing point and she now barks at me as soon as I get her bowl out, ploughs her way through the food without even lifting her head and will even give a paw for a tiny piece of cheese.
Don't (like me) presume he is not food oriented, it may just be he hasn't found the thing that rocks his world yet.
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I have noticed, no mention of WHOO HOO's yet. So not quite that bad yet :003:
i do know what you are going through, you start to believe that all the people who say "go on get a pup, life will be fantastic" must be simple in the head. It will get better and you will laugh and you will go through it again sometime in the future no doubt :fear2: :004:
sending you a :bigarmhug: and :badmood: for the nasty daddy
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MM, I put him onto raw food the day after I brought him home. The breeder was heavily promoting some kibble which I've never even heard anyone else mention, and was very keen that I should feed him nothing else. I looked it up online and it is full of rubbish; not for my boy! I'm pretty sure she is being given an incentive to promote it. I didn't tell her, but I already had a freezer full of Nutriment in waiting. I let him have breeder kibble the first night, but next morning he went straight on to the Nutriment without a hitch ;) (It certainly makes the poo easier to deal with)
He's had a very sleepy day today, interspersed with short periods of playfulness, and even had a ride in the car in his crate, as I took him to meet my mum.
Currently in his pen yelping and howling, because I am in the next room *sigh*. (I have also observed that when he gets upset like this he does a poo in his pen)
I am going to try giving him 4 small feeds today instead of 3 bigger ones, with the last one just before bed, in the hope it will help him settle.
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I wish this forum had an option for posting a sound recording - he has an amazing range! :005:
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I wish this forum had an option for posting a sound recording - he has an amazing range!
Well I guess you could do that if you video recorded the little dear in full on mode and put it on photobucket or similar, with a link to it on here, let us all enjoy the serenade!!
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I don't think anyone understands just how much noise can come from such a little puppy unless they have gone through it. Hang in there, it does get better. >:D
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Why not just try keeping him with you more? Seems to be what he longs for...
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Had a much better night.
I stayed up till 11 with him, we had quiet time on the sofa (and both fell asleep). I fed him around 10.
My father in law suggested I give him something of mine to sleep on, so I sacrificed the new t shirt which I had been wearing all day and put it in his crate. He came straight back out again, but the light went off and I stayed in the room until he had gone back in and settled. Then I went upstairs to bed and didn't hear anything until 4.30. There was a bit of whining, but not for long. I fell asleep again until 6.30, when I got up to tend to him.
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Ted loves a used t shirt or sock..... Or any dirty washing at all really :005: :o
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Just beginning to despair of ever again having a night's sleep!
We've had Blue for exactly 2 weeks now. Since I last posted, Blue is waking even earlier. It started out being 4 - 4.30 ish. The past two nights it's been around 2am. He's not hungry, doesn't want to wee (I take him out but he just wants to play), he just wakes and panics when he realises there's no-one around. He works himself up so much, it's distressing for both of us. As soon as I pick him up and calm him for a few minutes, he settles down and eventually (within an hour or so) will fall asleep again. I put him back in his covered crate, which is inside a puppy pen - so he can get out to drink and wee, and I return to bed, but he soon wakes and starts raising hell again.
I'm utterly exhausted. Any tips?
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Oh dear sleep deprivation at its worse!
Personally, I wouldnt feed his last meal as late as 10, bring it forward gradually until its 7pm at the latest. This might be why he is getting you up :dunno: :dunno:
I bought a small battery night light which was left on during the night with Jinley and if I did come down, the main lights were never turned on and I very rarely spoke to her other to say shush in a calm quiet voice.
Is there an option that the crate could come upstairs? Be warned though it is only a small leap from that to them taking over your bed :005: :005: but the bedroom / landing option has worked for many.
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Thanks PatP. I started giving him a 10 pm feed because he was waking me and I thought maybe he was hungry. I put him back to 4 feeds daily, hoping the late one would settle him, but it seems it hasn't.. I'll go back to three feeds and make the last one earlier then.
I don't talk or play with him when I come down, it's more a matter of holding him until he stops shaking and crying, and I only use the small light. To be honest, I'm so flipping tired at 2am, I can hardly speak at all! I take him out to see if he wants to toilet, but he just assumes that's a cue to play, so we come straight back in.
My husband will not accept the dog upstairs at all, so I'm thinking of sleeping downstairs for a bit, to see if that helps.
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Oh dear. :luv:
3 ideas: ignore the behaviour you don't want and reward the one you do. When you first leave him, you can start this through the day, if he's quiet come back in, if he howls ignore him, but the second he stops, go in. Keep repeating, but you have to be consistent. At the moment he has you trained that if he makes a noise you will come to him. They are so quick at training you, you don't even know they're doing it.
Let him sleep upstairs. Mine have their own beds and aren't allowed on our bed to sleep. Initially and at our caravan they have soft crates, which I zip up until they learn to stay in their bed.
Get another dog :005:
It will get better. He just wants to be with you. Do you leave a radio on for him? Or record yourself reading and put on a loop. He thinks that you've left him and he doesn't know yet that you're coming back, or as I said before he's got you trained already to be at his beck and call :shades:
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We had the same with Murphy. The only thing that worked, I'm sorry to say, was to move his crate upstairs to our bedroom which had an instant effect. His crate was moved to the landing after a couple of months and then totally disregarded when Murphy was about one.
Millie is currently in a crate in our bedroom but hopefully not for long.
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Every dog is different, but here's what worked for us:
By the time we'd had Henry about three weeks, we started working towards a routine where he'd be settled for the night by 8:30pm, so he'd get a good ten hours sleep before we all get up at 6:30am. He'd have his last meal at 7pm while he was still on four meals (which I think we did until he was about 12 weeks old). Play and cuddles and then put into his crate at about 8:30pm. He'd usually settle pretty quickly. His crate is in the kitchen so even as he was settling down for the night, he was used to us coming and going, so I think he found that reassuring. Gradually things in the kitchen would get quieter - I'd turn the lights off in the dining area where the crate was, but we'd still be in and out of the main kitchen until bedtime. We'd take him out for a wee at about 10:30, being quiet. As he was dry at night by then, he'd usually sleep through. The only exception was a few nights when he had an upset tum and needed to go out to poop VERY URGENTLY. For a few days after that he kept waking at the same time, around 2am, even though he didn't need anything. Once we were fairly sure his tummy was fine and he didn't really need anything, we'd wait for a few minutes before going down and more often than not he's go off to sleep again.
It's early days, and I do remember the sleep deprivation, there's a reason it's used as a form of torture!
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It sounds as though he is really anxious- if he's shaking he is scared for real. I couldn't leave him like that and I do think you should sleep downstairs with him till he matures and gets over the night terrors. As you build up his trust and confidence in you he'll find his way but he's such a baby and maybe a bit behind developmentally. Poor little Blue. :'(
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Already doing all the positive reward stuff suggested, and ignoring any unwanted behaviour. I tried to ignore his night time hullabaloo for the first few nights, but it's just not possible. He gets really distressed, and that distresses me - he is definitely 'scared for real', and feels abandoned.
Husband doesn't want the dog upstairs, so I will move myself downstairs and sleep next to his crate until we have resolved this. There is a limit to how long I can continue to function on 3 hours of broken sleep per night, and I am approaching it fast!
We can start going out for proper walks from tomorrow too.
Thanks for the advice everyone..
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You sound at the end of your tether! And you're coping alone which is really hard- it's not spite that makes the rescue I homecheck for withhold dogs unless everyone in the house wants one. A new dog can send things haywire and that's even when everyone is on board.
Two things: don't think it will always be like this. You have a traumatised puppy who is having problems adjusting. We've always had ours to sleep with us for the first few weeks. And that often meant snuggled up to us. It's not spoiling, it's doing what a puppy needs. If you can do this on your own you'll get more sleep- they can sleep for hours on end once they feel warm and safe. As the puppy grows and feels you are his new pack you can let him detach himself gradually from you as he will want to do. But secondly if the tensions and disruptions of a dog only one of you wants is too much there's no disgrace in asking his breeder to take him back - or if they won't, a spaniel rescue to find him a forever home. Spaniel puppies fly off the rescue shelves to people desperate for them. Only you can know what works for you. :-\
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As the person who agreed to get a dog, rather than wanting one, there were many times in the early weeks when I would have sent Henry back in a heartbeat. And my husband, who had wanted a dog for years, felt very guilty about how the pup took over our lives as well as being a bit shell shocked himself at at amount of work - and by the exhaustion. Two weeks is still VERY early days. If Blueberry can find a way for both her and the pup to get a few good nights' sleep, things will begin to feel much better.
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Last night, I slept downstairs, next to the pen, on an inflatable mattress. Not the comfiest night ever, but Blue had a fantastic night! He woke sometime in the small hours, checked I was there and went straight back to sleep. Then as dawn broke, he woke up and played quietly with his toys whilst I continued to doze. He seems really content this morning, and we've just been out for our first proper walk too!
I'll continue sleeping downstairs for as long as necessary, and I feel loads better for having had some sleep.
I should explain a bit about my husband's attitude. He was bitten when he was a child, and it put him off dogs for life. He's never associated with anyone who had a dog, and has avoided them all his adult life. He wasn't keen to have one at all, and I've been begging for one for years. I've now retired and have the time to devote to a pup, so he finally agreed. In terms of him and the dog, it's actually gone much better than I ever thought. What began as reluctant 'tolerance' has given way to amusement and affection. He has quietly formed a relationship with Blue, and Blue adores him. And he's seen how happy having Blue has made me, so I feel sure things will continue to improve slowly. (Who could resist the charms of a Cocker?)
Rehoming or returning Blue was never a consideration, a dog is for life, warts and all.
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Great news you and Blue had a good night! Fingers crossed for many more to come. It sounds as though at the moment he just needs that reassurance that you are there with him. Just give him time as already has been said, things do get better! Hope you enjoyed your first walk :D
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Great news that you both had a good night. You must feel so much better to tackle things after getting some sleep. Keep up the good work and I'm sure it will pay dividends. Now you can take him out into the big wide world he may be more tired and content to sleep longer. Good Luck.
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So glad you had a better night. Interestingly my husband really wanted to get the dog, but is also afraid of them (I know, weird!). He's always be fully hands on with Henry but has had to overcome his fears when we encounter other dogs. As for me, well, it didn't take long for Henry to work his way into my heart, even as he was hanging off my ankles with his teeth!
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Great! All a puppy ever wants is to be with you and if it's a spaniel puppy you can up that by 100%! I'm glad your husband has taken to him.
I shouldn't worry too much about crates etc- I think 'the technology' gets in the way of what should be a natural relationship between dogs and humans - which began when they sneaked into the cave and snuggled up! Good luck. Just because you've had a bad start doesn't mean you can't have a better future with him. Make him happy. That's what he's there for.
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That's fantastic :luv:
All he wants is to belong and be part of a family, and I guess being in his position he can't understand why you keep leaving him at a scary time ie in the dark. I'm sure as he grows up he will become more secure in himself.
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Great! All a puppy ever wants is to be with you and if it's a spaniel puppy you can up that by 100%!
Not every spaniel is a Velcro dog. Henry has always been a quite independent soul, taking himself off into other rooms or the garden once he's checked where everyone is and whether anyone is doing something that clearly required cocker assistance. Still greets us like we've been gone forever with a mega butt wiggle, even if it's him that left, not us.
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No not every dog- as I said Blue will gradually detach himself. Every puppy. :blink:
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No not every dog- as I said Blue will gradually detach himself. Every puppy. :blink:
Not even every puppy. But I know Henry was unusual in this respect. Never bothered by separation, but always delighted to see us.
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There'll be another test this evening. We have to leave him at home on his own for about an hour and a half. It's the first session of puppy class, and week one is for owners only. Husband has agreed to go along to listen to the talk, so Blue's going to be home alone - unless my neighbours will have him for us (which I strongly suspect they might ;)).
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Just a thought... I heard about these "snuggle puppies" and although I've not used one before I think I would get one for any future puppies (not for a while yet :005:). They're highly reviewed on this website and amazon, might give Blue some reassurance?
https://www.dfordog.co.uk/snuggle-puppy.html
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He has a snuggle puppy EmmaRose, I bought it before we got him, thinking it might help him settle. He doesn't seem especially attached to it, although I have it in his crate at all times.
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He has a snuggle puppy EmmaRose, I bought it before we got him, thinking it might help him settle. He doesn't seem especially attached to it, although I have it in his crate at all times.
Aaaw bless him, he just needs you at the moment :luv:
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No not every dog- as I said Blue will gradually detach himself. Every puppy. :blink:
Not even every puppy. But I know Henry was unusual in this respect. Never bothered by separation, but always delighted to see us.
Every puppy goes through the same developmental journey. Up to 14 weeks the brain is in a highly receptive phase, primed for new experience. A puppy given company and security at this phase will have a much better chance of avoiding 'unwanted behaviours' as an adult dog. Although no new work has been done post 14 weeks it would be unexpected if a puppy suddenly became the opposite of this. There's an uncontested study in which puppies in good homes were compared with puppies taken from their dams and put into a pet shop environment, caged, deprived of physical contact, restricted in movement and experiences. When followed up their outcomes were measurably much worse. If you were providing your puppy (Henry?) with a good environment and he had the choice of how much stimulation he subjected himself to, that's exactly what he needed. It's giving him freedom to grow at his brain's own rate. That's fine. But it's impossible to tell if any single dog or puppy is 'bothered' by being left unless extreme distress causes problems. One in four dogs simply lapse into depression.
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All I was saying is that he's always been happy with his own company, as in making an active choice to leave our company, and it's not a typical cocker trait.
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Charlie sounds a lot like Henry londongirl, when he's tired will often take himself off to his favourite spots in the kitchen or his crate to chill and sleep. Doesn't matter where we are in the house then.
Really hope things improve quickly for you blueberry, I only had 2 nights of no sleep and that destroyed me so can't imagine how hard it must be for you. During the early days I left the kitchen light and a radio on low, and I came down and let him out at around 3 to go to the toilet. Blue sounds a lot different to how Charlie was so don't really know what advice I could give other then doing what you feel is right for you and your pup, maybe talk to your trainer about how to combat separation anxiety as there is always going to come a time where blue will need to be left on his own (even if only for your sanity :005: )
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He had another good night with me sleeping on the floor at the side of his crate - not very comfy for me though, and my back is complaining this morning! I let him out to toilet at 5.30 and he got straight down to it - brilliant!
For the SA, I'm working on getting him to snooze or play in his pen during the day, after meals and walks etc. whilst I'm in the house. Hoping to get him to a stage where he's happy to play quietly in his pen without me being in the room.
The next step will be to leave the house briefly, leaving him in his pen, and build up the time gradually. There's no huge rush, and most of the time one or both of us are around at home.
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All I was saying is that he's always been happy with his own company, as in making an active choice to leave our company, and it's not a typical cocker trait.
Actually all I was saying is whatever you've done it seems to have worked and you have a calm well-adjusted cocker. A result! :blink:
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All I was saying is that he's always been happy with his own company, as in making an active choice to leave our company, and it's not a typical cocker trait.
Actually all I was saying is whatever you've done it seems to have worked and you have a calm well-adjusted cocker. A result! :blink:
Aw, thanks. I was giving credit to Henry for being a good 'un, but perhaps I can take a bit too!
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Yup!
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Time for a little update on Blue's nocturnal habits, just in case this is useful for anyone else having puppy sleep issues. I slept on the kitchen floor for a few nights, moving slowly further away from the crate until he could hear me but not see me. Blue was fine with this arrangement, but I had a couple of very bad nights myself, with severe cramp and hip troubles, so it was essential that I got back to my bed sooner rather than later.
So 3 nights ago I waited until he was settled in his crate and then I went up to bed. The first night I set my alarm for 4am, which is when he usually starts moving around. I actually made it downstairs just as he was stirring, and it was perfect! He went straight out to toilet, and then settled back to sleep with me on the sofa.
Second night, I planned to repeat the same routine, but he woke us first at half past midnight. I got up to sort him out - he'd soiled and trod in it, but he went back to sleep within half an hour, and I went back to bed.
Last night, same again. Up briefly at quarteer to one, I went down and settled him (no soiling this time ;)) and was back in bed within 20 mins, and I got up again at 4. Looks like this will be the new routine for a bit, maybe until the mornings start to get darker, but at least I am able to get some decent sleep in my bed, I'm too old for sleeping on the floor, that's for sure!
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I'm sure things will gradually improve as he's able to wait. :blink: Puppies really want to stay clean- it's their natural instinct. But until their systems mature they often just can't do it. When they can't make it through the night it's important to let them have somewhere other than their beds to soil. Is he is a puppy pen or still crated?
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daw his crate is inside a pen, so he has a toilet area with puppy pad separate to the crate, and also an alternative play/sleep mat area. He had toileted in the appropriate place, but subsequently trod in it.
The soiling only happens when he gets distressed - if I'm not there or I don't get down soon after he wakes. I suppose he just thinks he's been abandoned, poor little chap. He sleeps a lot during the day, it's a pity he can't save it all until night time!
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Well he will be trying to be good- that's what to remember when he's not! It will improve gradually...and puppies do need to sleep a lot in the day- as for saving it up for night I bet everyone with a new baby thinks the same thing! :blink:
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I'm glad things are improving for you both. If it's any comfort I was advised that pups don't have full bladder control until six months so I got up several times a night to let Misty out (sometimes she had to be woken lol) but it was worth it. She was happy and soon started letting me know when she needed to go. The other really good advice from here was not to let her get overtired, easier said than done, but she definitely mouthed and nipped more when she needed a sleep.
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Was reading this and wanted to share my own experience.
I love my sleep and the constant getting up to check on the pup to make sure she got to the toilet was starting to affect me during the day. I was always worried about her soiling her bed area and i hated it when an accident occurred as it made me feel so guilty :( Also the constant whining broke my heart and i was worried about the neighbors!! From what i read they can only hold in 1 hour for each month they are old. I'm sure that's a very rough estimate.
We then decided we would try her sleeping on our bed, I was really worried at first that i'd wake up to a wet patch or a surprise on the floor. My partner unlike your husband was actually all for this so I was lucky!! As a child I always allowed my dog to sleep on the bed. I know some will not be for this but each to their own :)
Since allowing her to sleep on the bed she is a lot more content and i think better behaved. She will wake me up when she needs the toilet, PERFECT! , it's usually a wet nose to my face and a slap with the paw if that doesn't work! I'd take her down , she'd go to the toilet and depending on the time I might choose to feed her again. Lately she's going to bed at 11/12 and not waking me until 5-6am which exactly matches the rough estimate about them being able to hold 1 hour for each month they are old! she's almost 6 months old, amazing! I thought at first i'd never get any sleep with her trying to play with us but she seems to understand to leave us alone when we're sleeping unless she needs something!
She will then sleep from 5/6 until 11 at the weekend or during the week at 9am.
For me having her sleep on the end of the bed makes us both happier!
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Thanks for sharing! The hour per month of age for 'holding it' seems roughly correct. I'm currently getting up approx every 3 hours with Blue, and this mainly works. He was perfectly happy with me sleeping at the side of his crate, but I couldn't continue that for reasons of physical discomfort, so going to bed and getting up regularly is the best substitute. He seems to sleep in stretches of roughly 3 hours at a time too, which is handy. When he nods off around 8pm, I seize my chance and go to bed! I get up around 11, and again at 2 and 4.30 - if I leave it til 5 I have a poo to clean up. Hoping that as the mornings get darker he will start waking later.
During the daytime he is pretty much clean and dry now, with just a very occasional accident if I am not vigilant.
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A final update, in case this helps anyone else. We've settled into a nice little routine now. I settle Blue to bed around 9pm, and head upstairs myself straight after. OH takes him out at 11pm before he comes to bed. I set my alarm for 2.30am and 5am, and he is doing all his toileting outdoors ;)
At the moment I am staying up after the 5am alarm, but hope this will get later as the mornings get darker. He doesn't get noisy and upset any more, unless he needs to toilet and I'm not there straight away.
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Hehe well done everybody especially
little Blue :luv:
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Yes, little :angel: Must post another pic, he's growing so fast...