Puppy+crate+night-time

[rockybalboa]

We got our 8w old sprocker on Fri. Our puppy trainer-to-be advised putting the crate in our bedroom to start with and then gradually moving it.

Night one: Pup howled til 1am until DH slept on the floor next to her

Night two: DH slept on the floor. No howling so he got into bed at 2am.

Night 3: no howling. Crate next to bed still. DH in bed.

Night 4: moved crate downstairs. Much howling and then poo in crate at 11.30pm. Crate cleaned and moved back into bedroom.

Tonight: crate moved onto landing. After 5 mins howling DH took his pillow and is sleeping on the floor next to her.

This is stupid right? Given that we have a sofa in both the living room and kitchen/dining room (not sure yet where final destination of crate will be) shouldn't he just take the crate down there and sleep on the sofa until she's used to being in there? Or do people think she will sleep anywhere as long as he is next to her (which will be tricky when he is away with work...)? Should we just be going cold turkey and letting her whine? I'm certainly not sleeping on the floor and am quite surprised DH is being so soft!

Any ideas? I know it's early days so am prepared to be told that we're trying too much too soon if that is the case, I'm just really worried about doing something 'wrong' and creating a situation which is harder to unravel at a later date!

[pigsDOfly]

Aaw, DH sounds lovely.

This is something I'm very sensitive to at the moment as my neighbour has recently got a puppy and from the terrible whimpering and quite frantic crying coming from their house all night, it's obvious they're both a lot harder than your DH.

If puppy (and DH) get to sleep well if she's in the crate next to him I'd be inclined to keep the crate in the bedroom a bit longer and very gradually move it onto the landing and so on until she's happy to have it downstairs; not sure it's fair to make DH sleep on the sofa.

I may be wrong - my dog slept in her crate all night from the first night so haven't done this myself - but it just seems kinder to me to let this very young puppy have a bit of comfort and if that means being near her humans, than so be it.

But then I'm a bit of a softy like your DH.

If you do the moving downstairs gradually she will accept it.

[pigsDOfly]

then so be it, not than.

[frenchiepup]

Our puppy 16weeks and to get him to sleep in his crate without making a noise , we decided where we wanted his crate and put it there from the start, then to get him to sleep we sat near the crate not talking to him until he went to sleep, then left the room. During the night he did wake up and cry when we went back to him (trying to find a point when for a split second he wasnt making noise) took him out for a wee without much interaction then straight into the crate with us sat on the floor until asleep. Gradually as he got better we made the distance between us and the crate bigger and within a week or so we could put him in his crate and leave the room straight away. Now he jumps in his crate at bedtime and sleeps until the morning. I dont think anyway is right or wrong though, whatever works for your family.

[frenchiepup]

Oh also he has a hot waterbottle at night as well as a soft toy so he can cuddle up to. And his crate has a blanket over the top so he can only see out the front

[Theonewiththreechildren]

I have a 10 week old cocker so I'm new to this too. I'm certainly no expert but what I did was to set the crate up in the lounge (where it will be for the foreseeable future) with a blanket over it as a PP said. I then slept on the sofa for the first 4 or 5 nights. The first night she whined a lot but when she did have a quiet second I would talk to her calmly. She has got progressively better and within a few days she no longer whined. I try and say the same sort of thing to her when I put her in the crate each night so it becomes a kind of trigger.

As I said I'm definitely no expert and I've probably just been lucky. But it may be worth you starting over and be strict - as hard as it is, their little faces melt your heart don't they? Good luck - it won't last forever.

[harryhausen]

Gosh, I think I've been very lucky so far.
I have a 10 week old Border Terrier and from the start our breeder suggested we put it where we planned to keep it. She had us drop off the crate, bedding and old blankets and cuddly toy (that we'd all cuddled so it had our smell on it) a few days before we picked him up. She then let some of his litter sleep in the crate with him so the bedding had their smell too. From night one, we've not had even a whimper! Sounds like we've been very lucky.

I'd suggested going cold turkey maybe?

[harryhausen]

Forgot to say, the crate is downstairs in the kitchen.

[BabeRuthless]

I'd keep the crate in your bedroom for a bit longer. Your pup is still finding their feet and everything must feel quite strange and scary in the dark! I think we had the crate in our room for a month before moving out dog downstairs for the night. Having said that, a year on and she's wormed her way into sleeping in bed with us so I might not be the best person to give advice!

[basildonbond]

I'd take the crate downstairs and get dh to sleep on the sofa next to her for a few more nights a it won't take long

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The current behaviourist advice is crate in bedroom a week beyond puppy settled all night, then gradually move to long term location.

[rockybalboa]

Ah, thanks Lonecat (and everyone else). Seems like we have been trying to move things forward a bit quickly then. She sleeps all night (and did with DH next to her on the landing floor) so things are heading in the right direction, I just need to be more patient!

[Fudgeface123]

Hey Harry, I've got a lab and she was brilliant from day one. We've been very lucky eh?

[RaspberrySnowCone]

Our boy took about 4 nights, 1st night nothing, not a peep - he was so tired. Second night, cried about 40 minutes, 3rd night about 20 minutes, 4th night whimpered a bit then out like a light. He was in a crate which we introduced the second he came through the door, we put his blanket with him that he'd had with the litter, a TShirt that we had worn and we bought a little heart beat gadget, you leave it wrapped up with them and I swear that helped. He used to sleep on it and it's supposed to make them feel they are with another pup so not so lonely. We also encouraged him into the crate lots in the day and shut the door for short periods at a time to get him used to it. Played with him to the point of exhaustion before bed so he was truly knackered at bed time etc.

It's early days, it's scary for a pup in new surroundings and all on their own. I never really think the whole start in the bedroom then move away or sleep next to them is a good idea because eventually you will have to start moving away from them and that's just going to prolong the stress. If long term they pup wont sleep with you then crate him where he will be and just be patience while he gets used to it?

[holmessweetholmes]

Our puppy howled and barked like mad in his crate at night. Went on for weeks and weeks and weeks. We tried everything. Eventually gave up - he sleeps on his bed (not in a crate) in our bedroom. No furthest problems. Wish we'd done it from day one and avoided the sleepless nights!

[rockybalboa]

Well last night he slept without any fuss in his crate on the landing (and DH slept in our bed!) so we are making progress. He is getting better at being in his crate during the day too which helps. One step at a time...

[Theonewiththreechildren]

Ahh great news. Clever pup

[rockybalboa]

Why on earth have referred to the dog as 'he' all the way through that last post, it's a girl dog!! Too used to boy children....