What did you do with your pup on the first night?

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Hopefully we will be picking up our puppy very soon, to say I'm excited is and understatement!

Our last dog was a rescue and we were lucky in that he came to us house trained and sleeping through the night so this is all new to me. The general consensus in the books I'm reading seems to be crate by the bed and getting up in the night to let puppy wee, I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of getting up in the night but willing to do it if it's effective.

So please share with me what you did with your puppies on the first few nights

[MissRainbowBrite]

Dpup spent her first 3/4 nights in a deep sided cardboard box at the bottom of our bed with some fleecy blankets to make it cosy. If she whimpered in the night we got up to take her out then just put her straight back with minimal fuss. After that she made it clear she would much rather be in her bed downstairs in the utility room which had a stair gate across the door. We had a week or so of accidents at night in there but she settled much better, obviously just wanted her own space.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Ah cardboard box I hadn't though of that, would save carrying the crate up and down the stairs. Thanks!

[MissRainbowBrite]

Depending on how big pup is just make sure the sides are tall enough they can't escape and make it nice and cosy. I think our pup liked it because she felt safe, it wasn't too big - probably about 18 inches square so she didn't feel lost in it. She's a springer by the way so quite dinky to start with.

[MissRainbowBrite]

Cute pic of her in the nappy basket

[Borogoves]

We got our pup at 8 weeks. He slept in a crate in the kitchen and didn't make a sound. I didn't get up in the night to him and he kept his crate clean. He was quick to housetrain (just a complete git with everything else!)

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Wow you were lucky Borogoves. Our pup is already house trained according to breeder but I'm not sure if this will apply to our house too.

What a gorgeous girl MissRainbow!

[ImBrian]

Both mine have gone in crates at the end of my bed from day one. Pup #1 cried for a minute but nothing from #2 who obviously had my other dog right beside her in his crate. They were 11 and 8 weeks old. Pup #1 slept through straight away and #2 did her first full night last night at 9 weeks old. Every other night I've been up at 4 ish to let her out for a quick wee. They both love their crates and like the routine.

[Teapot101]

Same as miss rainbow brite. Think it's the kindest way.

[insan1tyscartching]

Dh slept on the sofa, Eric slept in his basket.He slept from 11pm until 6am when I got up and took him out. Eric had been the last dog to leave his mother and so for the two days before we collected him the breeder had bedded him down separately from his mum so he was pretty much sorted by the time he got home and never made a murmur.

[ChairRider4]

Used crate but in same room as me (I sleep by back door so handy

He needed out at 11 and then 3am then anything inbetween used to resettle he started dropping the 3am at about 11 weeks

Now he happily go 9pm to 6.30,7am or later still sleeps same room as me but no crate as he not need from about 10 months

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

I slept in the dogs bed with her

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Yeah I slept on a bench in the kitchen. Then I moved the crate into the living room for a few nights.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Thanks all!

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

Crate in the kitchen. DH slept downstairs for three nights. A week in, he gets up to DPup in the night but is moving it back by 15 mins per night. Pup is amazing at night, we are really lucky.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Thanks, knowing my luck I'll probably get a screamer! We hopefully pick pup up tommorow, feel like I'm about to have a baby...

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

Mine saves his screaming for when we're having dinner we ignore him until he goes quiet and he's getting better every day

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Quick question for you who had pup in your room-in my book it says I should let pup out before we go to bed and then set my alarm for about four hours later to pre empt him crying so that he doesn't learn to associate crying in the night with attention. Any views? He will be 10 weeks by the time he's home with us if that makes a difference...

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Set my alarm to take him out for a wee I mean

[CalmItKermitt]

I wouldn't set an alarm.

I'd take pup out only if he stirred. The key thing is to keep interaction to an absolute minimum - no talking, fuss or play. Just wee and back to bed.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Yes that's what I thought too, otherwise I'm potentially teaching him to wake up when he doesn't actually need to!

[MissRainbowBrite]

Agree with Calmit, no talking other than using whatever phrase you choose to tell them to wee then praise for a wee. Carry them straight downstairs and place them on the grass then carry back up snuggled in a dressing gown and they should already be halfway to being back asleep by the time they go back in the box.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

Great thanks. Oh how am I going to sleep tonight?!

[branofthemist]

How did it go?

It was our first night too. Ddog went straight in her crate, with a cuddly toy. She cried a bit. But soon settled. She must have woken at some point as I found dh on the floor asleep next to the crate. This is dh who said there was no way we were sitting up with dog and just ignoring it.

I put her out at 2.30 and 5.30. She did mess in her crate. But in the corner. She won't sleep on a blanket though. Only on the cuddly toy.

She is asleep in her crate again. Went in on her own.

Hope your night went well!

[Lifeisontheup2]

Our first night ddog went in his crate in the kitchen, I shut the door and went to bed fully expecting to be up frequently.
He didn't get up all night, I, on the other hand, had to restrain myself from going downstairs to check he was still breathing!
He didn't, and never has, messed his crate and has always slept through the night without ever having an accident.
I know I'm very lucky.

[Brokenbiscuits86]

We brought him home today! He's lovely and settling well. However I just shut him in his crate when he went in there and wow...the noise that came out of him! So think we will end up being room mates tonight...