Please help, my puppy won't sleep at night!

[yellowbrickroad]

I'm really hoping someone can give me some advice. We picked up our chocolate lab puppy on Sunday. She's nearly 8 weeks old. She's gorgeous and seems to be settling ok, apart from at night time.

She's got a crate set up in the kitchen and is still having accidents at night, so I put paper around it. The thing is, she just won't settle. She barks, crys and howls until all hours. Last night she woke at 2am and howled / barked until I relented and got up to her at 6am.

Our vet says that she will settle down and I mustn't go down to her while she's barking, as I'll only reinforce that behaviour, but she didn't quieten down at all last night and I was lying there awake getting more and more concerned about my neighbours.

I did manage to wait until she paused, just for a moment, before going in, but I don't think it was long enough for her to register the difference IYSWIM.

I'm at home with her most days as I work from home. She's having small successes with her house training but it's still very early days. Tbh I don't mind that, but I could really do with some sleep!

Has anyone got any tips or advice?

LittleRedCar

I put Classic FM on, on a 90-minute sleep timer for our puppy, who seems to get a second wind the moment bed is mentioned. Calms him down nicely (and if loud enough, drowns out the twining for us )

Our puppy's more of a Radio 4 man at night Forgot about that "prop"

Ha! Brilliant, classical music, fleecy blanket and ticking clock it is tonight then.
Wish me luck!

Ours howled like mad for the first four or five nights. We gave her a huge toy dog of my daughter's and she started going to sleep on it. Also left the radio on.

She was fine after that. Take heart.

That's another good idea. We have a fluffy bean bag in the lounge, and she loves it! She heads for it all the time.

Hi ybr - just to let you know we are in a similar boat! Picked up our puppy (she's now 10 weeks) on Saturday and she howled and howled in her crate for the first 2 nights. She has a vet bed - blanket with her mum's scent, old t-shirt of mine, hottie, and a cuddly toy, but on Monday night I covered the crate with a blanket and there was not a peep out of her all night and she settled instantly, and again last night. She's not so good a being in there during the day, but slowly slowly.....I'm leaving mine for 1 1/2 hours this afternoon - I haven't left her since she's arrived!
Other thing we have is the hormone diffuser thing which might be helping too.

Sorry op, nothing helpful to add really, she is young, the clock may help but the best thing is time. Hopefully your neighbours will bear with it.

Oh, one thing you could try re getting in to her when she is not barking... it may work, it may not... if you could get dh to come down with you, very quietly. Then he goes into another room and loudly drops something on the floor/coughs or something. Hopefully pup will stop crying briefly to listen. You then go in as if nothing has happened and let her out for her wee etc. It is cheating a bit I know but doing it for a couple of nights to try and make sure she does not start to associate barking with you arriving may help?

Yep, the vet has mentioned the hormone diffuser. Think I might get one tomorrow. Booreeve congrats on getting your puppy (and cracking the sleep thing!). What kind is she?

DailyMailNameChanger that's a good idea, I'm very conscious that going into her when she's barking will just lead to more barking!

Yellowbrixk road hang on in there! One of our pups cried for four nights solid. I thought I was going to die of sleep depravation and then suddenly the next night never made a sound so there is hope honestly!

Does pup sleep in his crate in the day time?

You may find that if you do shut the door the pup may feel more secure and sleep better. Some can go through the night at 7 weeks (well 11.00 -6.00ish!)

I personally would just see how things are for a few nights maybe put in a t shirt or largish item of clothing you have been wearing in his crate (not saying you are largish just easy to cuddle up to!) and he will cuddle up to it and think you are near by.

I bet you in a few days this will have stopped. In the meantime do you want to kip at mine!?

Thanks minimu! (And sorry for late reply). I've actually been wearing a large-ish hooded jumper today (the exercise / diet thing isn't going so well!) so I'll put that in her crate tonight.
If it goes badly again tonight then I may well take you up on your offer of a place to kip!

How was last night, yellow?

Hi YBR shall I change the sheets in the spare room or was it better last night?

I feel much more human today! She actually went into her crate when it was bedtime. I tried to make it cosier for her, put a big fluffy teddy of the boys in it for her to play with and a blanket over the top.
I didn't hear her until 6:30am! Brilliant!
I did drink a bottle of red wine before bed and had ear plugs but I'm sure we're making progress aside from that!

Fantastic!

I had my chihuahua in my bed for first week DH was away.Pup slept great,she went to edge of bed when she needed to wee and made little noises til i got up and took her outside.After 3wks she slept in kitchen with my mad Shar-pei and went out through catflap to go to toilet.
How was last night yellow?

glad to see you've had a better night, YBR

Fab

Got another bottle of wine airing for tonight??

Glad to hear you had a good night.

We have a yellow labrador puppy, 13 weeks old tomorrow and I'm still learning myself. We have always shut Alfies crate at night and when we go out in the day. We put paper in the far end and 99% of the nights it has been dry and we have had no day time crate accidents and just the odd wee by the door the first couple of weeks when I wasn't quick enough.

The first week or so was very hectic - like potty training all over again but I have been amazed how quickly alfie is learning.

Hope you have another good night.