Puppy bedtime

[stillnotjustamummy]

Our new pup has trouble sleeping through the night alone. I'm taking him out to wee around midnight & 3am, but getting him back to bed is impossible. I had to sit with him for an hour at midnight, then after the 3am wee we just crashed on the sofa... Granted it's only been two weeks, but it's getting worse not better. The DH won't allow him in our bedroom, so that's not a solution for us. Anyone have any suggestions on how to reassure him when he goes back to bed? He has a hot water bottle in his crate, plus blankets and his cuddly toy...

Is it a bed or crate?. With a crate I used to take out then put back into crate. If he didn't settle after a few mins and cried he got picked straight back up and outside for a couple of mins and then back again (without me saying anything to him or playing etc). This was repeated many times but after a while he got the message it's sleep or pee but nothing else and I wasn't going to play with him. I did have a camera on him so I could watch to see if he was settling himself without me in the room which helped as well.

Is the room dark and quiet so he isn't getting disturbed.

When we first got our pup my partner was working away so it was easier for me. We also have the "no bedroom" rule. I slept with him in his room for 1 week then the first night he was unsettled on his own after I managed to creep out. I cut out the 3am toilet stops and now his last time out to the toilet is he 11pm and he is up and out at 7am every morning. We can do this because we take his water away from him at 8pm for the night. We were lucky that our pup settled fast and we have now crate trained him. I hope you manage to figure out what's best for you and your pup but whatever you do, do not respond to their crying by going and letting them out. They will think that's how they get your attention.

Thanks! He has a crate inside a playpen area that is against the wall on two sides and has a bookcase down the open side, so it's pretty dark. There is a blanket over his crate itself for extra den privacy. Am I supposed to be locking him in the crate altogether? I'm currently just shutting him in the pen. He does go In his crate to sleep though. I'm not sure his bladder is strong enough to go 11pm-6pm yet... he's an 11 week Lab if that helps?

Denying a dog water is cruel. There's no need. They can go all night without a wee but need access to water, even if they don't drink it. We stopped getting up to our puppy on her fifth night here. Turned out she just wanted nighttime company and didn't really need to see a few drops.

Last trip out for wee, fresh water, goodnight cuddle then go.

Ours went all night from nine weeks. She's a retriever.

I clicked on this thread expecting a pupper photo...

I'd kick the bloke out and take the baby ball of floof to bed with me.

Some dogs can go all night without a toilet break but lots can't (just look at the puppy survival thread). Mine definitely couldn't because when I forgot to set the alarm (and he had been with us for quite a few weeks) he peeded in the crate and he was never a dog to cry or bark to tell me he wanted the toilet.

OP it's up to you whether you shut the crate or not as some people do and some don't. I would just try and keep the toilet visits very low-key so no playing or chatting so pup settles afterwards rather than thinking it's play time.

He had his jabs today and is a bit sad so I'll try again through the night when he is better. It's given him a runny bum and he was sick poor thing. This is him hiding from rain on a wee trip.

Awww, baby!!

I'd totally take him to bed with me.

He's just a baby so needing to wee in the night is usual. Mine is 6 months now and can go about 7 hours max through the night now. Please don't restrict his water that won't help at all and isn't fair.

If he can't come upstairs could you put his crate in the lounge and sleep on the sofa? He may settle better if you are there to shush him a little when he stirs. If it helps DH's strict "no dog upstairs ever!!" rule lasted about 3 months and now he brings him up in the morning to sleep on the bed!

Yes, we've kind of ended up that I sleep on the sofa with him after his 3am wee! He is very snuggly. I predict a cushion in the bedroom will happen when he can confidently go through without needing to pee... however potty training is generally slow going. I'm going to need two new carpets. I hate carpet anyway and don't care , but the DH keeps looking at the Potty Train Pup in 7 Days book and asking what I'm doing wrong!

I slept on the sofa for the first week with pup in his crate; when he cried I could speak to reassure him without having to get up. After a week he was only making a noise when he needed to go out - I then went to bed, but used a baby monitor so I could get up and let him out when he needed it. It was very tiring, but worked well.

We ended up with ours in the bedroom til they slept thru

I’d still have them in, but the big one is now over 40kg so we’d need a bigger bed.

Seriously tho. He will grow out of it and puppy snuggles are the best (don’t tell my DD)

Mine couldn't come upstairs (too big to carry and giant breed pups can't do stairs if you don't want to risk joint damage) so I slept next to her to start with.

I was incredibly lucky - Elfpup slept through right from the start at 9 weeks. He was in his crate at the bottom of our bed so we'd hear him if he stirred in the night...

He didn't! He lasted til DP got up at 6.30 and it's been that way ever since.

I wish I could say that day time house training went as well. He's almost 6 months now and finally getting it.

Mine gets shut in the crate by 10pm but she often goes in there of her own accord before that. I shut the door of the crate at 10 and cover it with a blue blanket. I go to bed. She whined for three nights which I ignored. Now doesn’t whine at all and I let her out at 7.30. She’s 4 yo.

DH keeps looking at the Potty Train Pup in 7 Days book and asking what I'm doing wrong!

Tell your DH to throw that book away. It takes as long as it takes. In fact I found a few more honest internet sources that say really to be totally dry and toilet trained and asks to go out every single time rather than people just reading the signs or just taking them out frequently (day and night) often doesn't happen before 6 months of age. You will get there, it just takes time and like babies some have it easier than others.

I have a 17 week lab puppy. We got her at 9 weeks and would take her out for a wee at midnight, 3am and then she'd wake us up at 6 am. This went on for about 3 or 4 weeks and since then (around 12 weeks) she's been going from 11.30pm - 6am sleeping in her crate. She wakes up at 6 without fail so on a weekend we then bring her up to our room and she sleeps on our bed until we are ready to wake up (or one of us sleeps on the sofa with her).
In the evening I make sure she has plenty of play and mental stimulation to make sure she's really tired for bedtime.We hide her squeaky toys under a big rug or behind the sofa and she has to find them or she has a doggy treat game she plays.
I think it's entirely normal for them at 11 weeks to still need to get up and wee in the night. Our puppy is lively and raring to go whenever she wakes up so it took some time and persistence to persuade her it was time to go back to sleep. I think all you can do is sit next to him and let him know you're there but not engage in play until it's time to get up.
Having a puppy is much easier if your partner is sharing the responsibility equally! It's really just like having another baby, very hard work.

What's the deal with people mentioning puppies but not posting photos of said puppies?

MN used to have rules about this..!

Just for you queen

Oh monkey that face!
@TheQueenOfWands

Butter wouldn't melt right? He's a lot bigger now even though he's still just a pup. I wish I could have enjoyed those early days more when they're all sleepy and squishy but it was something of an emotional blur!

@monkeywithacowface
YYY to emotional and sleepless blur. And also to much bigger!

Oh good lord what a sweetheart your pup is Wolfie!!