New lab puppy questions?

[HelloNeighbour2021]

Hey so we got our new pup at the weekend and she’s settled in very good and happy loves to have lots of attention.

So I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate advice on.

( She’s 14 weeks Labrador )

1. She cry’s ( doesn’t bark ) during the night for me some come downstairs usually around 1.30 and 4.30 ish. Thing is though she’s already been to the toilet on the puppy mat before crying out for me. I still try take her outside but she doesn’t like the dark/rain so doesn’t do anything but considering she’s already been on the mat it’s not surprising.

She just wants me to lie on her bed and stroke her she settles within 10min but I do find it hard to get back off to sleep once woken.

My question is should I continue coming down to her or am I going to make her expect it happening forever and being too soft.

2.Next question is I bought a crate for her yesterday which she loves and chooses to spend her nap times in there ( I keep door open during the day so she can get out whenever she pleases, now the reason she’s in the crate is because her dog beds in with her now but on a night time she’s still having accidents and I don’t really want to keep her ( Cream ) bed in the crate during the night incase she as an accident in the crate. My partner looked online and it says they tend to not want to toilet in the crate is this right? I’d much prefer her to cry/ bark during the night so I can take her out.

We choose not to let her sleep in the crate last night as she had her vaccinations and had the runs so wouldn’t expect her to be able to hold it in. ( breeder didn’t get her 2nd vaccination in time so we have to restart them.

1. What I’ve read online is that she should be having around cup full of food four times a day. Do you think it’s better to maybe give her 2 cups 2 times a day and not feed or give her water after 6pm? How often and times do you feed your pups?

Due to her having restart vaccination she’s not able to leave my garden so my plan is to have the lead attached to me around the house and in the garden in hope i can train her to walk nice on the lead!!

I would suggest joining the Dog Training and Advice Support group on Facebook, they have loads of really useful information about new puppies.

We also have a lab 20 weeks, although we've had her since she was 8 weeks so a little different. I definitely do not think you should worry about being too soft, she is very little and needs you to help her adjust to her new home.

Specifically for your questions - you will probably need to get up during the night for a while to let her out for the toilet, and it's better to set an alarm and let her out in time to go rather than wait until it's too late. Then you can gradually make the alarm later and later until she can go all through the night, ours has just managed this for the last couple of weeks.

I would not use bedding that couldn't be washed and dried easily, it will get wet, stinky, possibly chewed - par for the course. It is often advised not to use puppy pads as this is teaching them to wee in the crate/inside, rather they should learn to go outside from the beginning.

And puppies need a few small meals rather than two big ones because their tummies are little, you can start to cut down to 3 a day around 4 months if she's doing ok. We have never withheld water, although it is not in the crate overnight.

We did lots of lead walking practise and also offlead recall around the garden before she could go out and I think it was helpful, she's very good at both for now when we're out.

As well as the FB page we have found Pippa Mattison's books very helpful.

I would suggest joining the Dog Training and Advice Support group on Facebook, they have loads of really useful information about new puppies

I second this - their puppy group was amazing on those first few months.

A 14 week old is very unlikely to be able to hold their pee/poo overnight. You know roughly what time she cries - she probably wakes up bursting to go, hence going before you make it downstairs. Set an alarm for 1am and 4am, preempt the need to go, & take her outside.
I fully appreciate that it's shit standing in the garden at 1am in December. I've been there! But I promise it won't last forever and she'll manage through the night soon.
She'll probably also settle back to sleep easier if she hasn't been crying - but you may need to sit with her til she settles for now.

I would be sleeping near to her for a week or so. One to comfort her and she will not cry but then to let her out when she needs a wee. I would also remove the puppy mats as they have ingredients on them to encourage a dog to wee. Best not to use them as it can confuse some puppies.

She needs 3 meals a day until she is at least 6 months old. It is more usual to split the amount equally between the 3 meals.

She must always have access to water - ironically a dehydrated puppy will wee (more frequently but less amount) than a hydrated puppy. So do not ever withold water.

Best to practice lead walking without the lead to start with at home. Have food in the hand on the side you want her to walk and encourage her into the correct posistion. Initially feeding continuoulsy and then increasing the gaps between the reward. Do not add verbal until the puppy is happy in the position and chooses to come to your position. If done using some of puppys daily food allowance the puppy will cotton on really quickly. You can then add in more distractions and change the environment where you are training this.

I would remove the puppy pads and get up and take her out earlier so she's not getting the chance to go inside.

I would never restrict access to water.

If you are precious about her bed, make sure her crate has bedding that is machine washable. There is more to crate training that just shutting the door on her. I've never done it - so can't advise - but do suggest looking up someone reliable.

1. She's crying because she needs the toilet - the reason she goes on the floor is because she can't hold it until you wake up and come downstairs. When puppies need to go, they need to go then and there.

You should absolutely continue coming down to her and you should expect to keep doing that (at least occasionally) until she's about 5-6 months old.

1. Puppies won't toilet in their crates unless they're absolutely desperate, but she should still call you from her crate if she needs to go out during the night.

1. Puppies should be fed 3-4 times a day until they're at least six months old and they should always have access to water. Meals should be at set times (eg 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm) so you can start timing their poos.

Agree with not worrying about being too soft, she's still tiny. There's no one right way - it's what works for her and if you want her sleeping downstairs then what works long term for that too.

We crated at night (she was happy with that) by our bed and would get up to take her out.

With hindsight I think I'd have left her somewhere with a wipeable floor and used puppy pads at night and not crated her. So she could have a wee in the night and then just clean up no fuss in the morning.

And reinforce house training in the day but not worry about the night. She'll start sleeping through and holding it fairly soon but reliably from about 6 month. I think that will make for a better nigh's sleep for everyone.

But if you don't crate at night I'd still go down if you hear her crying just because I'm dead soft and 1) you can let her out if needs be and 2) she might just be lonely.

But yes, don't leave her in a position where she's got no choice but to soil her crate - she'll hate that.

Absolutely recomment the Face Book sight and the easy squeezy puppy book.

1. Try playing doggy sleep music on Spotify and put a worn tshirt/ jumper/ pj top in her crate with her so she feels secure. Cover her crate with a blanket so it feels like a den. Our lab slept through on night 2 by doing this 🥰.

1. Dogs don’t like to soil their crates but I suppose it depends on whether she can hold it in. Don’t worry about the bed, it’ll be chewed to bits before long and the stuffing pulled out!

1. Our pup still had 4 meals at 15 weeks and he seemed to let us know when he was ready to cut back by eating less. You should definitely never restrict water.

Get couple vetbed fleeces to rotate for the crate (you can cut to size) they wash & dry so easy.
A waterproof cushion mat to go under for extra comfort but less hassle to take care of as although can machine wash many beds the filling often clumps or goes flat.

If your heating goes off overnight the chill in early hours can wake dogs and then like us often need loo.

Our 5.5 month old Lab is almost dry at night now, you will get there!

We crated at night from start. Also fed in her crate for first few weeks - helps them not toilet in their crate. Went through night from when we got her at 8 weeks.
Trainer recommended not putting vet bed in all of crate - half and half so she can lie somewhere cooler.
Ours is 7 months - only jsut dropping the lunchtime feed. It’s been a fairly small feed for awhile if we know that she’s getting lots of treats on walks.