Advice please that’s not “put her in bed with you”

[Newyearnewmewoooop]

8 week old puppy Maltipoo. She’s only been home 2 nights, both awful with not much sleep (to be expected, I know she’s like a newborn ripped away from her family)

Can anyone advise how to proceed, am I doing the right I thing? She has a crate in kitchen which is in a playpen, so the door to crate is open and she has access to water and puppy pads if needed.

last night she literally cried every hour, with small periods of sleep every two hours. I go in regularly and soothed, as I’m sleeping on settee until she’s settles

Everyone I speak to says to just put her in my bed, but I don’t want to start with bad habits.

Should I be doing anything differently? She has a blanket with mums scent on, plus I have a teddy with a heart beat being delivered today.

Why wouldn't you want your dog on the bed?

We've always had our cats on the bed with us and loved it. They help keep our feet warm. In fact we're quite offended when they chose to sleep elsewhere 😄

Are dogs different somehow?

Just to add, get rid of the puppy pads - all they're going to do is make it harder to house train her. One of the benefits of having the puppy in the bed with you is that they learn very quickly not to pee in it and you learn very quickly when they need to go out. It can take anything from a few weeks to a few months to house train a puppy and they really need to be with you at night until they can sleep through, or you're not going to wake up in time to get her out.

As others have said, you've got yourself a mix that really needs to be with you pretty much all the time. I tried leaving my puppy in a crate next to me. It lasted a single night as I couldn't bear his distress when he woke every hour and cried to be with me. As soon as he came into the bed with me he was fine - slept for several hours at a time before needing to be taken out, and as I was right there, that part was really easy and he was house trained really quickly. I thought I was going to be really strict on boundaries but they didn't really seem to be worth much in the face of the real, tiny, unhappy little puppy, and I've never once regretted it, not for a second.

You need to put the crate in the room you want it to end up in, or at least be in for the next 6 or so months, then you sleep next to it, somewhere you can slip a hand in if comfort is needed, then end up only using voice to settle, then move the crate where you want it in the room then move yourself out the room. Whole process will take 3-5weeks. By 12-14 weeks old they’ll be sleeping through the night until about 6am.

You also have to make a decision whether they are waking because they want a wee or not at 8 weeks they probably need taking out every 40mins to an hour and at night 2-3hours.

I'm in the minority here but I train my pups to sleep on their own in the kitchen from the start. We don't crate, pups have freedom of two rooms at night and (shock, horror) we do use washable puppy pads to housetrain.

With current pup, we got her at 8 weeks and I slept on the living room sofa with her in the kitchen behind a dog gate. She was close to me, I could talk to her. She barked a few times the first night or two and I got up and went in to comfort her, sat with her until she settled, then left the room. It was literally only a few days until she was quiet all night.

We taught her the word "sleepytime" for bed and "settle" for daytime naps. She mostly slept underneath the dining table when she was small, so at bedtime one of us would stay in there with her until she settled. We had puppy pads at the back door but she hardly ever used them and I don't believe they make house training harder. All our pups have toilet trained quickly. The pads just made my life easier and meant less cleaning up.

Never had any issues with them sleeping in the kitchen. The cats have always slept on the beds, the dogs downstairs.

Congrats op how lovely!!!

our lab is 10 now. she cried the first night when we brought her home so I moved her to our room. She still sleeps on her bed in our room 10 years later. if you are not fussed I would let her sleep on the bed. Our girl used too but then gets too hot and just goes to her bed. She does get us up though by sitting on us and staring us down.. everyday for the last decade….she will settle. Best of luck

This! Two is far, far easier than one. They entertain themselves, play together, feel safe as a pair. And they learn from each other. I house trained my first dog about 30 years ago and, because the rest have all overlapped (and I have a lot of dogs) I’ve never had to do it again, because the other dogs show them. And they settle well at night, even on arrival as older rescues, because the other dogs let them know it’s all good and they are safe here.

Poor thing needs to be closer to you, she's a baby and needs her Mum or you.

Crate in your bedroom near enough to touch and soothe her.

Yes I'm one who couldn't bear it and brought puppies into bed and every one snuggled down and slept all night! Being left alone downstairs is traumatising, they are too young and just feel abandoned and terrified, like a child would.

Totally agree 👍

Put the crate in your bedroom.

Crate in your bedroom away from any drafts and give her an old jumper or similar with your scent on to cuddle up to. If she wakes, talk to her reassuringly so she knows you're there. This worked a treat with my last pup.

Don't take the dog into bed with you. Carry on with the comfort in her space. She will eventually settle. A baby, needs reassurance, some more than others. Training from a young age is a necessity if you don't want problems later.
If you have to sleep on the settee for a while, then do do. No point having to stumble up and downstairs every hour of the night.

My poodle boy slept well downstairs for 2 years. Then he started crying & howling all night, every night. Neither of us were sleeping. His bed is now on the floor next to mine & he sleeps so soundly I forget he’s even there. The proximity has soothed his anxiety. He is happier. I am happier. I resisted the having a dog in the bedroom stance but regret that now. Would do it very differently next time. He’s not allowed on my bed at nighttime and knows to go to straight get to his. He’s a dream now!

She’s slept through last 2 nights in crate! The heartbeat puppy toy has definitely helped!

Which one did you get?

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