New puppy waking up at 3am to play, crate training issues – advice please!!

[frostedpink]

Hi everyone,

We have a new puppy in our house (3 month old standard poodle). He’s a fun little guy but one thing is not going well: nighttime! I need some advice please.

Now first let me confess that we were unsuccessful right off the bat with crate training. By the 3rd night of crate training, he barked non-stop for 2 HOURS with no signs of stopping. We have a young child sleeping in the house, and I couldn’t have him doing this. So after 3 bad nights, we decided to move him up to the master bathroom and gate him in there. So now he can see us, hear us, but still has a safe cozy place to sleep and won’t pee on the carpet. (it seemed like separation anxiety to us in the crate).

We still have issues however. He wakes up in the middle of the night to simply play with us (I think). He wakes up and barks/wines, so I assume he has to go outside so I go get him and bring him downstairs. He then proceeds to run around and not even bother trying to go to the bathroom. I stay outside with him until he finally goes, then bring him back upstairs. Even after I set him down, he’s sort of wound up and wants to play.

I know he’s still young, and too young to hold his potty all night. But are we doing this right??

Our other dog stayed nicely in her crate all night (and sometimes had accidents, of course, but no barking/whining). By 5-6 months or so she was holding her potty all night and now sleeps in the bed with us (and hogs the bed!).

Thanks for any advice!

 

[jdb in AZ]

When our pupster barked in his crate he got sprayed in the face with water from a laundry bottle. Problem solved real quick.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

When our pupster barked in his crate he got sprayed in the face with water from a laundry bottle. Problem solved real quick.

Holy cow

 

[clh2]

I am not an expert on this by any means...as we have only adopted older dogs.

Are you taking your puppy out on a leash in the middle of the night? I am thinking not, since you say that he is running around, and not taking care of business. I would try taking him on a leash, and then they will not be able to start the running around stuff, and get to his business faster. I would then immediately bring him back inside, get him back up to the pen, and give him a treat once he settles down.

We used to allow our dog free run of the back yard, and she is a huge fan of scents. So - the more there was to sniff - the longer it took. After a few issues (i.e. her not wanting to come back in the house before I went to work and was late a few times) we now tie her up on a 20 foot rope. NOW - WE ARE ALWAYS OUT WITH HER - SHE IS NEVER UNATTENDED - SO NO FLAMING PLEASE. But she takes care of business immediately, and then comes back in.

 

[yoopermom]

Teaching him good potty habits is SO important!

If he is actually going potty when you take him out in the middle of the night, I would not try to stop that. Bladder is still quite small, and you'd hate to set his training back with an accident. What will help is if you teach him to potty on command, so you're not out there half the night (google it, it's quite easy).

If you're insistent on not crating him (even in your bedroom, which is what I would do), I would tether him to something (like the leg of your bed), so that he only has a five or six foot "reach", and basically can't get off his nice pillow/bed. Then you can turn off the lights, tell him "bed time", and go to sleep. Make sure he is getting enough exercise at different intervals throughout the day, so he's really good and tired at night.

It's never too early to teach him an "on/off" switch for barking, as well. This is best done NOT in the middle of the night, when you're really irritated at his barking!

Best news is that they outgrow it, just like human babies/children do.

Terri

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Hi everyone,

We have a new puppy in our house (3 month old standard poodle). He’s a fun little guy but one thing is not going well: nighttime! I need some advice please.

Now first let me confess that we were unsuccessful right off the bat with crate training. By the 3rd night of crate training, he barked non-stop for 2 HOURS with no signs of stopping. We have a young child sleeping in the house, and I couldn’t have him doing this. So after 3 bad nights, we decided to move him up to the master bathroom and gate him in there. So now he can see us, hear us, but still has a safe cozy place to sleep and won’t pee on the carpet. (it seemed like separation anxiety to us in the crate).

We still have issues however. He wakes up in the middle of the night to simply play with us (I think). He wakes up and barks/wines, so I assume he has to go outside so I go get him and bring him downstairs. He then proceeds to run around and not even bother trying to go to the bathroom. I stay outside with him until he finally goes, then bring him back upstairs. Even after I set him down, he’s sort of wound up and wants to play.

I know he’s still young, and too young to hold his potty all night. But are we doing this right??

Our other dog stayed nicely in her crate all night (and sometimes had accidents, of course, but no barking/whining). By 5-6 months or so she was holding her potty all night and now sleeps in the bed with us (and hogs the bed!).

Thanks for any advice!

What you are describing is normal for a puppy that age. (I have a six month old puppy, too.) He is a baby, just separated from his mom and siblings. He is somewhat wild, but needs to learn a/your routine. Most pups will adapt pretty well with consistency. And you're right - they can't hold it all night at that age. His waking up is akin to your waking up to pee during the night, too. You feel the urge, it wakes you up. Completely normal.

Now, the thing you need to work on is your consistency. Make up your mind about how you want it to be, then stick with it. I have had a dog not do well with a crate (harming herself) so I understand when a crate doesn't work. But I also value the beauty of the crate when it does work, which thankfully it does with my current puppy, although he is almost to the point of not needing it anymore, too. We used it for about a month and a half, maybe two months, until he knew the routine and was reliable about not peeing or pooping in our room.

We like to bedroom crate because puppy is happy being there so everyone is happy. We keep two (or more) crates in different areas of the house, and both cars. It works great.

So, in teaching a young pup to go outside, it takes patience. They do sometimes not go right away, and you have to wait. Unfortunately, that is the hard part of having a puppy. Your alternative right now is to sleep all night, but wake up to a mess in the bathroom. What happened? The dog had to go but was ignored. So I'd say YOU HAVE A GREAT, SMART LITTLE DOG WHO IS TRYING TO LET YOU KNOW HE HAS TO GO!!!!! Like, "HELLO, I HAVE TO GO"!! Your job is to scoop him up, take him outside - without fanfare - wait till he goes and PRAISE HIM when he does. I guarantee you this won't be for life - it's only for a couple of months. Once he "gets it" and gets older (and bladder enlarges) he will be able to hold it longer and longer, and at some point in the near future you will have a peaceful night once again. (We are there now with our pup.)

You have a child so I will remind you what you did for nighttime feedings - you didn't turn a big light on, you didn't play with the baby, etc. You did what you had to do and got back to sleep. It's the same with the dog.

As far as getting him used to the crate again, I might try it during the day for an hour or two when he's tired (after play) to get him used to it again. I would also put it in your bedroom BUT expect that you WILL be woken up when he has to pee. It will be better as time goes on.

 

[iheartglaciers]

One of my puppies would whine for what seemed like forever in his crate when it was bedtime. I started smearing cream cheese on the inside of the crate door and on a toy. By the time he was finished licking it all he would go to sleep. Might be something to try!

When you take him out to pee at night, I'd definitely recommend on leash. Also try to minimize your interactions with him so he sees it as a pee only opportunity, no play.

Good luck!

 

[mrsv98]

When potty training our girls at night, we set up a "potty yard". It is a small fenced off area of the yard. We take them out on a leash to the same place, wait quietly, not interacting except to say "go potty" or whatever you choose. Once pup is done, praise, back to bed with no fanfare.

We also had several crates like Pea-n-Me. A smallish enclosed one in the bedroom which encouraged sleeping and and open bar one in the kitchen so pup could see and hear but was contained.

You REALLY have to be consistent no matter how hard. Poodles are very smart which is great, but also means they will get away with murder if you aren't the pack leader. Good luck!

 

[wilkeliza]

As previous poster mentioned you are doing everything right.

Imagine when your little ones wake up at night. They hardly go right back to sleep do they? Puppies are the same way. They have to learn that night time is not play time. Also the crate may not be separation anxiety but rather he just never learned that it was safe and ok. You didn't really give it enough time.

I understand the sleeping child issue but unfortunately his is a baby dog and is going to cry at night. He has to cry it out to understand that he isn't going to get what he wants every time he barks or whines. If he wakes up in the middle of the night put on his collar and leash. Walk him outside and wait until he pees when he goes tell him good boy and give him lots of praise. Take him back inside and back in the crate or as you have it now the gated area. If he whines or cries you'll have to ignore it. If he continues you can give him a firm quiet command but he is probably too young to understand what that means. It really stinks but you are going to have at least a week if not up to a month of him testing the waters. If you give in now then the battle will be even harder. At least now it is the summer and the kids probably don't have school to wake up for.

Your best bet is to start working on training him to speak and be quiet. That will help at night because you can give him the quiet command at night if he is being noisy.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes, agree with the leash if the alternative is a big yard. We kenneled off a small section of our yard just outside our cellar door so that our pup could go out off leash easily, but not have a huge yard to run around in, no balls are kept there, etc. He knows that area is only to do his business, so that helps if it is a possibility for you.

 

[Luvchefmic]

When our pupster barked in his crate he got sprayed in the face with water from a laundry bottle. Problem solved real quick.

Holy cow

YIKES

Other than that, I agree with all the other advice Hang in there it will get better Oh wait a minute another thought you have another dog who is in the bed with you This new pup knows that so I am also going to agree with the poster who said put a crate in your room for the new one I have many dogs one of our older dachshunds will cry all night unless I put something over his crate like a towel ( yep just like covering up a birdcage...goodnight Tweety Bird ) silly dog it works just another thought to try

 

[Pea-n-Me]

One of my puppies would whine for what seemed like forever in his crate when it was bedtime. I started smearing cream cheese on the inside of the crate door and on a toy. By the time he was finished licking it all he would go to sleep. Might be something to try!

Smart Mama. A Kong with cream cheese, peanut butter, pumpkin, or the chicken flavored stuff they have in the can will all work well for this as well.

We give our puppy and our old girl some special treats at bedtime as part of the routine. (We never really did it before with the old girl, but we started doing it with her - as she is at the point of being spoiled - and the puppy and they both look for it now; they remind us if we forget, even, lol.) Once they get the treats, the gate goes up (we don't want the pup wandering and getting into trouble, he stays on or next to our bed), they know it's time for rest/sleep and are usually asleep before we are.

I also agree that lots of exercise and play during the day is really helpful to a good night's sleep for a dog. I also would allow free fluids during the day, but limit them somewhat (not completely) during the evening.

I was reading with the new type of dog I have (a terrier), it's really important that they walk around somewhere, not just play in the yard; that they need to walk. So we take him places and let him explore. I can see it makes him really happy and content when he gets home. Poodles are known as the smartest dogs there are - his brain needs to be active and in use, as well. Figure out what he likes to do and do it with him regularly, and you will likely have a well adjusted dog.

 

[MouseMomx2]

We had crate training issues until we covered the crate with a sheet. No more barking after that. We still cover it when he is inside. It might be worth a try for your puppy.

 

[jsmith]

I think you gave up a bit too soon on the crate. Removed from his mother and littermates and left alone at night is a lot for a baby. We do the crate in the bedroom thing-so he knows we are there-but I have 4 crates and a soft side crate per dog so its pretty easy to do ( one that is basically permanent in the house, one in the car, one for show set ups, one wire that moves around and a soft side for hotels rooms and when we visit grandma). When we go out we go on a leash-tell them to 'go potty', praise and give a tiny treat when they go-then back to bed immediately. It doesn't take long for them to learn and having a dog that will go on command, on a leash is a wonderful thing when you travel, show or compete in dog sports.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We had crate training issues until we covered the crate with a sheet. No more barking after that. We still cover it when he is inside. It might be worth a try for your puppy.

We have a cover that's made to go over the crate for our dog. As long as it's nice & dark in there, she sleeps like a baby. We also have her well away from us.

 

[clh2]

I should have also made the following comment - regarding the leash/pottying at night. If this is something that you decide to start at night - you should also do this during the day, then your puppy will eventually "get" that he needs to potty first...then play (daytime) or go back to bed (nighttime).

It will make things easier in the day too - because if you want to let him out to take care of business before you leave for somewhere - he will "go" quicker.

 

[lorigacc]

Just like having to get up in the middle of the night with a newborn, those first months can be very tiring with a new puppy. We raised two dogs from 8 weeks old using crate training, and am proud to say my "girls" have never had an accident inside the house and they are 4 and 5 years old now. To make the long nights bearable, my husband and I took turns taking the puppy outside for potty. Did a lot of reading prior to getting my puppies, and they recommended taking them every 2 hours for a puppy two months old, 3 hrs. for 3 months old (adding a hour for each month old). Also, always had the puppy on leash, and puppy knew that it was all business. They also recommended using a specific word of your choice that your pup will eventually recognize as a que to go to the bathroom. We used "potty".We also rewarded the puppy with a very small piece of a soft treat when they did go. I say "small" cause those calories can add up quickly. Another important thing is using the right size crate. We started small, then medium and eventually extra large. You don't want a small puppy in a big crate, as its gives him the option to find a corner to go and then still lie down in a different corner. They dont want to go where they have to lay.
And, finally..they are only small for a short time, so have patience and enjoy your time with them.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Holy cow

Spraying the hound with a little water (no more than a gentle rain) didn't scar him for life. Now that he sleeps outside his favorite summertime activity is playing in the sprinklers. Good clean fun.

 

[LJSquishy]

When he wakes up in the middle of the night, leash him and take him out potty. Make it a very boring activity for him...do not pet him, talk to him, etc. If you're teaching the queue word "potty", while you're outside say, "go potty" repeatedly. Once he starts going say, "good potty" in a quiet and pleasant but still non-stimulating voice. Then he goes back into his sleeping area with no further interaction. If he does not go potty within 3 minutes, put him back in his gated area for 10 minutes and then take him out again. Rinse and repeat until he goes.

It's normal for puppies to bark and whine all night long. If you want to retry crating, put the crate directly next to your side of the bed...they want to smell you, see you, hear you, and you can put your fingers through the crate to comfort them.

Within a couple of weeks your pup should get the idea that nighttime is for sleeping.

I have two Maltese and I had to take them out in the middle of the night when they were puppies until they were probably 6 months old. Well, the girl at least. Our boy always has and still does prefer to sleep instead of go potty. It's like waking up a child in the morning trying to get him to go potty. LOL Mine obviously have smaller bladders, though. Even now that they are 5 & 6 I take them out every 2hrs or so.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Spraying the hound with a little water (no more than a gentle rain) didn't scar him for life. Now that he sleeps outside his favorite summertime activity is playing in the sprinklers. Good clean fun.

He's a 3 month old BABY that has to go to the bathroom.

Sorry, it was bad advice.

(And it's not that I'm completely opposed to spraying a pet with water for misbehavior. But this isn't one of those times.)