Need Sleep!

[Henrys Mom]

How do you get a puppy to sleep through the night? I am exhausted! Much more than I thought I would be! I am the only one taking care of Mason and he just does not sleep it seems. I let him out at night around 12:30 and would like for him to sleep until 5:30. To me that seems reasonable but maybe it's not. He did it a few times but now has been waking up earlier and earlier. He is in a crate and he barks and whines until I get up. It could be 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Today I waited because he was barking at 4:30. I waited until 5 and he barked the entire time. He does need to go pee when I let him out, but how old does he need to be until he sleeps a little longer?

I KNOW he is a puppy!!! I understand that and I was getting up in the middle of the night ever since I got him, but thought that maybe at some point he would sleep a little longer at night. I let him out all through the day so accidents are very rare now a days. I limit his water at night. Maybe I am just expecting too much too soon. I am exhausted! I do require more than 4 hours of sleep a night!!! I can't go back to bed so once I am up, I am up for the day.

Just thought I would ask if anyone has any puppy advice. He has been very difficult to potty train and has been doing really well lately. He actually goes to the door most of the time if he needs to be let out. I think he hates his crate but he is in it and does tolerate it for the most part.

Just looking for a little advice or maybe some sympathy!!!! Thanks!

 

[Jeannie]

I use to put a fan on Adam and Chase, that seemed to quiet them. I also took water away at 7 p.m. For the first 2 weeks I'd sleep on the sofa next to the crate so they knew I was close by. Then I moved to the sofa in the living room, I could hear but the pup not see me.

 

[Jorge's mum]

also try a radio as maybe he can hear you moving around and this wakes him up? will also block out other noises a fan was what helped us with Jorge though after weeks of no sleep! Stanley was alot easier we used a radio and fan straight away with him and sat with him till he fell asleep, if we did have to get up we just let him pee and gave him no other form of stimulation, then popped him back to bed! good luck x

 

[Henrys Mom]

Thanks Jeannie. I did sleep near him the first 2 weeks, but have been sleeping in my own bed ever since. Mason is 15 weeks old. Well he will be on Thursday. I don't think that he is lonely, I think he is just ready to get up! I just wonder when he will sleep a solid 5 hours through the night so I can get some sleep!? And if there is a way to accomplish this!!

 

[Henrys Mom]

I can try a radio and fan. The house is freezing, but who knows!!! I tried taking him out during the night with no lights on and no talking and put him back in the crate and he barks and whines the entire time!! Could be an hour. I could leave him in the gated kitchen alone. Maybe he would be quiet then? I think he hates the crate! But I am trying hard to get him to like it and be in it! I think it is safer for him and us! I put him in the crate when we are gone and also throughout the day so he doesn't equate it to us being gone. He goes in with a treat and a toy and doesn't seem to mind, but also doesn't seem to love it either. Maybe I should get my big wire crate out. Right now he is in the kind of crate that is covered, not sure what that's called? Maybe if he had more room and could see out all sides he would want to stay in longer?

Maybe I am just expecting too much too soon? I thought he would be sleeping from 12:30-5:30 by now without waking up. I guess I need to stop comparing him to how Henry was as a baby!!! He was much easier!

 

[BluwaterNewfs]

My puppies usually make it through the night at about 3 months old. I do not limit water and make sure they have a good chew toy in their crate. I do not put any bedding in there, it's makes them warm and gives them something for the urine to soak up into. While I don't want them sitting the urine, they don't either. I do find my boy now - 19 weeks tomorrow, will carry on when there is no water and is thirsty. He goes out last run at about 12 -12:30, and is usually quiet till about 6:30.

The other thing I find will get them up early, is if they are hungry. Is he getting enough food. At 14 weeks my pups usually get about 3 1/2 cups of food divided into 3 meals. I increase their daily food intake a 1/4 of a cup week.

 

[MMtnmom]

you might have better luck with a wire crate. Better airflow and better visibility.

 

[urneighbour]

I remember having problems with each of our pups until I moved their crate to our bedroom.

 

[RiverTheNewf]

Hi Sallie! Malcolm will also be 15 weeks on Thursday. I'd ask if they're related, but Mal's litter was all brown! The problem we have with Mal is he will sleep from midnight to 5 am, but then at 5:30 he wants UP. His crate is in the bedroom next door with both doors open--very close in our little house.

We made serious mistakes giving in to River and we turned her into a nightmare puppy. Determined to not make the same mistakes with Mal, I decided that I KNOW he can hold it at least 3 hours, usually longer. Ten days straight of crying non-stop in that time between 5 and 6 (I get up at 6 for work), and miraculously he was quiet on the 11th day. That being said, we do have to let him out somewhere between 4 and 5.

Nessa recommended having set intervals when you let him out, and then slowly making them longer. Since you can't get back to sleep, do you know that he can hold it 5 hours? I would just let him at 5, but later if he's making noise! Our trainer said that we should train ourselves...the more River barked, the more we wanted to sleep in. So if she'd bark, we'd settle in and fake sleep. She could go on for 2 hours or more, but eventually she learned that the more she barked, the more we slept. Now River will sleep in late with us on the weekends.

This is kind of a random post because I'm rushing to get to work, but hang in there! As long as he's not peeing in the crate, I would make him wait! He'll get the clue eventually. And never ever let him out while he's making noise. If you let him out sometimes when he cries and not others, you'll build a stronger behavior by rewarding it intermittently. If something (whining) got you a reward last time (being let out), but not this time...what are you going to do? Try harder! That's what we did with River, and we created a monster that could cry for four hours--she knew it would work eventually! Good luck! Mal has been a nightmare to potty train, we're still a work in progress!

 

[Tula]

You've got my sympathy! Piper is 19 weeks and still doesn't sleep through the night ! This week she made it six hours twice - so think we are getting there. We moved her crate so she is beside other sleeping newfs. She still poops once or twice a night. We started puppy kindergarten last night - and she was very tired My husband is still sleeping on the family room sofa! Kim

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Hi Sallie, you should not give up on the crate, but a wire crate would be much better! Most pups do not like closed ones. The wire crate will give him more visibility and ventilation. You should be able to let him out at night, then maybe once during the night, until morning. He may also be barking because he knows that you will come and let him out. If you know you just let him out, then try to ignore him. Some have had luck putting the crate in the bedroom with them. Sometimes pups are just tired of being in their crate all night. Sometimes in the mornings, I would gate my pups in the kitchen, so they get a change of venue. You could try giving him a treat in the morning when you walk him to hold him over until you feed him a little later.
You are doing everything right, Sallie, so hang in there. As he matures, things will fall into place.
You are doing everything

 

[Henrys Mom]

You guys really are the best! I am so afraid of screwing up this puppy!!! He is much for active and demanding than Henry ever was so I know that training is so important. I will get the wire crate out. I do think he is hungry and thirsty in the morning. I try not to fed him until 6am. It is a good time because I drive my son to school and leave at 7:20 so by then he has gone potty and is ready for the crate while I am gone. I might try letting him out and giving him a treat and putting him in the kitchen if he wakes up too early.

Lynn - You are so sweet! I can't wait for you to meet Mason! Next playdate he should be ready to go!!

I did buy him a nylabone which he loves! And this round kong ball thing which I can put treats in which he loves. Henry hated both of those toys! Ok, time to stop comparing them, right?!?!? Oh and Mason is so smart he has already figured out if you hit the buttons on the refrigerator ice and water come out!!! He is just barely tall enough to reach them so they are now locked!! I didn't think he would figure it out that fast!

I really do appreciate all the support. Raising a puppy basically alone is a very hard task!! I just want to do it right!

 

[lacey9875]

I gave up on the crate, I'll admit it. Maggie just didn't like it. I'm not sure if she was too hot or felt cramped or what, but one night in sheer exhaustion I fell asleep on the couch, and woke to a panic because she hadn't woken me up! I was afraid to look around, but when I did, she was sound asleep on the hearth. After that I kept her gated in the kitchen when we weren't home.

On a weekend when you don't have to be presentable to the outside world, try to stretch the times between letting him out. When you do take him out, make it all about going potty, nothing else. Don't talk to him, just snap his leash on, go outside, and tell him to go potty. Hang in there! :hugs:

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

I'm sure other people may have already said the same thing, but here's what worked for me.

From the time Mila came into our home at 9 weeks, I set my alarm to go off every 2 hours. I stopped giving water at 7pm and the alarm went off at 9pm, 11pm, 1am, 3am and finally up at 5am.

I gradually increased this by intervals of 15 minutes, never giving her the chance to even whine or bark out of the NEED to go out. I woke her up, put her leash on, walked out the front door and repeated, "Potty, potty, potty..." until she pottied. No play, no praise (except for after she had gone potty and even then, just one measly "Good girl." and a pat or two) and right back inside to her crate without a word. I wanted it to be as boring as humanly possible. It was all business and no fun when we went out. Also, if she didn't go potty after a few minutes, I took her right back inside.

By the time Mila was 4.5 months-ish, she could hold it all night...8 hours. Since I'm up at 5am, it wasn't an issue for me that she was raring to go at 5am.

I don't know if this will help you, but sticking to this regimen worked fantastically for us. Mila was a breeze to potty train and night train, I think, as a direct result of this.

 

[lovingmaggie]

I have no suggestions, but would like to offer sympathy. We rescued my Maggie when she was 5 mos. old. Up to that point, she had lived in a kennel. She was so far behind on everything that I didn't get a decent night's sleep for about five months. I know you are doing well with adorable Mason. Things will get better & you will sleep again soon. Hang in there!

 

[Melissakins]

How about a heart beat bear? Something that gives him some comfort? Bava was a really good baby at 3 months and came to us pretty much potty trained. We designated a spot for him in the laundry room with potty pads and that was the only place he'd go if he had an accident. Sophie spent her first four months in a crate either at her first home or at the vets office. Mowglie had some issues, but nothing terrible. Vino. Ohmy...I've never had a small dog before and we didn't do crate training with him. Smaller dog = smaller bladder. He is in a league all of his own

I'm feeling it with you. Vino does sleep through the night but he has to be outside for his business first thing in the morning.

 

[lacey9875]

Melissa,

I had one of those for my daughter and it was a life saver! I remember arguing with my then husband about the necessity for new batteries at 3 in the morning.

And Henry's Mom, are you turning the lights off? I know it sounds silly, but Maggie knew from early on that when the lights go off, it's bedtime. I may or may not have used this tactic before bedtime to calm her down. :shuffle:

 

[OurnewfDarwin]

We had Darwin on the plastic airline approved crate at night until he was about 14-15 weeks, and he would not settle in at all. Some nights I thought he was going to flip it over with the flipping and flopping. Once we put him in the divided wire crate, he slept better (but only after we put him in there with nothing else). I really think that he started sleeping longer due to our sheer laziness. We just took him out at 11, then didnt take him out of the crate until 5:30-6.

Over time, that window of time grew to 10 pm to 7 am. Even then, when we take the gate off of the bathroom, he's more excited to see us than to run outside to go to the bathroom right away. At night, he voluntarily goes into the tiled bathroom and goes to sleep exactly at ten, so we make sure to divert him on the path to bed, and bring him outside. It seems to be his natural schedule.

This will pass! But I totally feel you, having a puppy was as exhausting as a newborn!

 

[Joan Fisher]

Is your kitchen large enough to set up the crate with the door open, and then confine her to the kitchen? We found that worked best with Tiika. She could sleep in her crate but wasn't confined to it. She slept from midnight until 0630 from around 13 weeks with no fussing. we picked her up at 12 and it took us a few days to get home with her.

 

[RiverTheNewf]

I read my scattered post from earlier and wanted to add-You are doing great, and Mason is going to be a great dog. It is hard work. He will be sleeping through the night in no time. And on weekends when we want to sleep in, after we feed him and let him out, we gate Mal in the kitchen and he goes back to sleep, so ther must be something to the change of venue.