Not logged inChampdogs Information Exchange
Forum Breeders Help Search Board Index Active Topics Login

Find your perfect puppy at Champdogs
The UK's leading pedigree dog breeder website for over 25 years

Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / Puppy night sleeping
- By Asiko [gb] Date 11.01.21 12:11 UTC
Hi all, just looking for some advise on puppy sleeping arrangement on the night. I am a first time dog owner so did a lot of reading but obviously it never works the same as  theory is not a practice. I have 11 weeks pup for 3 weeks now and she settled very well -toilet training hit and miss she I suppose it is early days yet. I  have got a crate which she happily used for 2 first days and nights. I have never locked the crate and never forced her in. But she completely lost an interest as soon as she get used to new family and surrounding. With her being so little I am sleeping downstairs on the sofa and she suppose to be sleeping in her bed-well I got advise do not traumatise her as she is missing her mum and litter, for the first week or so the advise I read it to put her bed close to yours bed and reach a hand when she is crying to comfort. I cannot take her upstairs we have carpets and I dont want her to wake up my son at  6 am. Well the problem is she doesnt want to sleep in her bed -she wants to sleep with me in the sofa. I cannot make it happened- firstly I think as soon as she got it as a habit she wants to sleep in bed with us all the time. Secondly I dont agree with a dog in my bed. I know it is a personal choice -the same as some new parents taking a newborn to bed some not. Also I am scared she fell over from the sofa in the night as she likes stretching a lot...There is no problem for her to on the sofa in the day, while we can watch her and we let her.  On the night I move her bed near sofa where I sleep but as soon the lights are off she doesnt want to go there she will be whining and howling  trying to jump into sofa with me. for the last week she was growing at me as well asking to take to sofa. If I try to comfort her to give her my foot or hand to settle it seems only making it worse, she just would not stop crying and trying to jump on the sofa. The same is when she wakes up in the night. To change the tactic I tried "pretend dead" when she whining instead of giving her any attention and she stopped after 2-3 minutes and settled in her bed. But again after waking up in the night - I am taking her outside for a wee, to be honest not always fast enough as it is cold so I need to be really quick to grab my coat. Then again after toilet she will not settled for ages trying to get to sofa with me. So I asking experience dog owners for some advise what would be the best approach?   I shall leave her to sleep downstairs by herself as not sure if my present only makes it worse? But in this case I will not hear her in the night so she will have to go on puppy pad (it is not realistic to expect her to ask to go for toilet in this age  neither hold for a night). Give up and take her to the sofa with me in hope that I will be able to brake the habit in the future (when/what age though?)? I dont want to force her to crate but can I  get a large gates enclosure to divide  our dining room from the leaving room (with sofa) so she have a bit less space to run arounf in the night and not access to sofa (as I am scared she jumps and fells).Thank you.
- By Jodi Date 11.01.21 13:44 UTC
I can see the answer to the problem of her with wanting to be on the sofa with you at night, don’t let her on during the day. She is too young to understand why she can get on the sofa with you during the day but not at night. So either allow her sofa access at all times or no sofa at anytime.

If you do decide to go and sleep upstairs then perhaps the following will help
You don’t need to force her into the crate, you entice her in by making nice things happen when she is in there. Toss some treats in amongst the bedding for her to find, feed her meals in there and play little games with her by throwing her toy in for her to go and fetch, make the crate very inviting and den like by covering part of it with an old towel or similar so it’s like a den. Or you could get a play pen to attach to the crate and leave the crate door open but she will still have the freedom to go in and out as she desires.
Set your alarm to wake you during the night so you can take her out to toilet, you can set the alarm later and later over time to gradually get her to sleep through. Using puppy pads is not a good idea as it makes the puppy think that it’s ok to toilet indoors making toilet training more difficult. Always start as you mean to go on, take her outdoors to toilet.
- By furriefriends Date 11.01.21 14:29 UTC
Just to add to jodis excellent post. I know u mentioned carpet upstairs .
While u are getting her used to the crate try and get her in there and settle for a snooze. Then u can practise shutting the door. Let her out when she wakes but not the moment she is fussing .catch her on a quiet moment even jts only a couple of seconds .let her out and give treats.
The point of this is to slowly get her ready to have the door shut so u can confidently have her upstairs in the crate if u decide .carpets are then not at risk  or you may want to close the crate when u go out. Feeding her in crate with the door shut is also good as she will be distracted.  Then open when she is finished but quiet.
Your aim is to make the crate a place of comfort and safety
- By Asiko [gb] Date 11.01.21 15:38 UTC
Thank you, it is very helpful! I was rather puzzled to read advise given to me on another forum -simply taking her to  sofa to sleep with me for a night. I know that I am grumpy due to luck of sleep and I knew that puppy is not a toy etc was prepared to the challenge but unexpected home-schooling my 8 year old in the same time (I work part time from home)  made things much worse :)
So solution is no sofa -means no sofa as she thinks it is BED. Or maybe would better for me move upstairs totally with alarm set on the night. I am  not fussed about crate -I read a lot of benefits of it but in  she is not massively destructive breed  and her breeder who has 3 generation at home said they are rather lazy. Anyway there are lot of space in dinning room with access to the kitchen it is not much to destroy to be honest I would rather separate it with metal gates when leaving her by herself in the future rather to train to the crate. Crate is lovely with fluffy matrass and covered -she just doesnt want to go near it so I get her a bed. I will still leave the crate though and will try trick with tasty bits and games -see how it goes. Would you think it is better to separate the area for her with playpen/enclosure pentagon for a night and dont let to rum around in the night on the full ground  floor?
- By Asiko [gb] Date 11.01.21 15:39 UTC Upvotes 1
thank you, I might opt for a play pen for now near crate ...
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / Puppy night sleeping

Powered by mwForum 2.29.6 © 1999-2015 Markus Wichitill

About Us - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy