Hi
can anyone give me any advice on helping to settle in my new puppy.I have a 12 week old choc Lab, called Chester, we have only had him a couple of days.Chester has generally settled in really well,but night time is a problem, as soon as we leave the room he starts to howl/cry, and it does not stop. Should I leave him to cry? if so for how long? Should I keep checking on him? I have been on-line since 4.30am, he was giving me such a headache, and I can't sleep now, but guess who is asleep at my feet!!
I have read many of the postings on here, and they have given me a really good insight to what I would be letting myself in for, we did lots of research on breeds and breeders, but puppy info seems to be in short supply, so if anyone knows of any good books, please can you let me know.Many thanks for everything I have learnt from you all, I hope you can help some more!
Chester is snoring now, I think I might join him!

A good book is "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey.

Some people get a crate (and cover them with a blanket) for there pup and have them in their bedroom at nights as it helps them settle.

If you keep going to him when he cries you are reinforcing the behaviour that every time he cries you will come running which will leave you an exhausted wreck! I have heard people use earplugs to blot out the noise.

I would have thought it may take up to a week to settle the new pup.

Have you tried a stuffed rubber Kong toy? You stuff them with foodstuffs and only give it at night so that a settled routine is developed.

Hi, having an 8 weeks old puppy i know what you are going through! i'm afraid we have had to use tough love and let him cry - it has worked, we now put him to bed at 9pm and he gets fed at 6am (and played with) and not a cry (famous last words!) as long as you know he is safe and can come to no harm i think its the best way. Good luck

I'm afraid I have to agree with the 'tough love ' approach. have you tried putting him to bed with a wrapped hot water bottle and even a ticking clock wrapped in a towel to mimic the mother's heart beat. It is hard to do, but so long as you've left him safe and warm where he can't chew anything or hurt himself, he will be ok. This is one of those things that you either stick to or choose to have him upstairs with you , which isn't always convenient.
good luck and try to be strong (even if it is heart breaking, I lay awake listening in tears to Elsa our now 6month old pup for a week, before she stopped, but fiance wouldn't let me give in)
emily and two happily kitchen sleeping dogs. :)

We let Max cry for the first two nites he moved in and haven't had a problem since - we just ignored him. We didn't get much sleep and its heart breaking to here him but the third nite we woke up to find little teeth marks in everything in his room :rolleyes:

banger---its your room!!!!!!!you let him sleep in it :rolleyes:

It's amazing how such a small bundle of fur can make such a big noise, but you have to ignore it, and within a week it will cease. Use a crate so it has a safe home, and you'll have a safe home also.

I have to say , it depends on the dog ...Hudson howled and yipped every night for 4 weeks at night. In the end , after 4 weeks of Zombification I gave in . He now sleeps with me (well ..not WITH me , but next to the bed) and ever since I let him he has been as good as gold.

We tried crate and we tried tough love ...Hudson just wasn't going to have it.

*sigh*

:D

Thank you everyone for your wisdom, I suppose it's tough love, we already have Chester in a crate, so he is safe, even if a little noisy!! I think I might also try the ticking clock, and the hot water bottle,cross everything and hope for the best.Thanks all, wish me luck!

Oh yes I forgot to mention Max had a radio from day 1 - in fact he still has it - yanno music and the savage beast thing :D

The first night we had Tally (Lab) he barked for half and hour and then slept until morning. His second night will live with me for a long time to come - he barked, as regular as a clock for every second of every minute of every hour - it was horrible. An experience I am glad to say has never happened since. We just let him get on with it, only letting him out to go to the toilet. Since then, he now sleeps right through from 10/11pm until 7am.

Everyone keeps telling me that having a puppy is like having a baby (never had a baby so I can only agree) - one thing I do know is that I was like a proud mum when I could tell people "Tally slept right through last night"!!:)

Tough love is definitely the way to go - but make sure you have a list by your bed of all the reasons you bought Chester - as I'm sure you've already realised, in the dark hours of the morning when you still haven't got to sleep it's only human to start to wonder if you've made the right decision. It's worth the suffering in the end:)

I wonder if its a lab thing my choc lab was the same, but i used a crate in my bedroom (but nearly broke leg when fell over it in dark)! as easier to know when to put them out at night, but she used to howl like she was being murdered when the light went off.

I can't remember if i did anything other than give her something i had been wearing that day to cuddle up in, and it stopped after a week or so.

so just remember it will stop in the end and your pup will give you something else to worry about!!!!!!!!!!!

kim