Hi  there

My pup is 6 months old now and Ive been crate training her from when we first got her at 9 weeks.  She is doing very well in her crate.  I started off leaving the crate at night open and leaving paper down for her to do her business so we could get some sleep.  When she was about 4 and a half months (trying to remember now) we stated to close the door on the crate so she would hold herself.  Sometimes she would go all night and sometimes she would wine away for a wee - I dont mind if they need to go. 

I would say over the last few weeks she is going backwards.  She goes in her crate at 11ish, after been let out to do her thing and she only goes till 2am maybe 4am and wines again to go out.  When shes put back into her crate she wines for a good half hour.  Ive tried geting back up to see if she needs a number 2, Ive tried ignoring her and through lack of sleep ive slept  on the settee while she sleeps in her basket - surprisingly the latter works.

The thing is, should I be completely ignoring her now as shes 6 months and should be able to hold herself or should I be letting her out at 2am for a pee then ignoring the rest?  My friends pup (the sis to my pup) does sleep through till 7am - I know theyre all different.  Its a battle between ignoring her and risk waking the kids or giving her the company she wants........Im tired of it now!  I spend all day with her apart from shopping, school runs etc, I need a break at night.

Any ideas??

At 6 months I would just be ignoring her - she should be able to go through the whole night now.  There might be a very few pups who can't by that age, but they're in the minority.

It sounds like she just wakes up and wants to see you, so she whines and she's trained you to come to her when she whines.  The fact that she doesn't stop whining, even when she's done a wee and is put back in the crate again, tends to suggest that the whining doesn't mean "I need to toilet" in the first place.

Yes I thought that onetwothree and because in the past she has slept right through leads me to believe she can hold it.  I cant believe shes training me:rolleyes:  I just really wanted reassurance that leaving her at six months wasnt a cruel thing to do.  So I should ignore her completely then?

Yes, just make sure she toilets before going to bed and then put the ear plugs in!  It might take 2-3 days before you get silence!

HI Lab lover - you have all my sympathy!  I don't know if you saw my post but we are struggling to get any sleep at night as well. Earplugs aren't very effective against a whining puppy by the side of your bed!  Ours is younger than yours so I do need to get up to take her out in the night, but I know she is also whining to get attention some of the time - not just when she wants a pee.  It is really hard just to ignore them isn't it? 

Hi Feebee

Just read your post.  Its really hard isnt it.  I feel like Im between a rock and a hard place with her at bed times.  We've just come back from puppy class (9.30) and shes tired!  Kept poking her to try and wake her up - no chance!  Its nice to know that at 2am theres is someone else out there freezing their bums off to let their puppy have a pee like me.  Tonight I am going to be tough and ignore her - the kids have been warned  Isnt it amazing how the whining noise travels around the whole house:rolleyes:

hi my 6 month old yorkie sleeps in a crate and wakes up at least twice all i do is put my finger and say ssh go back to sleep once she hears me she will lay back down and goes back to sleep

Hi Tisha

Its the broken sleep which is getting to me now.  In saying that we had a good night with her last night.  I made sure she peed when I let her out at 11pm - if I see her do it, its much easier to ignore her knowing she has been.  She woke up about 3 times and whimpered.  She didnt do it for long, maybe 10 minutes and didnt go down to her at all.  She woke about 6.30am, I got up at 7 and let her straight out.  Lets hope it will only get better, we need our breaks from our puppies/dogs no matter how much we love em!

Sounds like you're doing pretty well to me!  No trip into the freezing cold garden in the early hours and sleeping in until 7am - you've got it easy!  We've had to give up on leaving the dogs downstairs - the puppy seemed to freak out when she woke up and found herself alone.  Still - I quite like the company (thankfully!).  Hope you have another decent night tonight....that little bit of extra sleep and make all the difference between feeling human and being a complete wreck!

Hey Feebee you haven't given up yet, you're just postponing it and are going to edge her crate out of your room, remember?!

(That's if you still want to!)

You're right - keep reminding me! 

It's so good to hear that there is a troop of us mums stood outside in this freezing weather, waiting for our dogs to perform. And where are the men hey? Still its sweet revenge to put those icy feet all over them when we finally creep back to bed tee hee!

lol bedruthen - didnt get up with her last night.  She woke about 6.30, I got up at 7.  Much better, it hard to be hard though but you get to a point where enough is enough and if your not hard, then youll be getting up in the night forever!!