OK, I'm really close to giving in. We have had our 8 week old, OES puppy for just 4 nights now and he is increasingly noisy overnight. He cries when we first go to bed - understandably, and started by crying at 4 for half an hour and then again at 5 until I got up at 6, but its got worse rather than better and last night I went to bed at 11.45 and have been up since just before 5, having had virtually no sleep at all. It sounded like he was just getting more and more stressed, so I have come down to at least give the neighbours chance of some rest before they go to work. I have tried to keep bedtime a low key affair. He has a box with sides, lined with newspapers and blankets. in the kitchen. I put a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket in with him. A soft toy and a chewy toy also go in and he has the radio softly playing in the background. I tell him ' bedtime', put him in his bed and switch off the light and close the door. I have never returned to him, but have had to get up earlier this morning for the sake of everyone elses sanity. I am seriously considering letting him into my room, as I go back to work tomorrow, leaving my 19 year old daughter in charge of him during the day. He isn't my first puppy, but he is the first I have had to actually get worse overnight as time goes on. During the day, he is a typical pup - plays well, is learning to sit and lie down, retrieve and to come to his name (just short sessions with rewards). He is active in the garden when we take him out there and is very keen and eager to learn. His day is punctuated with naps as he is just a baby, but the rest of us are losing out on ours! The vet has checked him out and says that he has a slight heart murmour which doesn't concern the vet unduly, and I believe that this is common in pups of this age, otherwise he is fine. I have no doubt that he will turn into a beautiful, intelligent dog, but I need to know where to go from here. Once I do come down to him, I need to calm him by talking gently and stroking him slowy rather than making an almighty fuss, since he is already highly charged by the time I turn up. Has anyone got any suggestions other than me have him in with me, as I really don't fancy getting up for a 'wee' in the middle of the night, as our stairs are too steep for him to cope with just yet!
Thanks
Lorna

Hi Lorna,
I would carry on trying to ignore his crying (as much as you can stand anyway!).

Have you tried a ticking clock? Another idea is a piece of clothing that has your smell on it, something like an old Tshirt you were thinking of chucking. Wear it for a day then put it in his bed. Dogs have a very keen sense of smell and with all these new smells around something that reminds him of his new Mum might keep him calm.

Hope you soon have peaceful nights. :)

Kath.

Thanks Kath,
I'm willing to try anything, as I haven't had this problem persist in this way before, but have usually seen an improvement by now rather than a deterioration. I suspect that he won't even hear the clock tick witht he amount of noise he makes, but will give it a go. I shall wear an old T shirt for him today and give him that as well tonight. He is such a character that I think we are experiencing some stress, plus a bit of a battle of wills - anyway, he is super in all other ways, so I'll make every effort

i always have a radio on day/night were the dog sleep.what a kong fill up with food which as been frozon so it take long to chew on then he be tired bye then,you can buy a cd/tape with different noise on so he could get use to them,incase some noise is upsetting him.

good luck

Hi lorna, i would not worry about all this dont take pup up stairs with you dont come down to pup i have had dogs all my life and i am middle aged(oh my god) any way i do what is best for pup me my family and if that means we all get some sleep i take pup or pups to bed put in crate cover over and see how it works, you might need to let pup out a couple of times but you must do what ever works for you all, lots of luck training can start later just enjoy yor pup.

Right now, he is peacefully sleeping in his bed in the kitchen having chosen to go in there. He hasn't thrown everything around the room as he normally does (he must have 'issues') but is content and quiet in the place we tried to make special for him. Think I ought to go and catch up on some sleep now!

I have just read that a puppy that wakes and cries may be trying to say that they need to go out. If this is so and I go to him, does this mean that I am giving way to him and will it make him worse if he doesn't actually want to go outside?

Why not take the puppy out to his/her relief area and wait about 5/10 mins and see if that is the problem. If not bring the puppy back in. If he is telling you he wants to go outside, i would personally praise this behaviour as he doesn't want to mess indoors.

I agree with Tim, if you think he needs to go out obviously you must take him. Apart from praising him though, I wouldn't talk to him, just let him do his stuff and put him back to bed quietly (hopefully!) :)

Kath.

Thanks everyone - I shall be on garden patrol tonight and see if that could be his problem. He hasn't had a good toilet training day today though, but you never know, tonight he may do the right thing just to get back in the house as he isn't keen on the garden in the dark, even with the lights on. Both my neighbours and myself would be hugely relieved if I manage to crack this pretty soon!
Sweet Dreams

hi lorna
during the day are you with the puppy constanly,if so i would try and leave him at first for five minute's and then increase time during the day,just so he get's use to being on his own,which is easier for the puppy and you to do during the day instead of when your tired
i myself when being in this situation,put the puppy in a crate at the side of my bed,as i am not one for doing without sleep, and if the puppy cry's during the night i tell the pup to be quiet,and tap my hand on top of the crate,and normally peace return's,sometime's the cry's are for the need of the toilet,but this is just one of those thing's you have to be prepared for,but normally,i find my pup's do not soil there crate's,from about 7 week's,i have always found after about 3 night's in doing this is all that is needed and then the puppy again begins to sleep downstairs,with no problems

on the first night i put my pup in her vari-kennel and brought her into my bedroom, putting it on a table level with my bed so she could see me. i could then talk to her and her whimpering stopped after 15 minutes. although she was alone in her bed, she knew i was there. she woke about 3-4am in the first few nights - i took her out to have a wee, then she would settle again afterwards.
i did this for about 5-6 nights till she went to sleep without whimpering, then gradually moved her downstairs as she knew the routine.
after about 10 days she then went through the night with no toilet breaks. i used the words 'hurry up' each time she wee-d and within 2 weeks she was doing it on command. hope this helps - though all pups are different and it isn't always easy. good luck.

Lorna - I think some people are unprepared for just how much work a puppy is at first. Always easier, I find, if you compare a very young puppy to having a baby around :) Prepare yourself for sleepless nights, work around the puppy's routine and put your life on hold for a couple of weeks. It will get better, and you will have your puppy (hopefully) for many years, so a couple of weeks of late nights and very early mornings will be worth it, I promise :)

I thought I should let you know that it was a much better night last night. I put my old t shirt with him and a Kong toy with peanut butter inside. He settled quickly and we slept through until 4.30 when he started to whimper. I got up before it reached a crescendo and took him into the garden where he did a wee. After a bit of praise about going outside we came back inside and I put him back to bed with his toys. He was quiet again after a few minutes, but started up half an hour later with more crying. I started thinking along human baby lines and thought that he may actually be hungry. Sure enough, after giving him half of his breakfast, he went straight back to bed and I got up at 7am thinking he must be dead as it was so quiet. When I came down he was fast asleep having moved his bedding and toys out of his box across the room and made himself another bed by the tumble drier. I have decided to try this again if he cries in the night. I think its better all round if he splits his meals in this way so that he eats when he needs to. He will get the same amount of food but spread out over 5 meals rather than 4 as this seems to suit him better. We have been playing this morning, but he has gone voluntarily back to his bed in the kitchen now, so perhaps he is happier there now that he has had more time to settle. I have been away from him for up to an hour, but as my daughter is here all day, he still has company, although we try to be in another room to him some of the time so that he won't miss us too much if we are both out for short periods. He is going to be a really lovely dog, but we have to persevere with him to ensure that he doesn't take us over completely. I have realised that by putting the clock back 19 years to the time I last had a baby in the house and adopting the same principles, his needs are met and we should be happier for it.
Thanks everyone for your help.
Lorna

Hi Lorna

Congrats on your new baby, he sounds adorable and very babylike, like the idea of using the principles you used when your daughter was a baby, as they are babies. I will no doubt treat our pup along the same lines Do you crate the pup or does he sleep in a room with the run of it. Our beagle will be crated as they are terrible chewers. It sounds like your pup is starting to settle a bit now, whats he called, I have'nt seen a OES for years.

Good luck with the baby settling down, thank you for your advice also.

Beaglebonkerz

Hi Lorna

Thats good news :) My pups have always loved the tumble dryer and have always settled near it in the day. I also fed mine at 5am if they got me up, as they certainly won't settle if hungry. You can always increase his food at night, put a bit more food in his Kong, and then lengthen the time you come down in the morning to move him toward breakfast - if you see what I mean :)

Best of luck - keep us posted :)